Little Green

by Keith Baker

A young boy paints the flight of a little green hummingbird as it zips, loops, and zigzags around his sunny garden, in a playful, rhyming book. By the author of Quack and Count.

Genres: Picture Books, Birds, Storytime, Childrens, Animals, Art, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: Keith Baker


Keith Baker lives in Seattle. He has written and illustrated many acclaimed picture books for young children, including the New York Times bestselling LMNO Peas; 1-2-3 Peas; Little Green Peas; Hap-pea All Year; LMNO Pea-quel; My Octopus Arms; and No Two Alike.

Reviews

[Mort · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illustrations for the book id very colorful. Paints a picture for tryna to use their imagination.

[Kelli Oliver George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh MY. This is one of my very favorites to read with my son. More importantly (HUH?), it is one of HIS favorites and has been since he was just a baby.

Look for the whimsically hidden caterpillar hidden on each page - even after the 1000th reading, it is still a fun challenge!

This is an unusual find and not your typical board books. As such, this would make an EXCELLENT thoughtful baby shower gift.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE sharing this story with my students for art- it is a great book to read to kindergarten and first grade students.

The illustrations and story are beautifully done. I love how this story talks about observing nature and what we can make out of it. But most importantly, I use this book to discuss line types with my students as the story details different types of lines that the bird "Little Green" makes as the artist is watching her.

I think this story is adorable and a great read for my younger students. It also works great for teaching the art element of line.

[Dana Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple book that got my daughter asking questions about hummingbirds. She wanted to know more after reading this. The illustrations are well done and fun to trace the path of this particular hummingbird.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you see a theme emerging? Missing my hummingbirds in Phoenix and ready for spring in Ithaca. Love how this books illustrates a child drawing a hummingbird’s flight - makes for a great accompanying activity. (This book might need to be weeded since it is 22 years old…)

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy observes a hummingbird's flight through the garden from the window of his house.

This picture book features the hummingbird and shows it moving in different flight patterns.

The illustrations were done in cut-paper collage.

[Miss Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Keith Baker's picture books. They are good for story time.
This is about a humming bird.

[Jeniece Goellner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really adored the illustrations of this book. The alliteration was lovely and did not get to tongue twistery.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy paints a hummingbird’s movements.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations nice, but too few words for my kids. Probably better suited for toddlers.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A toddler and up book about a painter watching the movements of a bird.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

22 month old and I really enjoyed this book. It's fun.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Checked out from Reedsburg

[Sharon McCague · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read at story hour and kept 2 - 4 year olds attention. Loved the illustrations!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recall reading this with older child; she really enjoyed the rhythm of text. I think she was inspired to draw more nature as well. I haven't tried it out on baby yet. The pictures are vibrant, and full of motion as the bird flies about. The text has lots of "ing" phrases ('sip, sip, sipping') I think baby will enjoy hearing. Others have commented about following the caterpillar on each page too, a fun hunt for kids. I like that it is a story where the kid is protagonist and observing nature, but not changing it.

[Shannon Brasher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn't necessarily read this book in my classroom. I think it is meant for younger toddlers and babies. My almost four year old did enjoy this book and it was nice to introduce her to hummingbirds and their movement patterns. She enjoyed tracing the hummingbirds trails with her fingers. If I found this book for a really great price I would probably buy it for my classroom library. The color scheme and illustrations are vibrant and beautiful to look at and I think would help to keep a very young child's attention.

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

We had checked this out from the library some months ago and enjoyed it moderately (after seeing hummingbirds constantly at the feeders). But then, I found it for sale at the library and my two year old loves it. Even my daughter's Webkinz hummingbird has become "Little Green" and we read it a few times per day. He likes to find the inch worm on each page and talk about the colors of the flowers and paint brushes.

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a nice story about an artist watching a tiny green bird flit about outside, and how the meanderings of the bird inspire the artist in his work. Writers, too, will be able to identify with finding inspiration in daily happenings that might seem normal or mundane to most observers. This book really is very much about the spark of of creativity, and how it finds its mark in artistic people. I would probably give it one and a half stars, which in no way means that I didn't like it.

[Ashley Correll · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a about a boy who was painting a picture while watching the humming bird outside his window named "little green". He talks about the bird going up and down and side to side and left to right. At the very end of the story the boy shows the reader his picture and it is all different color lines all over his paper. This book is a rhyming book. Great for kindergarten or first grade. The illustrations are very pretty.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at Family Story Time on 8/8/11: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

Read at Pre-K Class visit on 5/16/13:
http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

Read at Drop-In Story Time on 9/27/13: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

[Hannah Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

An artist watches a hummingbird through his window, and paints the zipping, zagging, curlyqueing flight of the little green bird. Children will watch with glee as you trace the bird's flight for them! For ages 2-5.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a wonderful, short book about a humming bird. Great for a bird storytime for Lapsit or Preschool. Bright and poetic. Nice to have a book that deals with a specific kind of bird that is not a robin, duck or a chicken.

[Asho · Rating 4 out of 5]

My baby and I both really enjoyed this one. It has vibrant colors and simple text with a nice rhythm. It would be good for older readers, too. Preschoolers would enjoy finding the caterpillar on each page, and I think early readers could have success with the simple words.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great ending, a wonderful introduction to the idea that there are different ways for art to represent the world. Glorious colors and details on the flowers. I didn't notice the caterpillar on every page until another reviewer mentioned it!

[Aleece · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short and simple rhyming book that looks at the flight of a hummingbird from a child's perspective. Bright illustrations and the acrobatics of the hummingbird's flight are wonderful to look at and the text is simple enough for young children to enjoy.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect book for beginning painting: lines, zig zags, squiggles, etc. the boy observes, observes, observes a hummingbird. And he paints the flying motions and lines of movement, instead of the bird. So cute. Illustrations are simple, kid like, like Eric carle.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly average -- a boy paints the flight paths of a little hummingbird flitting around his garden. The illustrations are so-so as is the story. Nothing special, but not harmful -- a nice filler book.

[Brandi Shockley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for students to read to express their artistic qualities. Students can interact and respond to the book.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really not your typical board book. The illustrations are beautiful, the rhythm is lovely and the vocabulary is amazing.