Karen GoatKeeper's Blog - Posts Tagged "nature"
"when the Night Sees Me" and "Our Tree Named Steve"
Too many times we lose touch with the natural world. That's a shame as it has so much to offer us.
When the Night Sees Me
5 stars
Author: Janet Price
Illustrator: Maggie Walsh
When it gets dark, we go to bed. What if we went outside? What would we see? What would the night think of us? The text is almost lyrical and studded with questions for the young reader.
The illustrations are stylized and look like collages. They are simple, but eloquent.
Our Tree Named Steve
5 stars favorite
Author: Alan Zweibel
Illustrator: David Catrow
This is a letter to a family away visiting grandma about a beloved tree. The youngest child named the tree Steve as she had trouble saying tree. The letter is a biography of this tree so much a part of this family as the children grew up.
The story does have a sad ending.
The illustrations are not cartoons, but have that flavor. The images are fun, expressive, filled with color. They help the reader come to love Steve too.
When the Night Sees Me
5 stars
Author: Janet Price
Illustrator: Maggie Walsh
When it gets dark, we go to bed. What if we went outside? What would we see? What would the night think of us? The text is almost lyrical and studded with questions for the young reader.
The illustrations are stylized and look like collages. They are simple, but eloquent.
Our Tree Named Steve
5 stars favorite
Author: Alan Zweibel
Illustrator: David Catrow
This is a letter to a family away visiting grandma about a beloved tree. The youngest child named the tree Steve as she had trouble saying tree. The letter is a biography of this tree so much a part of this family as the children grew up.
The story does have a sad ending.
The illustrations are not cartoons, but have that flavor. The images are fun, expressive, filled with color. They help the reader come to love Steve too.
"Noodles on a Bicycle", "Winnie the Pooh: Roo's Big Nature Day" and "Sea Rex"
This week was an eclectic mix.
Noodles on a Bicycle
5 stars
Author: Kyo Maclear
Illustrator: Gracey Zhang
This book is based on childhood memories of a girl growing up in Tokyo. Everyday men would set off on their bicycles balancing towers of ceramic bowls filled with noodles people ordered for lunch. They rode down the streets to deliver these to the various offices and other businesses.
It would be a good introduction to learning to stack and balance stacks to carry them.
The illustrations are colored line drawings showing the children and buildings of Tokyo in the 1950s. Note the curled tail on the cat as this is a Japanese breed.
Sea Rex
4 stars
Author/Illustrator: Molly Idle
This family goes to the beach with a pet T. rex. Other dinosaurs are at the beach for a day of swimming and having fun.
Much of the story is in the illustrations. Some of them are humorous. All of the story and illustrations are pure fantasy.
Winnie the Pooh: Roo's Big Nature Day
4 stars
Author: K. Emily Hutta
Illustrator: Disney Storybook Artists
Roo is bored and getting in Kanga's way. She sends him outside, but he is still bored. Then Tigger arrives and they are off to the creek to play and explore.
The illustrations are classic Disney Winnie the Pooh ones. They are colorful, detailed and fun.
Noodles on a Bicycle
5 stars
Author: Kyo Maclear
Illustrator: Gracey Zhang
This book is based on childhood memories of a girl growing up in Tokyo. Everyday men would set off on their bicycles balancing towers of ceramic bowls filled with noodles people ordered for lunch. They rode down the streets to deliver these to the various offices and other businesses.
It would be a good introduction to learning to stack and balance stacks to carry them.
The illustrations are colored line drawings showing the children and buildings of Tokyo in the 1950s. Note the curled tail on the cat as this is a Japanese breed.
Sea Rex
4 stars
Author/Illustrator: Molly Idle
This family goes to the beach with a pet T. rex. Other dinosaurs are at the beach for a day of swimming and having fun.
Much of the story is in the illustrations. Some of them are humorous. All of the story and illustrations are pure fantasy.
Winnie the Pooh: Roo's Big Nature Day
4 stars
Author: K. Emily Hutta
Illustrator: Disney Storybook Artists
Roo is bored and getting in Kanga's way. She sends him outside, but he is still bored. Then Tigger arrives and they are off to the creek to play and explore.
The illustrations are classic Disney Winnie the Pooh ones. They are colorful, detailed and fun.
"Bears", "The Happy Day" and Horace the Horrible: A Knight Meets His Match"
From the fun to the unbelievable were this week's books.
The Happy Day
3 stars
Author: Ruth Krauss
Illustrator: Marc Simont
The concept is cute. All the animals in hibernation wake on a winter day to admire a flower blooming in the forest. This is pure fantasy.
The pencil illustrations deserved the Caldecott Honor listing. They are beautifully done.
Horace the Horrible: A Knight Meets His Match
5 stars
Author: Jackie French Koller
Illustrator: Jackie Urbanovic
The King has the flu. He sends his daughter to stay with his brother Horace until he recovers. Horace is a knight in a literary traditional sense fighting dragons, defeating armies and more. He doesn't know what to do with his niece.
She does.
The illustrations are angular and bold. Horace is determined to impress Minuette with his prowess and the images show his feats. Beside them is Minuette determined to get her way.
Bears
5 stars
Author: Ruth Krauss
Illustrator: Maurice Sendak
The text is a series of sentences or phrases. These could refer to many things. Sendak uses them to refer to bears
The illustrations make this book. The star is the boy from "Where the Wild Things Are" in his wolf suit. His dog is jealous of a teddy bear and runs off with it. The chase is on.
The Happy Day
3 stars
Author: Ruth Krauss
Illustrator: Marc Simont
The concept is cute. All the animals in hibernation wake on a winter day to admire a flower blooming in the forest. This is pure fantasy.
The pencil illustrations deserved the Caldecott Honor listing. They are beautifully done.
Horace the Horrible: A Knight Meets His Match
5 stars
Author: Jackie French Koller
Illustrator: Jackie Urbanovic
The King has the flu. He sends his daughter to stay with his brother Horace until he recovers. Horace is a knight in a literary traditional sense fighting dragons, defeating armies and more. He doesn't know what to do with his niece.
She does.
The illustrations are angular and bold. Horace is determined to impress Minuette with his prowess and the images show his feats. Beside them is Minuette determined to get her way.
Bears
5 stars
Author: Ruth Krauss
Illustrator: Maurice Sendak
The text is a series of sentences or phrases. These could refer to many things. Sendak uses them to refer to bears
The illustrations make this book. The star is the boy from "Where the Wild Things Are" in his wolf suit. His dog is jealous of a teddy bear and runs off with it. The chase is on.
