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34th out of 314 books
—
23 voters
Free Fall
When he falls asleep with a book in his arms, a young boy dreams an amazing dream-about dragons, about castles, and about an unchartered, faraway land. And you can come along.
Paperback, 32 pages
Published
September 18th 1991
by HarperCollins
(first published September 1st 1991)
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This book would make a great addition to any classroom, but especially younger ones. It can be used for a story time activity, allowing the students to tell the story as the pictures continue. This would activate their imagination and bring new and exciting ideas to the pages of the book. It could make great classroom discussion as far as identifying certain aspects of a particular page and asking the students to explain what is happening in the story. These techniques are not only fun for the s...more
What a book! Free Fall is a picture book which tells the story of a boy who falls asleep after looking at an atlas and has the most in depth, mythical dream. Without one written word this book is fantastical and quite extraordinary. Snap shots from the book include the boy meeting chess pieces to him becoming a giant but with the most intriguing background scenes including mazes, forests and an oversized library.
I think this book could be used with upper KS1 children of all abilities in particu...more
I think this book could be used with upper KS1 children of all abilities in particu...more
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The book starts off with a young boy who has fallen asleep while reading a book. As he begins to doze off the book opens up to maps. While the boy is dreaming he falls on to certain places of the map, one place resembling a chess board. Another one looked like it was a castle. As he continues his dream he has picked up a sword and a shield as to protect himself from others. While dreaming he is being pulled into different directions. He even flies on what appears to be a leaf,but it is also a sw...more
This wordless picture book has won the Caldecott Honor in 1989 and is intended for children in third-fifth grade. This story is about a boy who falls asleep with an atlas in his arms. He then has a dream where his bedspread turns into an aerial view of the earth. On his journey, he plays chess on an enormous chess board complete with mortal playing pieces. This medieval welcoming party leads the boy to a castle with dragons where he continues his search for an elusive map.
This story is imaginat...more
This story is imaginat...more
Free Fall, written and illustrated by David Wiesner, is a wordless picture book in which a young boy falls asleep while looking at a map, and is transported into a dreamland where scenery gradually shifts, from a castle to a chessboard and onward until the boy wakes up at home.Overall, I really enjoyed this work, however I have read the some reviewers feel that it is confusing for children. I can see the potential for confusion in that is is kind of unclear where all the settings are coming from...more
This is a wordless picture book A young boy falls into a slumber after reading a book of maps. In his dream he travels the world and sees many things like large chess pieces that tie into a medieval land full of knights and a magical forest with a dragon. Next he's riding a pig along a canyon then all of a sudden he's a giant in a small city. After a few other strange encounters, the young boy finally awakes in his room to find that everything he saw on his journey was a play on something he had...more
I was surprised that I disliked a Caldecott. The cover has a boy on a brown leaf flying over a stream. Inside the book you see the boy asleep with an atlas open on top of him. This is a wordless book. The atlas page becomes checkerboard land which becomes a chess set which becomes a royal village (and then with a forest growing through it). Maybe it was the lack of words, but I found this book too unpredictable and helter skelter for me. e.g., the drinking glass knocked on its side in one of the...more
Additional title for Award Winner/honor Picture books:
This book definitely deserved a Caldecott honor. "Free Fall" is a wordless picture book. It begins with a picture of a little boy falling asleep with a book on his lap. the next page shows the books opening and a map coming out. The rest of the book, seems to be a dream the boy is having traveling through the book. The pictures are beautifully done in blues, greens, yellows, etc. It does not say what media the pictures are, but to me it looks...more
This book definitely deserved a Caldecott honor. "Free Fall" is a wordless picture book. It begins with a picture of a little boy falling asleep with a book on his lap. the next page shows the books opening and a map coming out. The rest of the book, seems to be a dream the boy is having traveling through the book. The pictures are beautifully done in blues, greens, yellows, etc. It does not say what media the pictures are, but to me it looks...more
Apr 29, 2010
Kevin Ryan
added it
This book is a picture book, without words, about a boy who falls asleep and falls into dreamland about imaginary creatures inspired from the things that surround his bed, like his toys and fish tank with gold fish.
Audience: Grade 2-4
Genre: Fiction Adventure
Topic: Dreams
This is a great book for an independent read or a shared read
This particular book’s pictures are astounding. This book really would really be able to reach out to children’s imagination and take it on a ride just like the boy wa...more
Audience: Grade 2-4
Genre: Fiction Adventure
Topic: Dreams
This is a great book for an independent read or a shared read
This particular book’s pictures are astounding. This book really would really be able to reach out to children’s imagination and take it on a ride just like the boy wa...more
Free Fall is about a boy who falls asleep reading a book. Throughout the night, the boy dreams of adventures with imaginary characters. When he wakes, the area near his bed has been shuffled around. The boy seemed to have a fun night of dreams
Free Fall is a book that is written without words. ALthough it is not much older than Wiesner's Tuesday, it seems to be illustrated in a different manner. The illustrations in Free Fall cover the entire page with light and dull colors. The illustrations th...more
Free Fall is a book that is written without words. ALthough it is not much older than Wiesner's Tuesday, it seems to be illustrated in a different manner. The illustrations in Free Fall cover the entire page with light and dull colors. The illustrations th...more
This is a fantasy adventure picture book. I absolutely adored this book! For me it is one of those rare books where my jaw just drops. It is book slike these that are truely opening my eyes to the various peices of literature out there that I have overlooked. The talent and art of this book is breathtaking. My sisters loved it and we had so much fun going over it togetehr. The three of us took turns telling eachother what we thought the pictures were trying to tell. I would reccommend this book...more
Another awesome wordless picture book from David Wiesner, this one won a 1989 Caldecott Honor award. In this book, a young boy is dreaming about far off places. A chess set comes alive and soon the boy is next to a peaceful dragon and some knights, queens and page boys. The boy becomes a giant, in a scene that looks like it was taken straight out of "Gulliver's Travels". My favorite image is of fallen leaves turning into swans and fishes. On the jacket flap is a poem, which I'm guessing the enti...more
I love the illustrations! David illustrated this book so detailed and realistic. I like how it's a wordless book and it gives you the opportunity to add your own words. At the same time, the book is about a young boy and his imagination. David takes you along with the main character to his dreams. He visits dragons and castles. It would be great to use this book during story time. After reading this book to your classroom, the students can create their own magical faraway land and show to the cl...more
Nov 21, 2012
Jon-henry Kubej
added it
This book was finely illustrated. Again, David Wiesner really shows off his artistic ability. In this book, a young boy reads a book about maps before bedtime. After reading the book we find that the young boy has fallen asleep. We follow this boy into his dreams. In his dreams, the boy travels the world and encounters many things you would see in his room. This could be a great book to read to a young class and then have the students do a show and tell about something they have in their room!
This contains some really lovely ideas behind the pictures as forms flow into one another across the pages. As the author/illustrator note sin the back, it really is much stronger without accompanying text and yet still manages to carry a story. The design of the book is also very carefully considered by paying attention to the white margins around the pictures, breaking off the dream sequence from the beginning and concluding points. Occasionally some of the expressions seem a little awkward.
Free Fall is a picture book by David Wiesner. This book confused me the first time through, I could not make the subtle connections between the pages, which seem to interconnect with each other. Once I read it through a second time the connections were more evident and I liked it a lot more. I am not sure children would appreciate the style or detail of the pictures; it is a good book if you are wanting to open the childs eyes to a new type of art.
This book has hardly any words, but tells a full story in the illustrations. We like it because we have a lot of not-yet-readers and reluctant readers in our family and we were able to sit down and enjoy a book in a group and they could look at on their own without frustration. There seem to be very few books that seem to help the grade school level kids learn that books are enjoyable and most of the one's I've found are by David Wiesner.
This is a book that I think should be looked at if you enjoy other David Wiesner books. He takes elements from his other books and hides them in the pages, almost as a treat to those who are his fans. For example, the main character appears to be the boy from Flotsam, the Three Pigs are along for the journey, and the boy flies with Swans that would fit in Flotsam so well. Yet another mystical book from David Wiesner.
As always, David Wiesner has created a visually fascinating ride that feels like a full story to most readers (including myself) despite the fact that not a single word is uttered by any of the characters. The visceral nature of this book has won it many fans since its publication in 1988, and surely will win it many more followers in the future. I would give one and a half stars to, "Free Fall."
This was the first book that I read from Wiesner years back and it drew me in right away. A boy falls asleep while reading and then we get to watch his dreams. His dreams flow from one into the next and the illustrations run off the page, thus making--essentially--an extremely long illustration. Once again, the book is wordless and definitely easily accessible for numerous readers.
Creative, quirky, confusing, magical--just like a dream. My detail oriented, fantasy minded, son becomes quite absorbed in David Wiesner books. I appreciate the imagination and enjoy the one-time journey but the artists style and subject matter isn't quite as engaging to me and my younger twin daughters, which makes multiple readings less alluring and drags down my initial ratings.
1989 Caldecott Honor
A young boy falls asleep reading an atlas. His comforter transforms into a flying carpet and takes him to medieval lands complete with dragons and a life sized chess board. Everyday objects change shape; leaves into swans, castle walls into a dragoon. Another wordless book. This book is harder to follow that later Wiesner wordless books.
A young boy falls asleep reading an atlas. His comforter transforms into a flying carpet and takes him to medieval lands complete with dragons and a life sized chess board. Everyday objects change shape; leaves into swans, castle walls into a dragoon. Another wordless book. This book is harder to follow that later Wiesner wordless books.
There is magic in these illustrations, and a little bit of M.C. Escher. I take that back; there's a lot of M.C. Escher. And the little chess pawn characters are so cute. This is a very imaginative story, with so much substance that I had to turn back the pages several times, noticing things I hadn't seen before, and making sure I didn't miss a single detail.
Feb 09, 2013
Angela
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
ages-4-and-up,
animals,
bears,
birds,
dragons,
fantasy,
for-boys,
great-illustration,
kids,
kindergarten-age,
picture-books
Best for kids ages 4 an up.
Early LIteracy Skills:
Form cover:
When he falls asleep with a book in his arms, a young boy dreams an amazing dream-about dragons, about castles, and about an unchartered, faraway land. And you can come along.
Beautiful illustrated book with not text, so this is a great opportunity to create the story with your kid.
Early LIteracy Skills:
Form cover:
When he falls asleep with a book in his arms, a young boy dreams an amazing dream-about dragons, about castles, and about an unchartered, faraway land. And you can come along.
Beautiful illustrated book with not text, so this is a great opportunity to create the story with your kid.
This book is so fun. When a boy falls asleep reading you are taken with him on his wild, fun, and incredible journey through his dreams. Want to explore the word, see some dragons, watch a battle between two knights, or sail over the see on a leaf? Then this book is for you. David Wiesner does another incredible job creating life in his illustrations and lets the pictures do the talking in this situation.
This is David Wiesner's first book, and it was given a Caldecott honor medal. It seems to be the best example of a Wiesner book that reminds us he is a watercolor painter. Many of his other books are created using dark or bold colors, and its often easy to forget he uses watercolor most prominently as a medium.
Free Fall is the story of a boy who plays a magical chess game with pieces that are alive. In this dream world, the boy meets dragons made of castles and hops in and out of books, into an...more
Free Fall is the story of a boy who plays a magical chess game with pieces that are alive. In this dream world, the boy meets dragons made of castles and hops in and out of books, into an...more
Although this book had beautiful illustrations by David Wiesner, it was not my favorite. The boy character experiences an adventurous dream that include many things from his bedroom. This book had no words which was fitting for the plot but I was not very attached to the adventure in this story like many of his other books.
Do yourself a favor! Any book written by or illustrated by David Wiesner...BUY! He is absolutely brilliant. He is my very favorite illustrator, and he has a great imagination. My grandson loves every book I have bought. I try to buy only the First Edition Hard Backs, but sometimes that has not been possible. (Sigh...)
This book probably would best appeal to younger kids just learning to read (since this is a full-on picture book). Lovely illustrations, but the story felt a little disjointed like a Lewis Carroll story. It still would be an imaginative read for kids to further go on and read more.
A wordless picture book. A young boy falls asleep with an atlas and then dreams of faraway lands involving chess, flying leaves, castles, swans. The idea for this story came when David Wiesner was studying at the Rhode Island School of Design and created a painting nine feet long.
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During David Wiesner's formative years, the last images he saw before closing his eyes at night were the books, rockets, elephant heads, clocks, and magnifying glasses that decorated the wallpaper of his room. Perhaps it was this decor which awakened his creativity and gave it the dreamlike, imaginative quality so often found in his work.
As a child growing up in suburban New Jersey, Wiesner re-cre...more
More about David Wiesner...
As a child growing up in suburban New Jersey, Wiesner re-cre...more
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Sep 16, 2011 06:48am