Exquisitely crafted: a simple, gracefully honed text, an appealing story, real but unobtrusive values and levels of meaning,...
A many-talented illustrator (Lon Po Po, 1989, Caldecott Medal) uses a new medium—collage—in an innovative reworking of "The Blind Men and the Elephant," with splendid results: a book that casually rehearses the days of the week, numbers (ordinal and cardinal), and colors while memorably explicating and extending the theme: "Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole."
The mice (first seen as an intriguing row of bright tails on the elegantly spare black title spread) are the colors of the rainbow plus white; they, the white text, and the parts of the elephant (as they really are and as the mice imagine them) are superimposed on a dramatic black ground. The real elephant is skillfully composed with textured and crumpled paper in gentle earth tones; in a sly philosophical twist, the form each mouse imagines is the color of the mouse: e.g., Green Mouse says the trunk is a snake, shown as green. On Sunday, White Mouse (the only female) runs over the entire elephant, getting the others to join her; now, at last, with her help, they all understand the whole.
Exquisitely crafted: a simple, gracefully honed text, an appealing story, real but unobtrusive values and levels of meaning, and outstanding illustrations and design—all add up to a perfect book. (Picture book. 3+)Pub Date: April 29, 1992
ISBN: 0-399-22261-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1992
Bear’s ravenous appetite is the focus of this rollicking follow-up to Wilson’s Bear Snores On (2001). Upon awakening from his winter siesta, Bear is beset by a voracious hunger. Although his woodland friends attempt to assuage the bruin’s cravings, Mouse’s offering of berries, Hare’s clover, and Badger’s catch of the day do little to quiet the grumbling of the behemoth’s belly. While Bear is out foraging, the rest of his friends prepare a feast fit for a famished friend of epic proportions. Wilson’s cheerfully irreverent tale pays homage to another hungry bear, known for his penchant for honey, in a tongue-in-cheek scene where the formerly svelte Bear can no longer fit through his den’s opening to reach the tantalizing meal inside. Satiated at last by his friend’s bountiful springtime picnic, the satisfied Bear soon drifts off to sleep. Wilson’s use of the repetitive refrain “Bear wants more” teases readers’ appetites for more—of the story—neatly building the anticipation for the tale’s surprise ending. The sing-song rhythm of the rhyming couplets lends sprightliness to the ebullient tale. Chapman’s acrylic paintings sparkle with the freshness of the vernal season; vibrant, varying shades of greens drench the pages in a riot of blossoming hues. Bear is rendered as appealing as ever; this lovable lump of soft brown fur is as cozy and comforting as a well-loved teddy. Fans will enjoy the fun of revisiting with this convivial pack of forest friends. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-689-84509-X
Page Count: 40
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2002
A precocious girl’s reverie begins when the birds’ morning songs drift through her window. Initially, she reflects on their vastly varied physical attributes; her thoughts then turn to the birds’ relationship with their physical environment, both collectively and individually. Powerful images reflect their beauty. “Sometimes in winter, a bird in a tree looks like one red leaf left over.” While the girl wishes to fly like birds she enjoys, she is encouraged by the commonality that unites them: “I can sing!” Dronzek’s wavy black lines accentuate the birds’ natural radiance; acrylic smudges exude a hazy glow. Dark bursts of color explode against the sky in a striking double-page spread as a flock takes flight en masse; the word “surprise” above outstretched branches reflects the thought with bold uneven letters. Spare language enhances the story’s quiet essence; the girl’s musings change abruptly, with a child’s mercurial speed, resulting in a grounded offering that begins to fly but doesn’t fully soar. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-136304-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2009
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