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64th out of 93 books
—
208 voters
Gem
by
Holly Hobbie
Look carefully. There may be a gem in your garden.
For nearly four decades, watercolorist Holly Hobbie has drawn inspiration from the wonders of nature. During one especially hard winter, she found herself imagining the story of a determined toad's spring journey. Her vivid depiction of this endearing creature's glorious yet fragile world is a sparkling celebration of survi...more
For nearly four decades, watercolorist Holly Hobbie has drawn inspiration from the wonders of nature. During one especially hard winter, she found herself imagining the story of a determined toad's spring journey. Her vivid depiction of this endearing creature's glorious yet fragile world is a sparkling celebration of survi...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
April 3rd 2012
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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When I saw a new book by Holly Hobbie I instantly knew I had to read it. She was a staple from my childhood. This book is absolutely delightful. There are only two pages of words and they are in the form of letters between grandmother and granddaughter (Holly and Hope). The rest of the pages are done in watercolor and portray the daily life of the toad, Gem. This is a perfect book for a beginning reader. They can tell the story themselves based on what they see on the pages. I would use this boo...more
This is just a gem of a book. Sorry, I had to.
This sweet book starts out with a letter from a grandmother to her granddaughter talking about a very cold winter that seemed to last forever. She says the only thing that got her through that winter was remembering a spring when her granddaughter had found a toad and named it Gem. She spent the winter painting pictures of the toad's life, and the rest of the book is made up of these pictures (without words).
At the end, we read the granddaughter's le...more
This sweet book starts out with a letter from a grandmother to her granddaughter talking about a very cold winter that seemed to last forever. She says the only thing that got her through that winter was remembering a spring when her granddaughter had found a toad and named it Gem. She spent the winter painting pictures of the toad's life, and the rest of the book is made up of these pictures (without words).
At the end, we read the granddaughter's le...more
Those who know me well, know that I am a hard-core vintage Holly Hobbie fan.Therefore, I have to get my hands on everything she publishes. And Gem is just that, a true gem by Holly Hobbie. Nearly wordless, Gem follows the story of a precarious toad's Spring journey during a harsh winter. The author's brilliant watercolors capture the wonder of nature. These pages are meant to be savored, not rushed through. Turn the pages slowly and you are sure to find nature's gems on every page. Follow this e...more
Full review at Cracking the Cover
“Gem,” the story of a little toad’s adventures is told almost exclusively with illustrations. The above letter at the very beginning and a return missive from Hope at the very end make up the only text in this charming picture book.
As always, Holly Hobbie’s watercolors are beautiful. A mix of full spreads and simpler single-page illustrations explore Gem’s journey from a home lily pond to a muddy road and a truck to hopping away from a predator and being caught...more
“Gem,” the story of a little toad’s adventures is told almost exclusively with illustrations. The above letter at the very beginning and a return missive from Hope at the very end make up the only text in this charming picture book.
As always, Holly Hobbie’s watercolors are beautiful. A mix of full spreads and simpler single-page illustrations explore Gem’s journey from a home lily pond to a muddy road and a truck to hopping away from a predator and being caught...more
I was so very excited that Holly Hobbie came out with a new book. Little did I know how gorgeous the format would be. A lovely letter from a grandmother in the beginning, a wordless picture book in the middle, and a thoughtful letter from a granddaughter at the end. The story following a toad and then the informative back portion about toads was a beautiful completion of the book. I think I'd partner this with Melvin and the Boy by Lauren Castillo since children in both books think about having...more
"Look carefully. There may be a gem in your garden. For nearly four decades, watercolorist Holly Hobbie has drawn inspiration from the wonders of nature. During one especially hard winter, she found herself imagining the story of a determined toad's spring journey. Her vivid depiction of this endearing creature's glorious yet fragile world is a sparkling celebration of survival and renewal. From the muddy brown road outside a farmhouse to the sweet-smelling garden to the cool lily pads in the po...more
Here's a book that kept me guessing. Starting out with a lengthy handwritten letter from Gram to her granddaughter Hope, I thought this would be a complex, wordy story. Not so! After the first page, the art takes over, and we follow the wordless adventures of little Gem the toad who survives nearly being hit by a car and being chased by a hungry hawk until he's rescued by a little girl, and set free in a nighttime garden full of flies. The book is appended with a few toad facts. Many of the wate...more
This book is largely wordless, and the pictures are so soft and beautiful, that it was very easy for my niece and nephew to fall into the story and see the world through Gem's eyes. They liked this little toad, and found his adventure entertaining and heart-pounding. The wordless nature of the book did enable us to create Gem's perceptions of the things that happened on his journey, so it is totally possible to change this story with subsequent readings. In fact, that could be rather fun and int...more
Holly Hobbie is one of those real life people who has transcended her worldly existence into becoming a fictional icon. This began, of course, with her Holly Hobbbie drawings which in turn became Holly Hobbie and friends — characters whom filled my ever waking thought when I was in preschool through to about second grade. Now as an adult, I have rediscovered Holly Hobbie, the author and illustrator through her more recently published books such as Everything But the Horse (review coming) and Gem...more
This book is awesome! Only recently have I discovered wordless picture books through the books we are reading with Sonlight P3/4 yet so far I've been a little bored with them. I might just hand the book to AppleBlossom and let her look, but I would probably not sit and "read" through the pages with her. Gem, however is different.
What a treasure! I find myself giggling, gasping and even grinning again while flipping these pages. There is definitely opportunity with this book. Expand the imaginat...more
What a treasure! I find myself giggling, gasping and even grinning again while flipping these pages. There is definitely opportunity with this book. Expand the imaginat...more
How does Holly Hobbie do it? She somehow is able to tell the story of a toad in a way that is both beautiful and fresh and charming without edging into cutesy or preciousness. This wordless book depicts the spring of toad, a spring full of adventures and follies and near-fatal experiences as well as a little romance. The toad is completely at home in the animal world, yet, when he turns to look at us, I can almost see a wink and a grin.
Charming.
Charming.
Sep 12, 2012
Kathryn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
budding herpetologists :->
Shelves:
childrens-picture-books,
nature-animals
This little toad just won me over!!! He is sooo adorable, so expressive, so humorous and so compelling. I just fell in love with this little guy and I have to give the book four stars for that. The majority of the story--involving Gem, the toad--is told through illustrations alone; it is framed by a touching letter from a grandma to her granddaughter, and a reply from the granddaughter. I very much appreciated the message that toads--like all wild creatures--are not meant to be captured or kept...more
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This is a delightfully-illustrated picture book with an important humane message. A toad is followed throughout his adventures, until a little girl captures him. After her grandma sets her straight about the true place of wildlife in our world, the little girl quickly sets him free with the acknowledgement:
Toads are not pets. They want to be free, like everything does.
Toads are not pets. They want to be free, like everything does.
There is a preface letter and a prologue letter between a grandmother and granddaughter that frames this otherwise wordless story of one lucky frog.
Gem is a gem, there's no doubt about it. The watercolors are fine and the story touches on the cycle of life and the natural desire for freedom.
Best for ages 4 & up, grandmothers, and K-2 teachers.
Gem is a gem, there's no doubt about it. The watercolors are fine and the story touches on the cycle of life and the natural desire for freedom.
Best for ages 4 & up, grandmothers, and K-2 teachers.
Green appropriately dominates this wordless story chronicling a toad's adventures in the outdoors. Also some beautiful buttercup yellow of summer days and dandelions. Nice use of white space and framing. Toad is wonderfully expressive, encountering danger (a car, a hawk), love, and a little girl.
This book is a gem!
This book is a gem!
Great pictures that show what a toad has to endure to live (not getting run over by a car, bird's dinner). Text in a letter format at the beginning and the end of the story with a few facts about toads at the very end. Pictures are done in a unique way that could lead to some good discussion questions with students.
This is an absolutely gorgeous book, BUT...What do you do with a wordless book? Short of asking a child to make up a story to fit the illustrations, this book doesn't work well for parents or libraries. As a giant fan of the Toot and Puddle books, I think the author, Holly Hobbie, missed an opportunity here.
One winter, Holly Hobbie started to wonder about a toad her granddaughter once found in the garden. Her wondering led to this book. Readers will find out how the toad came to be in the garden in the first place.
What I thought: I always enjoy wordless picture books and Gem is a great one. I can predict the fun I'll have during story time with this book. I love to give the children an opportunity to tell me the story. The illustrations are fantastic. Watercolor is one of my favorite mediums. (Bea...more
What I thought: I always enjoy wordless picture books and Gem is a great one. I can predict the fun I'll have during story time with this book. I love to give the children an opportunity to tell me the story. The illustrations are fantastic. Watercolor is one of my favorite mediums. (Bea...more
Gem is a wordless picture book that starts with a letter from a grandmother to her granddaughter, explaining the story is about a "Gem" they found in the garden one spring. The beautiful illusrtations follow the toad's life, wrapping up with a letter back to the grandmother.
This one could be a possible Caldecott winner. A nearly world less book tells the somewhat frightening summer of a toad. Over the course of a long cold winter, grandma draws the story for her granddaughter. Sweet and colorful. A perfect read for a cold and cloudy day.
The expressions on that froggy face! Clearly showing emotions without veering too far into anthropomorphism for the lovely, realistic watercolors.
Without the didactic framing letters: four stars. Everything in those letters is already in the illustrations.
Without the didactic framing letters: four stars. Everything in those letters is already in the illustrations.
With beautiful watercolors Holly Hobbie once again tells a beautiful tale. The only text is a letter at the beginning and one at the end and in between is a tale of a small toad and his journey from the pond to the grandmother's garden. Another great wordless story!
Darn it all to heck. This book had so much going for it...gorgeous wordless picture book, but it seemed half finished to me. I wish it would have been longer and she'd have fleshed it out a bit more. Loved the two letters between gradma and grandchild.
This story is told entirely in lovely, delightful illustrations; sandwiched by brief letters at the beginning and end. It's the story of a little toad, a little wonder named Gem. It's also the story of a tender grandmother-granddaughter bond.
Lovely book
I especially enjoyed the facts listed at the end of the book. Who knew that toads shed and then eat their own skin!? Like Holly Hobbie writes "probably everything is amazing the more you learn about it".
I especially enjoyed the facts listed at the end of the book. Who knew that toads shed and then eat their own skin!? Like Holly Hobbie writes "probably everything is amazing the more you learn about it".
No this is not Gem and the holograms it's just a gem of a book about a toad and his survival in a pond, from lily pad to lily pad, and so sweetly done. Each little corner holds something exquisite to look at.
I like toads, so a book with toads is top on my booksehelf anytime. Mostly wordless, the story is introduced by a letter to a granddaughter, and is concluded with her letter of reply to her grandmother.
The pictures in the book are great, but the story cries out for words. I can see it being used by a teacher to prompt an individual child's writing, but it would be difficult to share with a group.
The pictures blend realism and whimsy in such balance - I think that's really Hobbie's forte. She easily gets the reader on the side of the protagonist - whether it's a pig, or, as here, a toad.
A sweet wordless (excluding the letters at the beginning and end) about a toad and a little girl who wants to keep him as a pet, but realizes he would be better left in nature.
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