HELEN AND THE GREAT QUIET

by Rick Fitzgerald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 24, 1989

An imaginative, and only slightly didactic, consideration of a subject close to the hearts of more adults than children: the value of quiet. When Helen awakes to silence, she dislikes it so much that she makes as much noise as she can to blot out the quiet, but to no avail: when she stops, it comes back. Uncle Steve and Aunt Mar, however, have the answer: when Helen really begins to listen, she hears all sorts of sounds in the natural world; as she does, the illustrations (which have shown outdoor backgrounds as a cobwebby, gray tracery made up of dozens of animals and plants) gradually begin to assume color--until the whole world is alive with it, and Helen has even heard ""the very, very quiet sounds of the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon."" MacGregor's intricate drawings are more fun to explore than the popular Waldo scenes; as she brings nature to life, she conveys its beauty and a gentle sense of reverence. Aunt Mar, dressed in a flowered robe, seems to represent wise old Mother Nature herself. An unusual, well-developed idea.

Pub Date: March 24, 1989

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1989

Categories: CHILDREN'S