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14th out of 93 books
—
205 voters
More
One magpie,
lots of stuff,
and a few friendly mice
show us that less is
more.
This innovative and spare picture book asks the question: When is MORE more than
enough? Can a team of well-intentioned mice save their friend from hoarding too
much stuff? With breathtaking illustrations from the award-winning Brian Lies, this
book about conservation wraps an important message in a beau...more
lots of stuff,
and a few friendly mice
show us that less is
more.
This innovative and spare picture book asks the question: When is MORE more than
enough? Can a team of well-intentioned mice save their friend from hoarding too
much stuff? With breathtaking illustrations from the award-winning Brian Lies, this
book about conservation wraps an important message in a beau...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
March 6th 2012
by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
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Brian does lie. My favorite thing about this book is how easily and quickly the neo-feng-shui message falls apart. 1. The mouse got the magpie started. Hypocrite. 2. A magpie is supposed to collect trinkets. It's his nature. 3. (And the best of all) The detailed pictures of -stuff- are the kind I want to get lost in--brilliant! It was like looking at what my grandma used to call her 'crazy jar'--that clear quart jar filled to the top with little found items from all over. The deep draw of the pi...more
More by I.C. Springman is a good story about being content with what you have. I like this book, This is a good book to teach children good morals and encourage them to learn it.This book shows the lesson very well and it speaks in volumes.This book is about a magpie and a few friendly mice. The book begins with the magpie, completely alone, with the word “Nothing” on the page. The story then progresses, sticking to sparse text, as the magpie gets “Something” from a mouse and then “A few things”...more
Jan 02, 2013
Christina Bell
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
overconsumption,
magpie,
hoarding,
consumption,
collecting,
collections,
stuff,
consumerism,
children-s,
literature
I fell in love with this gorgeous book when it caught my eye as I walked into my local independent bookstore. It is a book of few words, complex illustrations, and a modern message about collecting "much too much" stuff. While adults may best identify with the book's underlying theme of consumption (or overconsumption, as it were), children will relate to the qualities of friendship some concerned mice show when they help their friend magpie extract himself from the weight of his vast collection...more
I LOVE this book. It is simple and educating. The illustrations in this book were some of my favorite I have seen in a long time. I recommend this book for the Caldecott Honor because of its beautifully illustrated and simple yet informative language. This picture book impressed me the most with its detailed pictures and the opportunity for a story within a story. The simplicity of the words helps with this book because the illustrator uses the words in the book as part of the illustrations. As...more
More is a tale about economy, a commentary on the overconsumption of society, and I. C. Springman makes that statement while using an economy of words. There are really only a handful of words in the entire book ("more," "less," and "enough" being the key words), but they effectively communicate the premise: a magpie collects more and more cool stuff until he fills his nests and many more just like it. This consumption leads to his downfall (literally) until he starts to rid himself of his posse...more
Like many of us, magpies are attracted to shiny things, and they often pick them up and take them to their nest. They love keys, pennies, beads, blocks, marbles, even chess pieces. But sometimes too much of a good thing can be disastrous, and the magpie in this story goes way overboard. When disaster strikes, his mice friends rescue him and help him choose a few favorite items. What a great idea for a book! In a world where the vehicles we drive and the houses we inhabit seem to get bigger and b...more
A magpie collects interesting items and brings them to his nest. A field mouse brings him a pretty marble, and then he has something. He finds a Lego block and a coin, adds them to his nest, and then he has a few. The addition of some keys and beads give his "more". And more, and more, and lots, and plenty. Soon he has too much and the branch bearing the weight of his nest gives way. Now mapgie has less. But enough. Yes, he has just enough.
I love this simple, beautiful book for helping our litt...more
I love this simple, beautiful book for helping our litt...more
A quirky little book about a bird who hoards trash in his nest and his mice friends who help him when his stuff overwhelms his dwelling. Very simple text that reads more like labels for each picture than a fully fleshed story. The illustrations are deatiled enough that this could be a wordless picture book, though the presence of words does add to the story. The words chosen are all words of quantity and they are used so saprsely that the overall effect is that of poetry.
Illustrations are acryl...more
Illustrations are acryl...more
The first word of this book is Nothing. Then the next page says the word something. The bird in the story is constantly collecting objects to bring back to it's nest. So at first it starts out with nothing, then something, a few, then several and more and more etc. The pile of things grows so much that everything just piles up and falls. But then the bird and several others start to lessen everything and they find out they have just enough.
There is definetely a message in this book, first we ma...more
There is definetely a message in this book, first we ma...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Spare text and intricate illustrations are artfully designed in this stunning picturebook. When a magpie with nothing is given a marble, he begins to collect things. But collecting soon turns to hoarding and a fateful fall that causes him to realize that maybe he only needs a few things. Though a simple concept, Brian Lies' illustrations expand upon Springman's concise text. The magpie, and the mice he interacts with, are expressive and the myriad of objects the magpie collects are astonishing....more
Apr 11, 2013
Slee
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
hoarders, parents, children, collectors
Shelves:
children
In sparse words and a handful of pictures, More, by I.C. Springman creates a relatable fable about greed's lure and the pathology of hoarding.
Because hoarding "runs in the family," so to speak, this simple children's book was very poignant for me. Yes, I nearly cried, seeing my grandmother in the Bird. It is good bedtime picture book for any child, but for families of hoarders, it is a powerful tale, both cautionary and inspirational. I have a rule about using the library for books because I do...more
Because hoarding "runs in the family," so to speak, this simple children's book was very poignant for me. Yes, I nearly cried, seeing my grandmother in the Bird. It is good bedtime picture book for any child, but for families of hoarders, it is a powerful tale, both cautionary and inspirational. I have a rule about using the library for books because I do...more
Most excellent in story and illustrations.
Recommended for the youngest readers, as a point-and-read story, and for early concept lessons.
You must read/see it for yourself. It's lovely.
Summary:
A tracked and tagged bird appears on the first spread forlorn and without "things". When a small mouse gifts the bird a small, round marble, the bird begins collecting as the text builds with phrases indicating that the collection is growing. "A few, several, more and more and more". When the bird ends up...more
Recommended for the youngest readers, as a point-and-read story, and for early concept lessons.
You must read/see it for yourself. It's lovely.
Summary:
A tracked and tagged bird appears on the first spread forlorn and without "things". When a small mouse gifts the bird a small, round marble, the bird begins collecting as the text builds with phrases indicating that the collection is growing. "A few, several, more and more and more". When the bird ends up...more
Magpies gather things in nature to take to their nest, but in this book, mice help one magpie, and the gathering starts and the magpie and mouse cannot quit. The nest soon fills up to overflowing, and calls for drastic action. The book can be looked at as a funny story about greed, a book where beginning, simple vocabulary enhances the illustrations as the arc of the story moves from collecting (MORE) to “much more” and then “a bit much”, “much too much” and “enough”. Crisis is imminent, so the...more
MORE is an interesting book about concepts and conservation for very young children. It is a beautifully illustrated counting book that demonstrates the concepts of: a bit much; much too much and enough, as well as the concepts of less, a lot less, not so much, and yes, enough!
For example, nothing is illustrated by using a completely blank page; "something", by showing a single marble in a nest; "a few" with (3) objects in a nest; "more and more" by lots of birds delivering objects to the nest,...more
For example, nothing is illustrated by using a completely blank page; "something", by showing a single marble in a nest; "a few" with (3) objects in a nest; "more and more" by lots of birds delivering objects to the nest,...more
The simple text in this story packs a big lesson. The magpie accepts a marble from the mouse, and thus starts his frantic search for more "stuff" for his nest. As his nest gets "way too much", the mice stage an intervention and help magpie get rid of most of his stuff. This is a universal life lesson. Who hasn't had too much stuff at one time in their life? It shows the danger of hoarding.
Recommend this to readers of all ages. Reades will have fun identifying all the stuff the magpie collects (a...more
Recommend this to readers of all ages. Reades will have fun identifying all the stuff the magpie collects (a...more
This beautifully illustrated and sparsely told story is about a bird who starts out with nothing in his nest, but is given a marble by a mouse to start his own collection. He starts gathering tchotchkes and adding them to his nest. The mouse starts to get concerned when the bird keeps adding things and doesn't know quite when to stop. Unfortunately, the bird doesn't heed the mouse's final warning, "Enough!" and adds one too many items and the branch collapses. The mouse and his friends help the...more
A magpie begins its collection with a gift of a marble from a field mouse. Collecting items takes the bird from a few and several, to more and more, until finally the nest is filled with more than enough. Fortunately, the field mice help save the day.
I really enjoyed this story of how just a few things can rapidly become way too much. Those of us that live (or grew up) in clutter-filled houses can definitely relate! I also loved Brian Lies' illustrations. I know his work mostly from his bat boo...more
I really enjoyed this story of how just a few things can rapidly become way too much. Those of us that live (or grew up) in clutter-filled houses can definitely relate! I also loved Brian Lies' illustrations. I know his work mostly from his bat boo...more
More by I. C. Springman is about a bird who collects many different things, like marbles and car keys. He collects so much stuff that he has no more room in his nest to sleep, eat, or do anything. He wants more, more, more. A mouse friend that lives near him helps him realize less is more, and to be content with what you have. This book is a very simple picture book with only a word or two on each page, but it teaches a huge lesson. This book is intended for pre-K through about 1st grade. This b...more
What an incredibly intense visual experience, what perfectly chosen (few) words, and what a marvelous story arc generated by their pairing is presented in this recent release. This book uses a progression of descriptive words to indicate increasing amounts from nothing to something to enough on to too much, back to less and ending back at the start- but not where it began. If you aren't already a fan of birds, mice, and nature, not to mention pack rats, you will be by the end of this book. This...more
This is an accessible way to introduce a number of topics PLUS it works, as it should, as its own story. Gorgeous illustrations that carry the narrative well.
One quibble: the full two-page spreads and the graphic-novel-style smaller panels work so well that I wish the "Enough!/More than enough." spread was worked over two 2-page spreads, or a smaller offset panel next to a wider one. This is the only spread that works like this in the book and it took me a minute to process how to read it.
Also...more
One quibble: the full two-page spreads and the graphic-novel-style smaller panels work so well that I wish the "Enough!/More than enough." spread was worked over two 2-page spreads, or a smaller offset panel next to a wider one. This is the only spread that works like this in the book and it took me a minute to process how to read it.
Also...more
My children and I love this book, Brian Lies is a favorite author, illustrator of ours and we were not disappointed by his latest effort as the illustrator of 'MORE' by I. C. Springman.
The text is simple but many readers, young and old, can relate to the message "less is MORE". I was inspired to do a 'hard weed' in the bedrooms and purge the unnecessary from our nest after reading this.
We love looking at the clever details in Brian's illustrations; the squirrel with the nut, the fat free yogurt...more
The text is simple but many readers, young and old, can relate to the message "less is MORE". I was inspired to do a 'hard weed' in the bedrooms and purge the unnecessary from our nest after reading this.
We love looking at the clever details in Brian's illustrations; the squirrel with the nut, the fat free yogurt...more
This almost-wordless modern fable begins when magpie begins to transform his nest, item by item, from having no possessions to a junkyard containing everything from a pocket watch to a racecar. He has become a hoarder, but with the help of friendly mice, he finally learns to downsize and live with “just enough” [unpaged]. Exquisite acrylic paint and colored pencil illustrations on handmade paper give young readers lots to examine and ponder. The message of living simply appeals to readers in an...more
An unnamed magpie has what we would now refer to as hoarding tendencies. Acrylic and colored pencil drawings of the magpie, mice, and objects star in this timeless fable that mirrors present-day issues of materialism. A field mouse offers the magpie the gift of a marble, but after collecting many more items, its nest becomes overwhelmed by many other found objects. After a catastrophic incident, the field mice help the magpie determine just what matters, and what is enough.
Interesting. I think the illustrations make up the most part of this book, as they tell most of the story. The words had me wondering if this is a kind of concept book teaching about more, less, few, etc. My guess is not, but I suppose it can be used that way.
I don't think this will work in a storytime because there is too much to be seen in the pictures for the children to figure out what's going on. However, this would be a great lap-read and read-alone.
I don't think this will work in a storytime because there is too much to be seen in the pictures for the children to figure out what's going on. However, this would be a great lap-read and read-alone.
I love this book. It is very simple and what we children's librarians call a concept book. showcasing: more, too much, not so much, and finally enough.
The wonderful illustrations really make this book about a bird (presumable a magpie) collecting things to put in his nest or nests, as the collection grows. The bird has a mouse helper who finds him things, and then digs him out with the help of several friends, when catastrophe strikes.
The wonderful illustrations really make this book about a bird (presumable a magpie) collecting things to put in his nest or nests, as the collection grows. The bird has a mouse helper who finds him things, and then digs him out with the help of several friends, when catastrophe strikes.
It's rare that you find a picture book where the author and illustrator are two different people, and the the text and the art are so interdependent. Some editors frown on art notes, but I imagine this ms must have had them, unless the author and illustrator actually worked together (another publisher no-no). And yet this teaming was so fabulous! If only publishers would be open to this kind of work more often. As I read on, I found myself progressively smiling wider and wider smiles at the spar...more
A magpie with a gleam in his red, red eye begins a collection that overflows his nest and beyond. Acquisition! His friends try to convince him that less is more and after all the shiny baubles come crashing to the ground, he is able to part with most of them. Other animals share in the bounty of his booty and all's well that ends well!
Love the determined magpie and the freedom he finds when he opens his wings and gives away his things.
Love the determined magpie and the freedom he finds when he opens his wings and gives away his things.
How wonderfully and simply this book illustrates the concept of too much stuff! It's a measurement book of a different kind and would be good for "amounts" vocabulary (more, few, several, plenty, much). The magpie's facial expressions are priceless and the detail is such that you could also use this as a seek-and-find/I Spy type of book. Caldecott buzz...???
"I.C. Springman is a small-house person in a McMansion-loving world."
"I.C. Springman is a small-house person in a McMansion-loving world."
I thought that this book would work for the Tiny Tots group, but it didn't really hold their interest. Great illustrations and not too much text, but it could work better for older children or perhaps one on one. There is really so much to look at in the pictures, the book is entitled to more viewing and finding which is hard to do in a group setting. It's so hard to know what is going to work with a group of children.
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