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Author : Barbara Lehman
Edition : 1
Number of Pages : 32
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin
List Price : $12.95
Amazon Price : $7.37
Used Price : $5.21 |
Product Description This book is about a book. A magical red book without any words. When you turn the pages you'll experience a new kind of adventure through the power of story. In illustrations of rare detail and surprise, The Red Book crosses oceans and continents to deliver one girl into a new world of possibility, where a friend she's never met is waiting. And as with the best of books, at the conclusion of the story, the journey is not over. Customer reviews one of our favorite books ever  by .. stella (usa)
this is one of our favorite books ever - the pictures are beautiful, and the story is full of imagination. we highly recommend it.
The Read Book by .. C. Camann (Buffalo, NY United States)
Original, fun, clever, sweet and easy for little ones to follow, The Red Book has it all. My two year old has been taking it to bed with her every night for the past week. I think she likes that there are no words so she can "read" it to herself. Highly recommend this delightful book.
Some might find it disturbing  by .. Matthew J. Baek (Maryland, USA)
It feels like one of the episodes from the twilight zone. A girl finds the red book on the street. She reads the book and makes some sort of telepathic contact with a boy who is stranded on an island. She decides to go to him by hanging on bunch of balloons and ends up inside the book which is picked-up by another boy, and the story continues...until every kid on the block vanishes and ends up in the red book? Furthermore, my daughter also has this book, eerie.... One good thing is there are no words so you can make the story into anything you want, you can explain that she want to the island to rescue the boy or something.
Some people question the merit of receiving a Caldecott Honor but I have to say that it is beautifully illustrated which is a good enough reason for ME to buy the book.
Amazing Book by .. Jill Myers Sapphire (Los Angeles)
My two year old daughter loves this book. She loves to make up the story herself, and she sees new things in the pictures each time she reads it. I wish there were more books like this, but she has had it for a few months now, and she still enjoys it. The illustrations are beautiful and expressive. She walks around the house with this book as if she's the little girl in the story. It's lovely.
Awesome Book. Great for children and both adult! by .. Akiko (Florida)
What a awesome book it is. I would definitly recommend this book to everyone from young children to grown up adult. It is awarded for Caldecott Honor Book, and I know some of Caldecott books, I do not agreed with their choice, but this one is THE ONE! I originally found the book at book store a couple years ago, then every time I see it, I pick it up, and sit down, watch the illustration. It always makes me feel like I am in the book, I am the girl who picks the book off the street. One of the Top 10 children's book in my list.
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Author : Jerry Pinkney
Number of Pages : 40
Publisher : Chronicle Books
List Price : $16.99
Amazon Price : $6.49
Used Price : $1.05 |
Product Description For 40 days and 40 nights rain poured from the heavens, enveloping the world. Only Noah had been warned by God of the great flood-and only Noah could save life on earth. This powerful story of salvation has fascinated people of all ages for centuries. Now, four-time Caldecott Honor-ricipient Jerry Pinkney captures all the courage, drama, and beauty of this ancient parable in rich, glorious paintings. Full of sensitive detail and emotion, his art brings new life and meaning to an important message of peace. This elegant edition of Noah's Ark promises to give readers strength and hope for many years to come. Customer reviews Noah's Ark by .. B. Gail Smith (North Carolina)
I have given this book to two new parents at a shower with a personal note written inside. The illustrations are wonderful, and there are several decorating products utilizing the Noah's ark theme for nurseries that would be great as additional gifts. I am a personal fan of Jerry Pinkney, and as a former elementary media specialist, find this a very well-done children's book with which to begin a library for a special child. B. Gail Smith
The Bounty of Listening to Divine Orders by .. M. R. Estante (North America)
This is a wonderful illustrated book about the biblical tale of Noah's Ark. When the rest of the world laughed because Noah followed God's orders to build an ark.... he was saved from the washing cleanse of the flood. A\A wonderful reminder of why to follow the Divine Plan.
Many waters by .. E. R. Bird (Manhattan, NY)
Now it seems to me that if you're the kind of person who goes around deciding to write a whole new picture book about the story of Noah's ark, you have two choices before you. You can try to reinterpret the classic tale in a new, amusing, or artistic way. "Noah's Ark" by Peter Spier (which won a Caldecott) falls into this category. It's a funny, wordless, different look at the story. The other way is to be epic, bold, and (to be frank) humorless. And in this camp we find Jerry Pinkney's, "Noah's Ark". Telling the story of Noah word for word without any digressions or spots of flamboyant creativity, this book is a straightforward encapsulation of the story we all know so very very well. It's a lovely work and certainly a pleasure to page through but it's gosh darn earnest. A book that takes itself a little too seriously.
I guess I could sum up the story of Noah's ark here, but you probably are familiar with the text. If not, it goes like this: People bad, Noah good. God tells Noah to go and build an arky arky. Animals come two by two, world floods, world unfloods, animals disembark. Noah good, rainbows good, the end. The book doesn't say which version of the Bible Pinkney got the words for this book from, but it's very clear that he's staying very close to the original text. This is a matter-of-fact story. Fortunately, Pinkney livens it up some with his customary style. The animals are all over this book, from blue-faced baboons to the delicate soaring butterflies. Pinkney even begins the book with a reiteration of "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth", complete with animals swimming, flying, and lurking. This fades beautifully into the subsequent story. Then, at the end of the book, you see the Earth dotted with beautiful rainbows as the text explains how the cycles of the globe, "shall never cease as long as the earth endures". Wraps the book up nicely, it does.
But for the man who brought the world the eclectic and incredibly original "Sam and the Tigers", it seems odd to be that he'd show the Noah story in such an old-fashioned light. Here, Noah and his family are white people in robes. The ark (a spectacular image of the ark's frame alone makes the book worth paging through) is exactly as it always appears in books and paintings. There's nothing in this book that makes the story particularly ... well.... human. It's serious business going on here. Serious epic rebirth-of-humanity type stuff. But would it have killed him to have placed a visual gag somewhere? Told a line with more punch and less sobriety?
I guess I should never have looked at the Peter Spier book before coming to this one. That was my problem. Don't get me wrong... this book is truly lovely. And if you want a matter-of-fact retelling of Noah, there's no better place to look than here. But if you have a sense of humor, a penchant for pairing the beautiful with the jolly, and a love of new ways of looking at old stories, do not come to Jerry Pinkney. Come to Peter Spier instead. Mr. Pinkney has written a variety of interesting new picture books with important lessons. This book is good, but one of his less inventive works.
Nice way to tell the old Bible story by .. Alex Facundo (North Carolina)
I thought this was really well written for kids to understand. The illustrations are also very nice and decorative. This story would let little kids know what happened with the big flood in a short, easily understandable way. This is also a new version too. There are other versions out there in children's books that tell the story about Noah's Ark. But in my opinion, this beats all the other ones by far. The text is pretty descriptive. This helps so that little children can understand and picture the story easier in their minds. The story also illustrates how strong Noah's faith had to be to go and build an ark and all. The story sets a prime example of how everyone's faith should be. Noah didn't quit building the ark, he had faith and continued his mission from God.
Related Search : honor book , ark caldecott , noah s  |
Author : Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Number of Pages : 32
Release Date : 2007-09-04
Publisher : Roaring Brook Press
List Price : $14.95
Amazon Price : $3.88
Used Price : $8.44 |
Product Description WHICH CAME FIRST? The chicken or the egg? Simple die-cuts magically present transformation-- from seed to flower, tadpole to frog, caterpillar to butterfly. The acclaimed author of Black? White! Day? Night! and Lemons Are Not Red gives an entirely fresh and memorable presentation to the concepts of transformation and creatiity. Seed becomes flower, paint becomes picture, word becomes story--and the commonplace becomes extraordinary as children look through and turn the pages of this novel and winning book. Customer reviews My Daughter's Favorite by .. M Darrow (everywhere at once)
Not a night has gone by in weeks where my 18 month old daughter has not picked out First the Egg as one of two books to be read to her before bedtime. The simplicity of the imagery has taught her the vocabulary within the book along with the relationships, including fairly abstract concepts for a toddler (such as the difference between paint and picture). Overall, this is the best picture book puchase I've made.
Fun, Fun, Fun by .. BW ()
This is a great book...fun for both kids and adults. I love how the pages have cut outs that clue you in to the next page. Fun!
great book by .. Linda P ()
Great simple illustrations with bold colors - neat thinking - leaves age-old question unanswered, which does come first - chicken or the egg?
Really, 5 Stars? by .. A. Henning (Virginia)
I love the book. I bought it for my son last Christmas, but it's a little too conceptual for a three year old. Still, it's beautiful. I'll try this out with him in a year.
A concept journey: egg or chicken? chicken or egg? by .. Judy K. Polhemus (LA)
Which came first--the chicken or the egg? Finally, someone is here to tell us. But the answer later.
"First the egg," written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, is a Caldecott honor winner for 2008 and an honor book for the Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) Award. What makes it special? Both the artwork and the story, or actually, in this case, concepts that lead from one transformation to the next. Two previous clever winners are Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book) by David Wiesner and Black and White, an earlier Caldecott by David Macauley.
I took this book from a display in our bi-annual Book Fair. I read it in just one minute. Then reread it. And reread it. Every time I pick up this seemingly simple book, I see something else I missed. Even the covers are part of the story. This book is more than clever--it is brilliant, as in illuminating.
Listen, here is the story. Get comfortable and let me read it to you:
First the EGG
then the CHICKEN
First the TADPOLE
then the FROG
First the SEED
then the FLOWER
First the CATERPILLAR
then the BUTTERFLY
First the WORD
then the STORY
First the PAINT
then the PICTURE, First the CHICKEN
then the EGG!
Well? Exactly! Without the bold colors and almost in-your-face images in the background, the words are fine, but...? A Caldecott Award is given to the most distinguished picture book of the year. Please look at the cover image with this review. That gives an idea of the power of the colors and paint technique, which is impasto on canvas, providing two layers of texture. That is what this book has--texture: layers of texture in the art and the concepts.
Art? A creative, bold enterprise that can make the chicken or the egg first. Think it, do it. Create. That is exactly what Ms Seeger did. She created a bold, creative way to examine this age-old riddle.
"First the egg" is highly recommended, not only for children, who will adore it, but also for adults, who will be reminded of the grandeur of creation in all its many forms. Great children's books belong in the collection of adults as well as in children's.
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Author : Robin Page
Edition : 1
Number of Pages : 32
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin
List Price : $15.00
Amazon Price : $7.49
Used Price : $7.79 |
Product Description A nose for digging? Ears for seeing? Eyes that squirt blood? Explore the many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails in this beautifully illustrated interactive guessing book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Customer reviews What DoYou Do With a Tail LIke This by .. NYM (New York)
A terrific children's book which teaches about animal parts (tails, mouthes, noses) and their functions in a very novel way. My 3 year old granddaughter loved it.
child's age by .. John H. Underwood ()
It would be very helpful if you mentioned the age(s) of the children for whom the books have been written.
grandparents
Seattle, WA
Great for Art Teachers too! by .. Cvat11 (NC, USA)
This book has amazing images of collage to create animals, and students love the content as well!
Wonderful book! by .. Anna M. Cech ()
I bought this book for my preschool classroom. The kids can't get enough of it and they love guessing which tail belongs to which animal. It's a great early reader for them too!
What DO you do with a tail like this? by .. Matthew J. Baek (Maryland, USA)
A very beautifully illustrated smart book, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS helps kids think outside the box. My 3 year old daughter found it interesting the some creature have ears, mouth, etc. in other place then us humans. The book that starts with a question ends with wanting to ask more questions like the one my daughter asked, "Why do flies have 6 legs and spiders have 8?" I really couldn't answer why but I think this book helped her be more observant.
Interestingly beautiful illustrations help grab attention too, that was the reason I purchased this book in first place. The artist captures every necessary detail with his unique, almost surreal style which permeates throughout the book.
Related Search : tail like , book , do with  |
Number of Pages : 40
Publisher : Scholastic Press
List Price : $17.99
Amazon Price : $7.19
Used Price : $4.06 |
Product Description "Michael," said Karl. "There's a really big bear in the backyard." This is how three children meet Stillwater, a giant panda who moves into the neighborhood and tells amazing tales. To Addie he tells a story about the value of material goods. To Michael he pushes the boundaries of good and bad. And to Karl he demonstrates what it means to hold on to frustration. With graceful art and simple stories that are filled with love and enlightenment, Jon Muth -- and Stillwater the bear -- present three ancient Zen tales that are sure to strike a chord in everyone they touch. Customer reviews I'm so glad I ordered this book, it's as good for me as it is for the children I share it with by .. Delaney (WI)
"There's a bear outside" Yes Stillwater has arrived in the back yard with his large red umbrella. He is a kind, poite and gentle Panda. After the children have formally met Stillwater they each take turns visiting him, upon each visit Stillwater has a story to tell the children. Each story is a lesson in achieving zen. It's quite lovely, the pictures change from the beautiful watercolor of the world of Stillwater and the children to a different - simpler form of illustration when Stillwater tells a story - which was an extremely effective way to see that you were now inside Stillwater's stories.
The first story stillwater tells is about his Uncle Ry who catches a robber in his house and gives him what he has. The second story Stillwater tells is about luck, somethings that may seem like great luck at first could be bad luck, and bad luck could be good luck. The last story is the story of the monks, one physically carries a woman and the other is carrying a grudge about her.
All of the stories leave room for discussion if you want to go there, or you can simply read the book and let your children absorb what they will. This book left us in a very peaceful state.
The age recommendation is 4 to 8, I think this is appropriate. I think at 6 or above your children will be more prone to abosrb the stories of zen. However, the book is very charming and likeable for your [...].
Reminds me of a japanese animation 'Totoro' by .. Matthew J. Baek (Maryland, USA)
'Totoro' was the first thought that entered my mind when I saw this book. The author must have had some influence from the animation and nothing wrong with that. It is a beautifully water colored book and the familiar stories that I've heard as a child.
Wonderful Book! by .. Mommy2B (Lansing, MI)
This book is amazing...not only are the pictures great, the story is one that you will want to read to your kids over and over. Zen Shorts has touching stories within an already creative and heartfelt book.
Zen Shorts by .. M. Nagle ()
Great book for your preschooler and for you. The beautiful pictures capture the imagination, and the concepts introduced in the stories are springboards for conversation with your child (and can be just the right message for you after a long day).
Provoke Thinking! by .. Arcturus70 (In the Orion Spur of the Milky Way Galaxy)
As powerful for adults as well as children, Zen Shorts is a wonderful book that promotes deep critical thinking and discussion on topics such as family relationships, friendships, respect, disrespect, gratitude, greed, giving, taking, selfishness, selflessness, material attachments, material detachment, actions and consequences, luck, communication, anger, and togetherness. It is the kind of book that should be read and discussed in reading circles or at family time or bed time. For students who are beginning to study concepts in Eastern philosophy, this little book is approachable and the intended wisdom within one's grasp.
My favorite story portion of the book is "Uncle Ry and the Moon." My favorite illustration is the ones that depict the panda and Addy painting and eating.
Related Search : caldecott honor , zen shorts , book  |
Number of Pages : 40
Release Date : 2006-09-05
Publisher : Walker Books for Young Readers
List Price : $16.95
Amazon Price : $5.87
Used Price : $3.00 |
Product Description Feast your eyes on these amazing creatures before they disappear. This stampede of wild animals, from Chinese Alligator to Grevy’s Zebra, are so rare, they're all endangered. David McLiman’s bold and playful illustrations transform each letter into a work of art, graphically rendered with animal characteristics. Scales, horns, even insect wings transform the alphabet into animated life.
Once you take this eye-opening safari, you'll never look at letters or animals with the same way again. A striking work of art and a zoological adventure, Gone Wild is sure to be loved by children and adults alike. Customer reviews Great book by .. Beverly Schairer (Westborough, MA)
The illustrations are fabulous! I have used it with my Pre-Kindergarten class for the past three years. Always a huge hit!
Great drawings, questionable content. by .. Robert P. Beveridge (Cleveland, OH)
David McLimans, Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet (Walker and Company, 2006)
While I admire the sentiment behind David McLimans' first childrens' book, I have to wonder at how up-to-date his information is. I wouldn't have thought to question it had he not brought up the spotted owl, that hoary old symbol of endangered species, which McLimans is quick to say is still in decline. This hasn't been true for the past decade. This makes me wonder how many of the other species in this book are now protected.
Not that the kiddies will think about this.They will see McLimans' wonderful drawings and read about nifty, obscure animals. That sort of thing was borderline magic when I was a kid; second only in my estimation to books about dinosaurs. So, yeah, you want to go through this one with your kid, because the kid will love it; once the kid's older, though, prepare for some talks about propaganda. ***
My baby loves the book by .. J. Louie (Los Angeles, CA USA)
My 16 months old really enjoyed the book. She likes the graphics - which is done in black and white. We adults enjoyed the actual reading portion. The information is very educational. I can see my baby reading this book with a different perspective when she is older.
Beautiful Book by .. Beatriz Gonzalez Jimenez (Mexico City)
A truly beautiful and creative book that reminds us of those great typography designers such as Aldus Manutius, Nicolas Jenson or Claude Garamond. My child loved discovering wild (and sadly endangered) animals through the pages of Gone Wild.
Boring to children  by .. Loves to read (Orland Park, Il United States)
This book was totally uninteresting to my grandchildren. It's a book that adults think will catch the interest of little ones and does not.
Related Search : caldecott honor , gone wild , book  |
Author : John Updike
Number of Pages : 32
Publisher : Holiday House
List Price : $17.95
Amazon Price : $5.91
Used Price : $0.16 |
Product Description A collection of twelve poems describing the activities in a child's life and the changes in the weather as the year moves from January to December. Customer reviews "A Child's Calendar" by .. A. D. Cox (northern PA, USA)
I'd recommend John Updike's "A Child's Calendar". Many readers associate Updike with his award-winning "Rabbit" series, which is not about cute little bunnies. Nevertheless, Updike scores big with this lovely collection of poems for children. Each month has a beautiful illustration and a timely poem.
Author of "Hobo Finds A Home", Editor,"Of A Predatory Heart"
Grow young with this book by .. Pandora (Bethlehem, NH)
I purchased this book for a child a few holidays ago, and before wrapping it I read every page to make sure it was appropriate. The reading transformed me. With each page I turned, I grew a little younger. The words and images peeled back the years, page after page, layer after layer. Memories rushed in of a younger self who looked at the world more intently and felt colors and images more deeply.
Reading Updike's words is like sitting on your loving grandmother's lap listening to her tales of days gone by. Gazing at the illustrations is even better--so much to see!
A week later I bought a copy for myself. Had to. I simply couldn't be without it anymore. I start each new month with a glance at what these two artists say about it, and with it comes a rush of childlike joy, appreciation and anticipation for what's to come. I've had the book for years, and never tire of it.
One caveat: If you didn't grow up in a four-season enviroment, the book might not have the same appeal for you. The images are very New England-based, specifically, Vermont and New Hampshire.
It would make a wonderful gift for any child, or adult for that matter. And I mean wonderful. The book is full of wonder.
The Heart of New England by .. prisrob (New EnglandUSA)
A friend recommended this book for my grandbaby. What a beautiful second birthday gift for my lucky little girl. Most of us are familiar with John Updike. He is a contemporary, well known author from New England, Massachusetts to be exact. John Updike has written the poetry of each month. The poetry reaches into and grabs us all but particularly the child-the rhymes and rhythm so graceful. Trina Schart Hyman has drawn the illustrations. Trina Schart Hyman was from New Hampshire, right up the road from me. She was one of the most glorious illustrators and painters. It was not until Trina's daughter married a man of color that Trina realized her illustrations were all of white people. She has rectified that and these illustrations are magnificent.
This is May in New England- John Updike has written:
"New children may
go out of doors
Without their coats
to candy stores
The apple blossoms
and the pear
may float their blossoms
through the air."
Trina Schart Hyman has drawn a Vermont General Store with a sign that says Vermont Cheeses; Maple Products, Homestead Bacon- children are shopping in the store as we can see through the open doorway, a young boy is licking his ice cream on the steps as his dog watches hoping for a falling icy piece.
The rest of the book is similar- from January through December, a poem for each month and a beautiful vivid illustration to match. What child would not love this book- I love this book! Each month shows the change of season in New England- you can almost feel the leaves crinkle and the soft snow on your eyelids.
This children's book has won a Caldecott Honor. The front cover shows two children at the top of a big hill facing a little village. It is winter and they have a sled and and look like they are ready to go down... nnn the hill. This is a keeper book, one to be read over and over and loved by the child who owns it. Highly recommended. prisrob
Hung thin between the dark and dark. by .. E. R. Bird (Manhattan, NY)
I propose that we invent an entirely new category of children's literature. In my life I've had the pleasure of discovering, usually through complete accident, fabulous picture books that use poetry to convey seasons. Tasha Tudor's, "A Time To Keep" was the first of these and remains a favorite (if only because it is intricately tied into my own childhood). The second such book was Charlotte Zolotow's breathtaking, "Seasons: A Book of Poems". Words cannot convey how much I enjoyed that book. And now, lo and behold, I've found a third leg to this unlikely triumvirate. And who could have dreamed it would have sprung from the pen of writer extraordinaire John Updike? In "A Child's Calendar", Updike's 1965 poems have been given a lively update, all thanks to illustrator Trina Schart Hyman. The result is a book that truly embraces diversity, change, and how kids react to the natural ebb and flow of the seasons. It is one of the loveliest books for children I've ever had the pleasure to page through.
The book begins in January, and we meet a family of four. An interracial couple and their two sons live in the country, and sometimes the neighbor kids come by. The cold winter months freeze the earth so that, "The river is/ A frozen place/ Held still beneath/ The trees' black lace". With the arrival of spring, the family is out in the yard (with the toddler sometimes "helping" by plucking daffodils from the earth, bulbs and all) and "We still wear mittens/ Which we lose". Summer shows us various idyllic childhood scenes involving ponds to explore, roads to bike down, fireworks, and beachside adventures. Though, as Updike is quick to point out in August, "The trees are bored/With being green/ Some people leave/ The local scene". So autumn comes and school begins. There are costumes and changing leaves as, "Blue ghosts of smoke/ Float through the town". And then winter again and Christmas and a feeling of having gotten through quite an interesting year.
It is difficult not to admire the pictures in this book. Hyman has done an exquisite job. I've adored her work over the years (check out "The Fortune Tellers" by Lloyd Alexander, if you can) and this book is a great example of what she's capable of. Her watercolors capture the spirit of the outdoors as well as the comfort and coziness of staying within. I loved the pictures that accompanied January's poem. Outside the kids stare, with sleds in hand, at the small town and the momentous grey/pink sky above (as seen on the book's cover). The other picture is from inside the home. You can see where the boots, removed after stomping about outside, lay with semi-melted snow still scattered on the rug. Hyman especially gives a great deal of attention to her lighting. That way, a spring morning looks nothing like a summer evening or the winter holiday season at night. The book makes you want to pack up your things, buy a house in the middle of nowhere (possibly in Michigan), and live with your nearest and dearest with all the beauties of nature about you. It's a book that makes you yearn for a time and place you've never known.
And the poems. Ah, the poems. I don't think Mr. Updike needs me to compliment him any. He's already acquired his fair share of praise. So all I will say is that for those that love him, this book will not disappoint. For those who do not know him (or do not know him well), I'll just quote some lines of his describing November: "The stripped and shapely/ Maple grieves/ The loss of her/ Departed leaves. The ground is hard/ As hard as stone/ The year is old/ The birds are flown. And yet the world/ Nevertheless/ Displays a certain/ Loveliness - The beauty of/ The bone. Tall God/ Must see our souls/ This way, and nod".
So there we have it. One of the nicest additions to the world of seasonal poetry books (accompanied by watercolors) for children. Children will find themselves oddly soothed by the poems and pictures. Grown-ups will be mildly surprised to find themselves feeling the same way.
A Child's Calendar by .. Carmen Gordon (Cayce, SC USA)
A Child's Calendar, a Caldecott award winner, by John Updike is a specialized poetry book that includes twelve lyric poems each describing unique characteristics of each month in the year for children to gain meaning and understanding of each individual month. Eleven of the twelve poems are written in four and five stanzas. The twelfth poem is written in six stanzas. Each stanza is structured in quatrains, containing four lines with the rhyming occurring in only two of the lines. The rhyming occurs in lines two and four of each stanza. Illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman add visual images to help the children better understand some of the characteristics and activities occurring in each month.
Related Search : child s , calendar  |
Author : Hans Christian Andersen
Number of Pages : 40
Release Date : 1999-03-24
Publisher : HarperCollins
List Price : $16.99
Amazon Price : $8.00
Used Price : $4.60 |
Product Description For over one hundred years The Ugly Duckling has been a childhood favorite, and Jerry Pinkney's spectacular new adaptation brings it triumphantly to new generations of readers.With keen emotion and fresh vision, the acclaimed artist captures the essence of the tale's timeless appeal: The journey of the awkward little bird -- marching bravely through hecklers, hunters, and cruel seasons --- is an unforgettable survival story; this blooming into a graceful swan is a reminder of the patience often necessary to discover true happiness. Splendid watercolors set in the lush countryside bring drama to life. 2X2 Reading List (TLA) 2000 Notable Children's Books (ALA), 2000 Caldecott Honor Book Customer reviews Gorgeous by .. Emily J. Taylor (Utah)
Hans Christian Anderson original fantastic prose is kept to its sparkling perfection in this book as Jerry Pinkney happily puts in his charming and almost dream-like illustrations. Fantastic edition.
such a deep meaning between its light, childish writings... by .. Humberto Mejias (Caracas, Venezuela)
(This review is about the story and not about the specific content of the book)
Luis Mejia (son) - As a fan of more classic readings, I personaly got to appreciate Hans Christen Andersen as one of my favourite writters, not only because his beautiful, gorgeous tales are brought up for a sleepy kid who likes to hear a story from his dad, as he finally gets asleep with a smile, its because among all of his works, some may be totally written for putting on paper a story full of fantastic moments but without an implicit meaning, but in its underlying words, it can teach a lot about values, just like The Little Mermaid tales a great value and a deep, underlying meaning of true love, making hard decissions toward the theme, the beauty of love an its unreachable boundaries, but, among all of Andersen's writtigs, The Ugly Duckling is one of his two that makes me cry. Its heartful, touchy story about a little duck, who, like every alive creature in the world, even a real duck, just want to be accepted as a normal duck who wants to learn about the experience of life, even when he doesn't knows that, unfortunately, this doesn't go that way, his brothers and other mates would constantly pick on him, bothering him, making the poor duck cry, even his mother felt embarassed about having such an ugly duck, what's the meaning in this part of the story? When you are an adult, or a mature adolescent one gets it quickly, even its meaning about rejecting/bullying others because of any condition (as this is not focused on beauty, is focused on any aspect that it could be found) can be seen in modern society, and, as it later reflects on the ongoing story, it can have very sad effects. The duck, all alone even at his early life, goes onto a journey of searching his place or at least some love, and he fails a couple of times, here the meaning is another very deep one, life is about risks and chances, and nothing is sure, anyone can make mistakes in any moment of his life, even when they are sadder. And when, finally, he discovers a place where he wished he could live, he felt deeply attracted by this place and its animals, and, when these attractive animals come closer, the little ugly duckling was already been hurted, so he was even more scared, as these animals he was seeing where something really special, to the point of even thinking "It doesn't matter now, I would prefer to dye here, beside this beautiful creatures, even if they kill me, or I dye in the cold, instead of all alone outside" (it really says this) this part really touches my heart. But instead of finding strong rejection, he founds comprehension and acceptance, he is even regarded as one of those beautiful animals which he dreamed about!
For children, there's no way to search for a meaning here, as it may stay as a simple, short story, attractive because of talking animals and light emotions, and a very good one for putting to sleep a children, but for adults, this story is much more than that, the story coul've been made up to even 500 pages, although here the parts are clear, main rejection, something general instead of specific, a search for a true home, a couple of places with searched with failure, and his final transformation. So, the values that this story teaches are amazing and pretty recognizables, values like those of patience, love, comprehension, although the story's main point is clear: even in our hardest situations in life, at any age, at any time, we should always be hopeful and faithful, we'll have to start our journey for finding our place, as the duck did, we shall never give up, don't be the duck that dies in the cold or loses every hope, we'll make a lot of mistakes, go through many situations that gets us down in the road, but without giving up, as the duck who finds two places where he didn't fit as well (as well as it could've been a thousand places), and, even if the road seems eternal and unreachable, even if we've been through a lot of sad stories, even if we're all alone within any situation, we'll find our true home, the true love, our deeply desired place, we'll finally discover ourselves, and have a happy ending, living happy forever.
Plus, the gorgeous illustrations and sensitive way of telling the story in the book, makes it a really fantastic, pretty edition.
Know who you are by .. Michelle D. Mccamey (md)
This book was absolutely wonderful, especially the illustrations. My children loved it. It was not just about being ugly, it was about knowing who you are, your roots, etc - self awareness and self-confidence. The poor duckling "thought" that he was ugly because he didn't know who he really was [a swan]. ...Because he was different from everyone around him, he believed that he was what everyone said he was -- ugly and worthless. The others picked on him because he was different. Once he discovered the truth of who he really was is when he was set free from the bondage of all the untruth that he heard. He discovered who he really was and flourished.
The Kind of Hope We All Need to Remember by .. M. R. Estante (North America)
A beautiful picture book on the Hans Christian Anderson tale. The Ugly Duckling is one of the world's most passionate childrens' stories of becoming. A wonderful book to read to remind a child what's possible no matter what. It's always a good thing to know one really is a swan ...underneath it all.
Honk! by .. E. R. Bird (Manhattan, NY)
"The Ugly Duckling" is one of those rare examples of the triumph of image over story. Anyone who's ever read, heard, or seen performed this story knows that there are elements to it that can make you feel a hair uncomfortable. After all, the moral of the tale is that it doesn't matter how awful your life has been just so long as you're beautiful and look like all the pretty people in the end. Even if we dislike what "The Ugly Duckling" is trying to say, though, it's hard not to be compelled by its striking images. The cygnet amongst the ducklings. The resentment directed at him by both the animal kingdom and humankind. And then, the slow realization that he is in fact the most beautiful creature in the entire world. If this story were a Grimm Brothers tale it would probably end with the duckling rubbing his newfound good looks in his siblings' faces. Fortunately, we're in Hans Christian Andersen territory here, and (more specifically) Jerry Pinkney territory as well. Mr. Pinkney has taken Andersen's original wordy version and pared it down to the point where contemporary children will understand and identify with it better. He's even changed the moral of the tale oh-so-slightly so that it's less lotsa-pain-equals-more-physical-beauty and more hard-work-will-lead-to-happiness-in-the-end. I'm not personally buying it, but that's the fault of Andersen. Not Pinkney.
In case you are not familiar with the original Andersen version (and isn't it remarkable that there isn't a Disney version out there somewhere?) here's the lowdown. One day a mother duck finds that one of her eggs is different from the others. No explanation of this is ever given. Pity. When the eggs hatch the largest/different one takes a long time to crack open and when it does it exhibits a large ugly grey "duckling". Immediately, trouble starts. Other ducks bite the duckling's head and its brothers and sisters join in. It gets so depressed that when a dog passes it over as a meal it can only think, "I am too ugly even for a dog to eat". A woman, a cat, and a chicken all find the duckling to be utterly useless. It freezes in a pond and flees the nice man that frees it. Finally after multiple trials and countless tribulations the duckling turns into a swan, meets up with its brethren, and discovers the beauty of ... um... beauty.
No deep insights in this one. Now normally I don't much care for Jerry Pinkney's illustrations. I found his "John Henry" to be a bit slapdash and his "Noah's Ark" lacking. For some reason though, "The Ugly Duckling" works. When you consider that I don't usually like the story and I don't usually like the illustrator, the fact that I like the two when combined is just plum weird. It's not that the story has improved much. But under Pinkney's hand it becomes tolerable. Sure, it's still mighty depressing to see the poor little duckling bitten, screamed at, and teased. But when he's beautiful, there's no arguing with his looks.
In the end, I tip my hat to Pinkney's guts. Some people will pooh-pooh this review because they feel I'm criticizing the story and not the edition itself. Blarney. You can't separate this book from the tale on which it's based. I'm still not a fan of "The Ugly Duckling". I think it teaches the wrong lessons in a clumsy way. But Jerry Pinkney has given us perhaps the only edition of the original story that's readable in this day and age. For that reason alone the book deserves its Caldecott Honor.
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Author : Bertha Woolman
Edition : Revised
Number of Pages : 101
Publisher : Instructional Fair
List Price : $10.95
Amazon Price : $0.36
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Product Description Explains the history and significance of the Caldecott Award and includes a list of the winning and honor books, brief biographies of their illustrators, and questions about the books. Related Search : winners honor , caldecott award , books  |
Author : Dianne Snyder
Number of Pages : 32
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books
Company : Houghton Mifflin
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Amazon Price : $1.25
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Product Description Lazy Taro gets his comeuppance. Customer reviews Great by .. A Tony's Trooper (Florida)
This was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. I highly recommend it.
You'll be amazed! by .. Krista Atkins (Sydney, Australia)
This book tells the story of a lazy boy whose selfish plan backfires. I read this to a year 2 class studying a unit on Japan and they were spellbound. The story is exciting and the illustrations are beautifully detailed with many elements of Japanese culture. I thoroughly recommend this book for schoolchildren and kidults alike.
I love this book and i think you will too! by .. ()
this book is the most wonderful book ever. you got to read it to belive. this book is about a boy who is very lazy and all he does is sleep and eat and sleep more. his mom didn't like this and she was always saying why can't you do chores like regular boys do. then he decides to turn himself into this scray person and would go to this that was his neigbor old man and warn him about his daughter which he loves that she must marry someone
like the next door neighbor. then they get married.
The Boy of the Three Year Nap by .. ()
The Boy of the Three Year Nap is a book with tips for reality, mischeviousness, and humor. I believe this book is a humorous book but it doesn't have very good life lessons. When I read this story I vaguely got the impression that life always goes your way. But I know it does not. The boy who was lazy ended up marrying a nice, rich girl because of a lie he started. He never worked hard or anything. I think young children might get the wrong idea about life and honesty. So I would wouldn't recommend for young children to read this book because they might be in for a big dissappointment.
Used as a Thematic Unit! by .. KLBrown (USA)
I loved this book so much that I developed a Thematic Unit around it. The book has some of the most outstanding pictures one has ever seen. Through these pictures we get to see Japan's culture, customs, and landscape. The story is great too. Through this book I taught Reading, English, Math, Social Studies, Science, Art, and used the internet to go on a field trip. This is a wonderful book and keeps the reader guessing. Enjoy!
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