"Minor's paintings are glorious; the textual conceit is a little overdone. (Picture book. 3-7) "
A giant sequoia experiences the world around "him" in Johnston's romantic, image-laden, anthropomorphic rendering of the life experiences of the largest tree on the planet.
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"Well-researched and carefully paced, this is an enduring and inspiring book that will help kids to understand the why and the how of an artist at work. (Picture book/biography. 5-9)"
Two masters of illustrated, brief biographies for young people reunite (If You Spent a Day with Thoreau at Walden Pond, 2012) for this accessible introduction to an iconic 20th-century American realist.
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"A heartfelt if imperfect tribute to one George by another who will also be missed. (key terms, timeline, resources) (Picture book. 5-8)"
The passing of Lonesome George, the last of the saddleback tortoises from the island of Pinta, provides the occasion to demonstrate how different species might descend from a common ancestor.
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"Playing with scale and prompting readers to think big ensures a quick and entertaining tour to awesome sights. (Picture book. 4-8)"
Minor focuses his attention on the symbolic gourd of fall, juxtaposing national landmarks or record-setting structures with visions of impossibly enormous pumpkins or jack-o'-lanterns.
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"A heartwarming culmination to a distinguished career. (Picture book. 5-9)"
George, who chronicled the return to America's wild places of wolves and buffalo in two similar titles, now celebrates the comeback of the American bald eagle with a combination of fact and imagination.
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"Even with attractive illustrations and a Christmas setting, a plodding story doesn't create any magic. (Picture book. 4-7)"
The prolific mystery writer turns her hand to children's Christmas stories with a sentimental tale of a beloved family heirloom that is restored just in time for reappearance under the Christmas tree.
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"An afterword provides a brief account of Earhart's life, giving some necessary context to the episode dramatized in the main text. (technical note, bibliography, selected quotes) (Picture book/biography. 5-10)"
This gorgeous book presents a lyrical account of Amelia Earhart's 1932 solo transatlantic flight, taking readers from the runway at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, at 7:12 p.m., through an initially calm and eventually harrowing flight in which weather and equipment failure almost condemn Amelia's small craft to the dark waters of the Atlantic, to daybreak and a safe landing in a pasture in Ireland.
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"Whimsical facts at the back extend the information offered, and a list of Internet sources includes several farm and farm-sanctuary websites. (Informational picture book. 2-5)"
Inspired by childhood visits to family farms, Minor shares descriptions and facts about different farm animals and their behaviors.
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This admirably researched biography of little-known patriot Henry Knox introduces an unlikely hero who played a pivotal role in the American Revolution.
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"Environmental good news. (Informational picture book. 5-10)"
Beginning and ending with the joyous birth of a calf, George describes the eradication of bison from the American plains, subsequent ecosystem damage, return of the species and restoration of the tall grass prairie in this companion to The Wolves Are Back (2008).
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"Ultimately, though, this is troublingly didactic. (Picture book. 5-7)"
Returning to the Arctic, George presents a tale that is simultaneously a warning about global warming/pollution and a surreal meeting between a boy and Nanuq, the polar bear.
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"More inspirational than informational, this may please aspiring space explorers but has the potential to leave many listeners in the dark. (Nonfiction. 7-9)"
There's no doubt about Aldrin's passion for his subject nor his very specialized firsthand knowledge.
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"Not a standout as either a rhyming picture book or a beginning nonfiction title about penguins. (Picture book. 3-7)"
The second from this husband-and-wife team (Christmas Tree!, 2005) explores the many things that penguins can do and suggests to readers that they can also share in these activities.
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"The contemplative story is supported by an afterword and 'interesting facts' about the train's journey through the grieving nation. (notes, resources) (Picture book. 7-10)"
Two picture-book veterans choose a unique way of demonstrating President Lincoln's impact upon the people of the United States.
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"For reading aloud or reading alone, this is a splendid way to share an appreciation for the natural world. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-12)"
Lush, naturalistic paintings and gentle, carefully chosen words celebrate the return of wolves to the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park.
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"Minor's furry, natural-looking animals and flowery meadows have an almost tactile reality, and his illustrations add movement, drama and context to the poems, making this book a treasure for a new generation. (Picture book/poetry. 2-6)"
Five poems, originally published in 1959, are newly illustrated with lovely, detailed illustrations of bunnies, mice and other animals in natural surroundings.
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"Although an author's note more fully describing current thinking on the way migratory birds 'map' their routes would be welcome, this nevertheless stands as an engaging look at a process with which most kids are probably unfamiliar. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-8)"
A very dim sandhill crane earns his name as he migrates from Texas to Siberia and back again.
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"A final page of supplementary information offers some interesting facts about the history of Christmas trees. (Picture book. 3-6)"
Imaginative Christmas trees of unusual sizes and materials are the focus of this holiday story for younger children with retro art that points adult readers back to the 1950s.
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"Pair this with Don Brown's One Giant Step for a child's-eye view on space exploration. (Flight/space exploration chronology) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)"
In first-person voice, Aldrin highlights points from his childhood that led to his dream of being an astronaut and making the historic moon landing.
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"Despite the danger, and Axel's keenly felt pleasure at being immersed in the natural world, this is unlikely to draw young readers away from their armchairs. (Picture book. 6-8)"
A rafting expedition down the Middle Fork of Idaho's Salmon River turns suddenly deadly for the outdoorsy lad introduced in Cliff Hanger (2002).
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"Maybe Carson's sense of wonder will inspire future environmentalists. (bibliography, epilogue) (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-8)"
Ehrlich's biography of the noted environmentalist covers much ground, from her early years in Pennsylvania, to research at Woods Hole Marine Laboratory, to Maine and her environmental writings.
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"Despite its lightweight treatment of what could have been a compelling story, dog-lovers, weather-watchers, and budding adventurers may appreciate this additional purchase. (Picture book. 4-8)"
"An uneven execution, but an eye-opening, consciousness-raising addition to the plethora of 'animals at the manger' tales nonetheless. (Picture book. 6-8)"
The indefatigable Bunting (Gleam and Glow, above, etc.) looks "beyond the light / to darkness / and the corner" where shadows hide spider, scorpion, bat, rat, cockroach, and snake, all of whom have come to join the cattle and other livestock gathered around baby Jesus.
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"Truly a celebration of the grace and complexity of the cat, each luminous painting will appeal to both children and adults. (Picture book. All ages)"
Fascination, admiration, respect, and love for the inscrutable cat are evident on every page of this beautifully designed tribute.
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"Less a systematic tour of the Grand Canyon than a visual and verbal appreciation of its large- scale and small-scale beauties, this will delight young armchair travelers and naturalists. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)"
The fruit of a 12-day visit to the Grand Canyon, Minor goes solo in this departure from his usual meticulously detailed art for an album of watercolor sketches.
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"An ode to a place, and a worthy introduction to Sandburg's poetry. (Picture book/poetry. 6-11)"
Minor's signature watercolors, limpid and bright, make a visual hymn to the Midwest and thereby echo the poems of Carl Sandburg.
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"The wolf's-eye view will draw new readers to the books, but fans of the first books, already well-versed in wolf society, may find many of the situations repetitive. (Fiction. 11-13)"
Completing the switch in narrative view begun in Julie (1994), the sequel to Julie of the Wolves (1972), George continues her tale of the Avalik River pack entirely from the standpoint of its members: Kapu, the young new alpha; his daughter and successor, Sweet Fur Amy; Ice Blink, a lone wolf who carries rabies—and Willow Pup Julie, who lives in town but puts in appearances to inspect new pups or perform rescues.
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The Shaker motto ``Hands to work, hearts to God'' is depicted in twelve four-line verses and seventeen acrylic paintings as elegant and serene as the buildings and artifacts they show, from Hancock Shaker Village in Massachusetts.
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"This celebration of his art includes scores of Minor's book covers as well as an appreciation by David MuCullough and interviews by Minor with his mentor, Paul Bacon, and Simon & Schuster's longtime art director, Frank Metz."
Jinxed perhaps by the old bromide that you can't judge a book by its cover and by row after row of books shelved spine out in the stores, book-jacket art has become the unglamorous and unglorified stepsister of the world of commercial art.
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"Interesting Eskimo village lore, and more lupine detail, but the unifying theme here—Miyax saving the wolves—is not nearly as arresting as the original. (Fiction. 10+)"
This sequel to 1973 Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves continues the story of Julie Edwards Miyax Kapugen, the girl who traveled across the tundra with her adoptive wolf pack.
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"A graceful, handsomely produced tribute to a favorite childhood experience. (Picture book. 3-8)"
Responding to her son's questions, a mother describes the sea he has never seen—what it's like to run in the surf in the early morning mist, marvel at the "smooth, pearly pink" of a shell, observe the sea birds, or feel the sun's warmth and the waves' chill.
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"Minor, however, captures some of the high peaks' awesome nobility in his broad, carefully detailed paintings. A valid plea for the environment that will move those not put off by the pretentious text.~(Picture book. 5-10)"
As in Mojave (1988) and Heartland (1989), the land speaks here in first-person verse enumerating its qualities, fauna, geological history, etc. Least successful of the three, this text is awkward and over-earnest.
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