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Voices In The Park
Four people go to the park, and through their eyes we see four different stories about what took place there. There's the bossy woman, the sad man, the lonely boy and the young girl whose warmth touches them all. As the story moves from one voice to another, their perspectives are reflected in the shifting landscapes and seasons. As with so many of Anthony Browne's works, this is an intriguing, many layered, hugely entertaining book which can be read again and again, and which will appeal to adults and children alike. Voices in the Park revisits a previous book by Anthony Browne, A Walk in the Park , written twenty years ago, but now sadly out of print. -- Philippa Reece
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 1998
About the author
Anthony Browne
179 books319 followersAnthony Browne, a Hans Christian Andersen Medalist, is the author-illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including Silly Billy and Little Beauty. He lives in Kent, England.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 938 reviews
August 29, 2024
بیشتر از یکساعتِ کلاس دربارهش حرف زدیم. شاید اگر تنهایی میخوندم به فوقالعاده بودنش پی نمیبردم.
August 17, 2017
'Voices in the park' by Anthony Browne is a picture book with a difference. It includes four separate narrative voices, which are emphasised by each having an individual font and is based around an outing to the park. Both of the children and the parents of the children, are given voices and although on the surface the story appears simple it is actually quite complex as it explores each of the character's individual feelings and personalities. It also explores quite adult issues such as unemployment in a simplistic way. Some of the language and opinions conveyed could be quite tricky to explain but could also provoke some interesting conversations. Oh and by the way the main characters are all gorillas, although the story appears to be intensely human.
The best parts of this story are the illustrations. I think the term that would be used to describes them is postmodern, the surreal way they weave popular works of art, distort the landscape and portray adult and child-like themes is stunning. The more you look at the pictures the more you find hidden. For instance one illustration displays a snowdrop disguised as a lamp post and 'The Laughing Cavalier' dancing down the road with 'The Mona Lisa' evoking feelings of joy. Bowler hats are also hidden in many of the illustrations reminiscent of Rene Magritte.
This is a wonderful story that could be used to aid children's understanding on a personal, social and emotional level as well as part of an art lesson and I would definitely recommend it as something a little bit different!
The best parts of this story are the illustrations. I think the term that would be used to describes them is postmodern, the surreal way they weave popular works of art, distort the landscape and portray adult and child-like themes is stunning. The more you look at the pictures the more you find hidden. For instance one illustration displays a snowdrop disguised as a lamp post and 'The Laughing Cavalier' dancing down the road with 'The Mona Lisa' evoking feelings of joy. Bowler hats are also hidden in many of the illustrations reminiscent of Rene Magritte.
This is a wonderful story that could be used to aid children's understanding on a personal, social and emotional level as well as part of an art lesson and I would definitely recommend it as something a little bit different!
January 11, 2012
From the cover illustration and from what I’d read about the story, I thought I’d love this book, but I have mixed feelings about it.
I really didn’t enjoy the choice to make the “people” depicted as monkeys/apes?? The one place where it worked for me and that gave me a good laugh was on the sign of the homeless panhandler.
What I did like were the four voices, the four separate perspectives. Woman, man, boy, girl, all different in the (basically) identical setting.
Re the illustrations I adored the dogs and liked a lot of the scenery.
Re the story, I think the different perspectives of the characters could lead to some interesting discussions and introspective mulling. But I thought some of the choices were a bit odd if the audience here is young children, such as the despondent man looking at the job ads despite feeling hopeless.
I did really enjoy the book, but I found quite a bit of it too odd for me to love it. Maybe I’m missing something so I’ll read some other members’ reviews. I don’t think it’s my mood. I was eager to read this and was thinking it might be a 5 star book for me.
I really didn’t enjoy the choice to make the “people” depicted as monkeys/apes?? The one place where it worked for me and that gave me a good laugh was on the sign of the homeless panhandler.
What I did like were the four voices, the four separate perspectives. Woman, man, boy, girl, all different in the (basically) identical setting.
Re the illustrations I adored the dogs and liked a lot of the scenery.
Re the story, I think the different perspectives of the characters could lead to some interesting discussions and introspective mulling. But I thought some of the choices were a bit odd if the audience here is young children, such as the despondent man looking at the job ads despite feeling hopeless.
I did really enjoy the book, but I found quite a bit of it too odd for me to love it. Maybe I’m missing something so I’ll read some other members’ reviews. I don’t think it’s my mood. I was eager to read this and was thinking it might be a 5 star book for me.
May 14, 2019
A visit to the park is described by four different "voices" in this brilliant picture-book from British children's author and artist Anthony Browne, highlighting the importance of perspective, in shaping our experience, and the insights that can be gained, from acknowledging that reality is drawn from a wealth of such perspectives. As the reader progresses, she experiences the same events as seen by: a bossy mother, obsessed with respectability, and none too tolerant of others; her timid and unhappy son, Charlie, who longs to be free, like his dog, and have fun; an unemployed man, down on his luck and in need of cheering up; and his daughter, Smudge, who brings sunshine into the lives of all those she meets.
All of the characters here - save the two dogs - are gorillas or chimps, which is apparently something (using primates of various kinds) for which Browne is known. I really appreciated the four-stranded narrative, but it was the artwork in Voices in the Park that really stood out to me. There are so many amazing little details - the inclusion of Munch's painting, The Scream, on the cover of a newspaper that is being read; the tree with foliage in the shape of a man's hat - that, like the multifaceted text, encourage the reader to look and think again. A book that rewards thoughtful perusal, this was my first experience reading Browne's work, but it will surely not be my last! Recommended to young readers who enjoy more sophisticated picture-books, and/or visual puzzles.
All of the characters here - save the two dogs - are gorillas or chimps, which is apparently something (using primates of various kinds) for which Browne is known. I really appreciated the four-stranded narrative, but it was the artwork in Voices in the Park that really stood out to me. There are so many amazing little details - the inclusion of Munch's painting, The Scream, on the cover of a newspaper that is being read; the tree with foliage in the shape of a man's hat - that, like the multifaceted text, encourage the reader to look and think again. A book that rewards thoughtful perusal, this was my first experience reading Browne's work, but it will surely not be my last! Recommended to young readers who enjoy more sophisticated picture-books, and/or visual puzzles.
November 9, 2018
Studied the amazingly detailed images in depth and it blew my mind the information you can find out. A beautiful take on how stories can be told. Also the story itself is one about children breaking down societal barriers when they make friends, demonstrating the purity and innocence of their beliefs. This should be treasured by all. Was the perfect way to end a long day of work.
October 5, 2011
“Voices in the Park” is a very well written picture book for children. This book written by Anthony Browne allows the reader to see life through four different characters within this story.
The story starts with an upper-class mother and son who walk their dog to the park and meet other people who are depicted as coming from a lower class status. What I found interesting within the story is that this can be a realistic occurrence that can happen daily. I consider the characters can also relate to the reader quite accessibly. In my opinion this is done through a good use of language and wonderful illustrations that pose extraordinary features. Although many may find these as unusual, I believe the use of these types of pictures as appealing.
Throughout the book Browne portrays the characters as gorillas. It can be argued the reason as to why Browne did this was to relate the characters more easily to the reader. Many people are of the opinion that when a reader is able to visualize the characters as animals, which lack certain human elements of socioeconomic status and gender roles, they will be more likely able to relate to them.
The depiction of the mother character implies wealth, and stereotypical attitudes of wealthy women. The depiction of the father character implies poverty, and stereotypical attitudes of poor men. The children seem to transcend gender stereotypes, as the boy takes on more of a female gender role. He is reluctant to play with the girl, and less outgoing. The girl wants to play with the boy, and is much more outgoing. Undoubtedly this more certainly covers many fascinating aspects of our society that we live in and it is a book I would recommend to year four upwards.
The story starts with an upper-class mother and son who walk their dog to the park and meet other people who are depicted as coming from a lower class status. What I found interesting within the story is that this can be a realistic occurrence that can happen daily. I consider the characters can also relate to the reader quite accessibly. In my opinion this is done through a good use of language and wonderful illustrations that pose extraordinary features. Although many may find these as unusual, I believe the use of these types of pictures as appealing.
Throughout the book Browne portrays the characters as gorillas. It can be argued the reason as to why Browne did this was to relate the characters more easily to the reader. Many people are of the opinion that when a reader is able to visualize the characters as animals, which lack certain human elements of socioeconomic status and gender roles, they will be more likely able to relate to them.
The depiction of the mother character implies wealth, and stereotypical attitudes of wealthy women. The depiction of the father character implies poverty, and stereotypical attitudes of poor men. The children seem to transcend gender stereotypes, as the boy takes on more of a female gender role. He is reluctant to play with the girl, and less outgoing. The girl wants to play with the boy, and is much more outgoing. Undoubtedly this more certainly covers many fascinating aspects of our society that we live in and it is a book I would recommend to year four upwards.
November 10, 2015
The illustrations in this story are so clever, allowing the reader to understand the characters in more depth, alongside the text. I really appreciate the lesson behind the story, showing that money does not always equal happiness. The pictures in this book alone would create a brilliant point of discussion in the classroom, encouraging children to look carefully at the messages the pictures are showing us, and may point out things that may not be obvious when just glancing at the pictures the first time around.
The pictures in this book have definitely taught me not to underestimate the illustrations in a picture book!
The pictures in this book have definitely taught me not to underestimate the illustrations in a picture book!
November 1, 2018
Amazing! Not just the beautiful illustrations which but the powerful message about truth, perspective and perception which is vital for children growing up today. Could work for a large age range thanks to the simple narration and engaging pictures, but had the potential for sophisticated use right up to year six. Each character could be hot-seated, or used in a "role on the wall", other characters' versions of events could be written, characters could write letters to each other after the end of the story, or it could simply start an important discussion about why we do the things we do and who is hurt by our assumptions.
April 5, 2017
‘Voices in the park’ by Anthony Browne is an interesting book for everyone of all ages. The story looks at four different voices of people from two families. There are two adults, one who is an upper class mother and the other who is an unemployed father and two children, one who is unhappy and lonely despite being part of a middle class family and a girl who might be lower class yet spreads her happiness and joy to her dad and the boy. It indicates that there are different social classes between the two families and how the brief meeting between the children in the park provides a short amount of happiness in their lives. The different social classes are based on the words that the mother uses to describe the young girl as ‘very rough-looking child’ and how the illustrations reflect the words as the mother had a scarf and pearls around her neck and a red hat that would indicate that she was sophisticated lady. Whereas, the father is shown in dirty overalls and the text in his voice stated ‘looked through the paper for a job…I know it’s a waste of time’ indicated that he was possibly made redundant for a while and has not found a job since then.
The time frame of the story seems like that the characters are meeting in the park through all four seasons. It begins with the mother’s first voice which occurs in autumn, a father’s point of view that happens in winter, the third voice which happens in winter and ends in spring and a daughter’s point of view which occurs in the summer. On page 16, both of the children are sat on the park bench and a pole in the middle of the picture which indicates a split between their classes and emotions. On the left side where the boy is sitting, the background of the picture shows grey clouds, and leafless trees, which indicates winter. This could suggest that boy chimp is unhappy and unsure with his life. Whereas, on the right side, spring is shown through using blossomed trees and one daffodil. It indicates that the girl chimp is going to bring happiness, light and warmth into his dull and lonely life. However, despite the seasons being different in each voices, it makes me wonder was it the characters own personal perceptions of what they recalled that particular day and how they related the seasons to their emotions or was it constant routine on how they went to the park and the same thing happened daily, which resulted in a bond between the two children.
Throughout the book, Browne uses surreal illustrations such as gorillas with human qualities, fruits or gorilla heads for the trees, clouds and lamppost shaped as hats. Furthermore, the man and girl Gorilla in the book have human arms and hands which are coloured differently, whereas the rest of body is like a gorilla (see pages). Based on page 17 of the book, it indicate that the gorillas are possibly from a different dimensional world, due to the illustration of where the boy gorilla is on the slide and his face is reflected back as a human little boy. This could suggest that gorillas possibly emote similarly to humans. A majority of Browne’s stories use illustrations of Gorillas such as Will and Hugh, Willy the Wimp and Little Beauty. He stated in an interview that Gorillas are similar to Dad as they are ‘physically strong yet sensitive’, which is reason why he used gorillas in his stories (telegraph, 2009). The majority of the illustrations are framed. This suggests that Browne wanted the intended reader to get an insight into their personal lives. There were eight pages where there was no framing on the illustrations. This allows the reader to become a part of their emotions that they are feeling.
Each voice of the characters are separated into four chapters and are all in different fonts to show that they are different stories that are occurring in the book. There was an intertextual reference in the illustrations where there was Mary Poppins in the background (p.10) which would only be noticed if you had previous knowledge about the character.
The pages I really liked were page 9 and 13 of the voice of the father which showed the illustrations of the father and daughter going to the park. It looked dark and gloomy with the tree branches all bent forward, the father unhappy and the portraits of Shakesphere and Mona Lisa and a poor Father Christmas emoting sadness of the father. It felt like the father had lost all hope in his life. There could be a possibility that the father is suffering from heartbreak as there is an image of that all on the wall. However, after the trip to the park, the illustration of their journey home, there was a variety of colours on the page and it was more brighter which indicates that the father became more positive and felt more secure in his life as his daughter provided him with happiness which is stated in the text. Shakespeare and Mona Lisa came to life and danced and the Father Christmas was dancing too. It was interesting to see how the lamppost now represented a flower, which shoot out of the concrete ground. This could suggest that the father has a new chance at life and start afresh leaving all the sorrow behind him. This is why the heart on the wall is whole again.
Personally, I felt that the story indicates how we should not be judged based on our class or gender. It shows that people should never give up on life and start afresh when life becomes difficult. We just need someone to talk to or be there to support people through hard times.
References
Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the park. Great Britain: Transworld Publishers Ltd.
Doonan, J. (1993). Looking at pictures in picture books. 1st ed. South Woodchester (GB): Thimble Press.
Telegraph. (2009). Anthony Browne, Children's Laureate. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/bo... [Accessed 5 Apr. 2017].
The time frame of the story seems like that the characters are meeting in the park through all four seasons. It begins with the mother’s first voice which occurs in autumn, a father’s point of view that happens in winter, the third voice which happens in winter and ends in spring and a daughter’s point of view which occurs in the summer. On page 16, both of the children are sat on the park bench and a pole in the middle of the picture which indicates a split between their classes and emotions. On the left side where the boy is sitting, the background of the picture shows grey clouds, and leafless trees, which indicates winter. This could suggest that boy chimp is unhappy and unsure with his life. Whereas, on the right side, spring is shown through using blossomed trees and one daffodil. It indicates that the girl chimp is going to bring happiness, light and warmth into his dull and lonely life. However, despite the seasons being different in each voices, it makes me wonder was it the characters own personal perceptions of what they recalled that particular day and how they related the seasons to their emotions or was it constant routine on how they went to the park and the same thing happened daily, which resulted in a bond between the two children.
Throughout the book, Browne uses surreal illustrations such as gorillas with human qualities, fruits or gorilla heads for the trees, clouds and lamppost shaped as hats. Furthermore, the man and girl Gorilla in the book have human arms and hands which are coloured differently, whereas the rest of body is like a gorilla (see pages). Based on page 17 of the book, it indicate that the gorillas are possibly from a different dimensional world, due to the illustration of where the boy gorilla is on the slide and his face is reflected back as a human little boy. This could suggest that gorillas possibly emote similarly to humans. A majority of Browne’s stories use illustrations of Gorillas such as Will and Hugh, Willy the Wimp and Little Beauty. He stated in an interview that Gorillas are similar to Dad as they are ‘physically strong yet sensitive’, which is reason why he used gorillas in his stories (telegraph, 2009). The majority of the illustrations are framed. This suggests that Browne wanted the intended reader to get an insight into their personal lives. There were eight pages where there was no framing on the illustrations. This allows the reader to become a part of their emotions that they are feeling.
Each voice of the characters are separated into four chapters and are all in different fonts to show that they are different stories that are occurring in the book. There was an intertextual reference in the illustrations where there was Mary Poppins in the background (p.10) which would only be noticed if you had previous knowledge about the character.
The pages I really liked were page 9 and 13 of the voice of the father which showed the illustrations of the father and daughter going to the park. It looked dark and gloomy with the tree branches all bent forward, the father unhappy and the portraits of Shakesphere and Mona Lisa and a poor Father Christmas emoting sadness of the father. It felt like the father had lost all hope in his life. There could be a possibility that the father is suffering from heartbreak as there is an image of that all on the wall. However, after the trip to the park, the illustration of their journey home, there was a variety of colours on the page and it was more brighter which indicates that the father became more positive and felt more secure in his life as his daughter provided him with happiness which is stated in the text. Shakespeare and Mona Lisa came to life and danced and the Father Christmas was dancing too. It was interesting to see how the lamppost now represented a flower, which shoot out of the concrete ground. This could suggest that the father has a new chance at life and start afresh leaving all the sorrow behind him. This is why the heart on the wall is whole again.
Personally, I felt that the story indicates how we should not be judged based on our class or gender. It shows that people should never give up on life and start afresh when life becomes difficult. We just need someone to talk to or be there to support people through hard times.
References
Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the park. Great Britain: Transworld Publishers Ltd.
Doonan, J. (1993). Looking at pictures in picture books. 1st ed. South Woodchester (GB): Thimble Press.
Telegraph. (2009). Anthony Browne, Children's Laureate. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/bo... [Accessed 5 Apr. 2017].
November 8, 2018
Great book from 4 different perspectives, showing how even though all of the characters are in the same simple situation of a walk in the park there is a big difference in their emotions and feelings. We used this book to look closely into picture books to show the personalities of the characters and how this influences how they respond to the situation. This book also covers social class and how it affects the characters. Social class does not matter to the children, however, for the adults, there is a clear divide.
June 11, 2026
Enpä olisi tähän tullut tarttuneeksi ilman lastenkirjakriitikkoja Venla Rossia ja Noora Vaaralaa, jotka Long Play -artikkelissaan Helpompia kirjoja tyhmemmille lukijoille analysoivat nykyistä lapsille suunnattujen tunnekirjojen villitystä. Artikkelin lopussa on hieno lista tunteiden käsittelyyn sopivista kirjoista, jotka eivät ole kuitenkaan varsinaisia "tunnekirjoja". Kirjastomme kokoelman ainoa jäljelle jäänyt Ääniä puistossa on jo sijoitettu varastoon, mikä on vähän sääli, sillä varsin hieno kirja on kyseessä!
November 3, 2019
یک کتاب تصویری قشنگ برای بچهها که من از یوتوب دیدمش و تجربه خیلی جالبی بود و روزم رو روشن کرد
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyCUn...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyCUn...
November 8, 2017
On first read of this book I highly disliked it. However, the more I analysed the illustrations and looked deeper into the meaning of the book I was able to relate to it on a level I didn't think I would. This enabled me to understand the reasoning behind the plot, structure, characters and illustrations which allowed me to see deeper the true message behind it. This has defiantly taught me not to judge a book at first read.
February 16, 2021
This is the most often recommended book for multiple POVs; however, it has been noted to be problematic in the racist implications of anthropomorphic monkeys: Edi Campbell Blog Post - Voices, so I no longer recommend it.
August 14, 2024
Libro maravilloso.
Cuatro perspectivas de una misma salida al parque. Los dibujos son hermosos y bien intencionados. El logro del autor de transmitir estados emocionales a través de los colores, de la tipografía y del guion simple es maravilloso (sí, repetiré mil veces que el libro es maravilloso).
Me encantó, quiero leer más del autor.
Cuatro perspectivas de una misma salida al parque. Los dibujos son hermosos y bien intencionados. El logro del autor de transmitir estados emocionales a través de los colores, de la tipografía y del guion simple es maravilloso (sí, repetiré mil veces que el libro es maravilloso).
Me encantó, quiero leer más del autor.
June 8, 2020
Another cracker from Anthony Browne. His illustrations are some of the best I've seen, and I love his slightly off-kilter stories. They're not straightforward, and they all contain a hint of melancholy, or loss, or danger. That's very much the case here. It's a little gem of a book.
September 25, 2018
I found this book so interesting and it has so much depth, despite being a very simplistic day out to the park had by four different characters. I had to re-read this one to really gather a clearer idea of the different points of view, I even found myself missing some details, but once I had re-read it my knowledge and understanding of the text just grew and grew. Which is highly the purpose of this text: to gather an understanding of different experiences had by the characters, rather than following the journey of one individual. Not only can you discuss what is happening in the text, but also the finer details of the characters’ feelings. I also love the way that you can experiment with lots of different voices to make the characters more relatable and enhance enjoyment/engagement for children.
June 26, 2023
Voices in the Park addresses the social divide and prejudice that parents inflict on their unbiased children. Illustrating that the oppression of children and a lack of voice, can occur in all families and different socioeconomic backgrounds. As well as integrating History of Art from both a social elitist and anti-elitist standpoint which is divided by the wealthy and poorer side of the park which has two entrances. These political undertones highlight children's unbiased nature, and accentuates the political views of adults through the medium of art. This educates children and prevents such divides occurring in future generations as well as educating them on the History of Art and the political messages spread through art.
A juxtaposition is immediately portrayed to the reader as a mothers views her dog as a 'pedigree Labrador' called 'Victoria' (which could be perceived as pretentious name for a dog) and she describes a 'scruffy mongrel' being a 'horrible thing'. This immediately sets the tone for the book in which we see the author address the themes of oppression, class divide, judgement and the effects of such things upon children.
The story portrays four viewpoints on a sequence of events that occur within a park which subsequently mean two families from different socioeconomic origins meet in a park. A boy called 'Charles' is struggling within an elitist, judgemental and restricted environment that doesn’t allow him to express himself and feel free. Due to his mothers oppressive nature his voice is being oppressed. The young girl from a lower socioeconomic status does, however, have more freedom, including a voice.
A good book to use when teaching children that, despite the fact that someone is socioeconomically privileged, it isn't always a guarantee that they are not subjected to oppression, and that the opposite is also true: being poor doesn't always mean that you don't have freedom. A useful book for encouraging children to consider societal roles with greater compassion and critical thinking.
A juxtaposition is immediately portrayed to the reader as a mothers views her dog as a 'pedigree Labrador' called 'Victoria' (which could be perceived as pretentious name for a dog) and she describes a 'scruffy mongrel' being a 'horrible thing'. This immediately sets the tone for the book in which we see the author address the themes of oppression, class divide, judgement and the effects of such things upon children.
The story portrays four viewpoints on a sequence of events that occur within a park which subsequently mean two families from different socioeconomic origins meet in a park. A boy called 'Charles' is struggling within an elitist, judgemental and restricted environment that doesn’t allow him to express himself and feel free. Due to his mothers oppressive nature his voice is being oppressed. The young girl from a lower socioeconomic status does, however, have more freedom, including a voice.
A good book to use when teaching children that, despite the fact that someone is socioeconomically privileged, it isn't always a guarantee that they are not subjected to oppression, and that the opposite is also true: being poor doesn't always mean that you don't have freedom. A useful book for encouraging children to consider societal roles with greater compassion and critical thinking.
October 25, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book in the latest English seminar. I like the use of 4 different voices that reflect their walk in the park, this was also shown by the different fonts for each 'voice.'
After learning about the Moebius pictures codes in the session, I was able to look deeper into the picture to analyse further thoughts and feelings by looking at size, direction, proportion, colour, etc. By doing this, I was able to notice that each 'voice' viewed the park differently in terms of its environment, which would create discussion about the reasoning behind this.
In terms of teaching the book in school, it is a book that promotes perspective and writing from Point of View. It also gives the children to have a go at writing about a particular scene from their perspective (school grounds, a town) and accompany the writing with their own pictures using watercolours.
After learning about the Moebius pictures codes in the session, I was able to look deeper into the picture to analyse further thoughts and feelings by looking at size, direction, proportion, colour, etc. By doing this, I was able to notice that each 'voice' viewed the park differently in terms of its environment, which would create discussion about the reasoning behind this.
In terms of teaching the book in school, it is a book that promotes perspective and writing from Point of View. It also gives the children to have a go at writing about a particular scene from their perspective (school grounds, a town) and accompany the writing with their own pictures using watercolours.
September 21, 2017
I read it twice. First, without focusing on the pictures, and then with image analysis, and i realized how it's amazing.
I highly recommend it for everyone to read it
I highly recommend it for everyone to read it
May 31, 2015
A bit sad, but delivered in an interesting and unique way.
May 20, 2021
Everyone enjoys a visit to the park; pets, parents and even children. Together, Smudge, Charlie and their parents share their feelings about one special day at the park. Each of them telling their own version about how different a trip to the park can be, showing that not everyone shares the same experiences at the same time or place. Voices in the Park weaves together the voices of four very different characters creating a tapestry that appeals to anyone that has ever visited a park.
Anthony Browne makes amazing use of several of the visual elements discussed in Children's Literature, Briefly, chapter 4, like line, shape and color. The most interesting and useful element I saw was the author's use of color and shading throughout the story. The colors and shading that Children's Literature, Briefly, chapter 4 states, helps establish the settings that each character is coming from, like the use of bright colors for the area where Mom and Charlie's stories begin as well as the darker neutral colors at the start of Dad and Smudge's stories. The colors and shadings also show different viewpoints of the characters throughout the story allowing the characters to change and develop with the turn of each page, like when Charlie and Smudge meet where Charlie is weary and calm depicted in neutral colors and slight shading while Smudge is full of fun and excitement wearing bright red or their time together in a bright yellow hue showing friendship and happiness all portray the characters actions and development throughout the story.
Voices in the Park was an interesting piece of children's literature, however I felt like it is geared toward a slightly older reader only because it can be difficult to follow. I did enjoy the book but had to read it a few times to understand it as a whole. My seven year old, however, enjoyed the bright colors throughout the story, but got lost in its overlapping story lines.
If Voices in the Park, grabbed your attention, look into other texts by
Anthony Browne like Things I Like and Gorilla. Enjoy!
Anthony Browne makes amazing use of several of the visual elements discussed in Children's Literature, Briefly, chapter 4, like line, shape and color. The most interesting and useful element I saw was the author's use of color and shading throughout the story. The colors and shading that Children's Literature, Briefly, chapter 4 states, helps establish the settings that each character is coming from, like the use of bright colors for the area where Mom and Charlie's stories begin as well as the darker neutral colors at the start of Dad and Smudge's stories. The colors and shadings also show different viewpoints of the characters throughout the story allowing the characters to change and develop with the turn of each page, like when Charlie and Smudge meet where Charlie is weary and calm depicted in neutral colors and slight shading while Smudge is full of fun and excitement wearing bright red or their time together in a bright yellow hue showing friendship and happiness all portray the characters actions and development throughout the story.
Voices in the Park was an interesting piece of children's literature, however I felt like it is geared toward a slightly older reader only because it can be difficult to follow. I did enjoy the book but had to read it a few times to understand it as a whole. My seven year old, however, enjoyed the bright colors throughout the story, but got lost in its overlapping story lines.
If Voices in the Park, grabbed your attention, look into other texts by
Anthony Browne like Things I Like and Gorilla. Enjoy!
October 8, 2018
This book is a collection of experiences of characters going to the park on the same day. Whilst the story is told one perspective at a time, the characters are linked through the illustrations that support the text in this picturebook. Initially I read the book and didn't realise the perspectives were linked until I noticed that two of the other characters had met and where doing the same activities from their own perspectives, in the illustration of a third character's perspective.
The text and illustrations work together well to portray the events of that day for each character. Without the illustrations, it wouldn't be possible for the reader to interlink the character's stories in this way nor understand the cleverness of creating a book that requires close observations of the images.
The illustrations are vivid and differentiate between the chapters, for each character. It could be useful to look at this with children and to begin to think about how illustrations can help the reader to understand more about the characters' thoughts, feelings and to try and dig a bit deeper to uncover what the author/ illustrator is trying to tell us through the images. This links to the idea of 'Visual Literacy' and encouraging children to look at all forms of print and communication.
To understand the text more, the children need world to text links such as:
- What a park is and what is normally done at the park.
- Friendship and playing with friends
The text can be a very useful example for children to look at, as a model for writing in different perspectives and as a model for how to effectively create links between the text and illustrations.
Overall, a very enjoyable text where you always notice something different every time you read through it.
The text and illustrations work together well to portray the events of that day for each character. Without the illustrations, it wouldn't be possible for the reader to interlink the character's stories in this way nor understand the cleverness of creating a book that requires close observations of the images.
The illustrations are vivid and differentiate between the chapters, for each character. It could be useful to look at this with children and to begin to think about how illustrations can help the reader to understand more about the characters' thoughts, feelings and to try and dig a bit deeper to uncover what the author/ illustrator is trying to tell us through the images. This links to the idea of 'Visual Literacy' and encouraging children to look at all forms of print and communication.
To understand the text more, the children need world to text links such as:
- What a park is and what is normally done at the park.
- Friendship and playing with friends
The text can be a very useful example for children to look at, as a model for writing in different perspectives and as a model for how to effectively create links between the text and illustrations.
Overall, a very enjoyable text where you always notice something different every time you read through it.
September 20, 2017
Book contains four different characters. As the story introduces each character, their perceptions are reflected in the changing landscapes and seasons. These are also emphasised by each character having an individual font. These separate narrative voices explain their story and how they see things compared to how the other characters perceive situations that are ultimately the same as everyone else’s. Overall, It is told from different perspectives, so in other words the point of view of all characters in the book. The characters were seen in different light depending on who’s point of view it was. The story is simple to read; however, it is very complex as it explores people’s feelings. These feelings are very real and explain issues such as unemployment and ‘not giving up hope’, friendship and feeling alone in a simple form. This would benefit children’s understanding on a personal, emotional and social level. This story meant a lot to me as I have always tried to look at things from lots of perspectives even when that is hard and feel this reinforces how imperative it is to do. I think the message in the story is that everybody has problems that we cannot see, and we must not judge people based solely on their appearance. Overall, judgements can be hurtful and quite often are. It shows how important clear communication is and that your actions speak louder than words more often than not.
October 25, 2021
This story was new and surprising to me, and included many layers for me to unpack upon multiple rereads. Voices in the Park seems like a quintessential example of postmodern literature, because it's boundary breaking is both self-aware and at times, a little uncomfortable.
The story starts with what I found to be the least sympathetic narrator of the four, and as the narratives build upon each other, the words clarify meaning while the pictures become more abstract. As someone new to analyzing picture books, the first read through of the words seemed to be almost simple- the story of four people and two dogs who have different perspectives on a day at a park. The pictures offer a complex counterpoint; the alternative information revealed in the pictures are about each character's internal world, biases, influences, and perspectives as they shift. Some of the layers are ones I immediately saw and understood (such as changing trees showing the mood of the mother), but there are other illustrations and references that I have yet to fully unpack (the nods to famous artwork, for example). This story's synergistic relationship between text and unique, odd, beautiful pictures makes this a standout picture book for me!
The story starts with what I found to be the least sympathetic narrator of the four, and as the narratives build upon each other, the words clarify meaning while the pictures become more abstract. As someone new to analyzing picture books, the first read through of the words seemed to be almost simple- the story of four people and two dogs who have different perspectives on a day at a park. The pictures offer a complex counterpoint; the alternative information revealed in the pictures are about each character's internal world, biases, influences, and perspectives as they shift. Some of the layers are ones I immediately saw and understood (such as changing trees showing the mood of the mother), but there are other illustrations and references that I have yet to fully unpack (the nods to famous artwork, for example). This story's synergistic relationship between text and unique, odd, beautiful pictures makes this a standout picture book for me!
April 5, 2020
A walk in the park can bring joy and peacefulness to your day. Join four different perspectives of voices that take a stroll through their local park as they reflect on the lives.
Voices in the Park has four different first-person narrators that describe their day in the park. Books that have first-person narrators are characters within the story and “refers to themselves using first person pronouns; I, me, my, mine, our,” (Kachorsky, Unit 3 Characters & Narrators, slide 26). The characters in Voices in the Park narrate the story in first-person. For example, the first voice says, “it was time to take Victoria, our pedigree Labrador, and Charles, our son, for a walk,” (Browne, 1) and the second voice says, “I need to get out of the house, so me and Smudge took the dog to the park,” (Browne, 8). First-person narration tells us what the character of the book does and what they say or think about themselves.
In my future classroom, I can see first-person narrated books fitting in well. By reading first-person narrated books, young students are able to follow along with the storyline. When the character is written and narrated in the first-person, it makes “the voice of a young narrator easy to recognize… they are often set in familiar places and with characters younger children can connect with,” (Lukens, Smith, and Coffel, 196). In my classroom, we can have a read aloud with a book that is narrated in the first-person and discuss the storyline and what makes it first-person narrated as a class.
Voices in the Park has four different first-person narrators that describe their day in the park. Books that have first-person narrators are characters within the story and “refers to themselves using first person pronouns; I, me, my, mine, our,” (Kachorsky, Unit 3 Characters & Narrators, slide 26). The characters in Voices in the Park narrate the story in first-person. For example, the first voice says, “it was time to take Victoria, our pedigree Labrador, and Charles, our son, for a walk,” (Browne, 1) and the second voice says, “I need to get out of the house, so me and Smudge took the dog to the park,” (Browne, 8). First-person narration tells us what the character of the book does and what they say or think about themselves.
In my future classroom, I can see first-person narrated books fitting in well. By reading first-person narrated books, young students are able to follow along with the storyline. When the character is written and narrated in the first-person, it makes “the voice of a young narrator easy to recognize… they are often set in familiar places and with characters younger children can connect with,” (Lukens, Smith, and Coffel, 196). In my classroom, we can have a read aloud with a book that is narrated in the first-person and discuss the storyline and what makes it first-person narrated as a class.
January 10, 2021
This postmodern book is about a visit to a park shown from multiple perspectives. Browne creatively represents the characters by using gorilla heads on human bodies to show the personalities of a snobby mother and her gloomy son, as well as as an unemployed father with his cheerful daughter. The kids and their dogs end up playing together, while the parents keep to themselves. Browne is a genius at reflecting the mood and personalities of each of the characters in his illustrations. The imagery and symbolism is so creative and engaging that this would be an excellent resource for teaching about these concepts. This book would be great for teaching students about putting yourselves in the shoes of others. I would use this as a mentor text for critical literacy in that it explores economic differences and how we tend to judge others based on how people look. It is an excellent resource for teaching students about tolerance and empathy as well.
February 24, 2018
Voices in the park is a different type of story. This story tells the tale of many different people but the one thing they all have in common, is that it starts at the park. This book shows the different emotions of each character perfectly. This is a light-hearted tale that draws the reader in because of the many different voices. The words in the story differ from whoever is talking which helps the reader read it in a different voice. The words are also easy so it would be perfect for a beginning reader. The pictures on the pages also differ with each person some times they are bright and colorful and other are darker and gloomy. The pictures also help the reader to understand the different points of view of each character. Overall this story was refreshingly unique and a fun story to read.
April 14, 2019
Voices in the Park is a unique story that tells about an event from four different perspectives: A rigid mother, a timid boy, a tired father and a zealous girl. Instead of humans, all four main characters are gorillas with human-like qualities. All four individuals visit a local park, but how they view their times is completely unique.
I am hoping to use this book in my classroom to discuss point of view. It is important to have students analyze the perspectives of others, and this book allows students to see four different perspectives from the same event. I think it would allow rich classroom discussion because we could discuss the why behind the characters of the story. This story models point of view very clearly, and would be a great tool to help students write from different perspectives. Specifically I would have students pick an important event from their life, and interview different family members about their perspective from the same event and create a story.
I am hoping to use this book in my classroom to discuss point of view. It is important to have students analyze the perspectives of others, and this book allows students to see four different perspectives from the same event. I think it would allow rich classroom discussion because we could discuss the why behind the characters of the story. This story models point of view very clearly, and would be a great tool to help students write from different perspectives. Specifically I would have students pick an important event from their life, and interview different family members about their perspective from the same event and create a story.
November 24, 2017
Social class is quite a complicated topic to broach with children, and is not something that I have particularly encountered when reading children's literature. In using four different characters to tell the story, Browne encapsulates how someone's social standing/class can blur their point of view and overwhelm their experience. Interestingly, social class does not matter to the two characters that are children. This could lead to debate about where social class has come from, whether it actually exists, and why it is here during a 'Philosophy for Children' lesson.
This is an excellent stimulus for teaching children about narrative voice and using character to alter the events of a story.
This is an excellent stimulus for teaching children about narrative voice and using character to alter the events of a story.
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