Synopses & Reviews
A body? Buried in the bog where Grandpa was digging peat for the fire? Maeve is scared--and excited, too. Who is he, and how long has he been lying there? The police come, the villagers gather, and then the archaeologists arrive.It's not a he, it's a she, say the scientists, and she has been preserved in the bog soil for a thousand years! They take the mummified body away to study and to show in the museum. This girl from a thousand years ago--"a girl like me, maybe"--was partly Maeve's discovery, and Maeve feels a strong connection to this unknown being from the past. If that girl could choose, would she like being displayed in a glass case? Or would she miss the green meadow where she had lain undisturbed for so many hundred years? Numerous mummies have been discovered in Ireland's bogs, and Eve Bunting has captured the layers of thought and feeling that a child would experience, faced with such an awe-inspiring and mysterious discovery.
Review
"There is drama from the first page of this moving picture book."--Booklist "The tender, gently elegiac rone renders this far more than a picture of how such finds happen."--Horn Book "An evocative story in verse."--School Library Journal
Review
"There is drama from the first page of this moving picture book."--Booklist "The tender, gently elegiac rone renders this far more than a picture of how such finds happen."--Horn Book "An evocative story in verse."--School Library Journal "Maeve's voice and the natural flow of dialogue make this a pleasure to read aloud, and McCully's watercolor scenes capture a placid landscape and cozy home suddenly jolted from the quotidian into the extraordinary."--Bulletin, starred review
Review
"A moving fictional presentation of the perilous voyage of a group of Caribbean refugees to this country." Kirkus Reviews with Pointers
Review
"A first-rate picture book that deserves a place in all collections. Sure to spark discussion." School Library Journal, Starred
Review
"A plug for literacy is just the bonus; the real focus is on the lessons old and young share when they learn to read each other's hearts." School Library Journal, Starred
Review
Bunting has found an original way to tell an old story about making room for new memories.
Kirkus Reviews
"the story offers a hopeful beginning and invites readers to think about ways to remember family history" School Library Journal
"The earnestness...is balanced with tenderness, and Rand's realistic artwork concentrates on the faces of the family and the emotions that cross them." Booklist, ALA
Review
"Monumental.and#8221;and#8212;The New York Times Book Review
"Visually exciting.and#8221;and#8212;Publishers Weekly
"A memorable, thought-provoking book.and#8221;and#8212;The Horn Book
"Outstandingly handsome...an excellent vehicle for discussion.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
"[A] powerful story.and#8221;and#8212;School Library Journal
"A remarkable book.and#8221;and#8212;The Hungry Mind Review
"Bunting takes a serious subject...and makes it understandable for children.and#8221;and#8212;Instructor
Review
"Bunting perfectly captures the intergenerational love and respect shared by these two characters and the man's strong sense of honesty and integrity. Himler's softly colored illustrations reflect the feelings of the characters and setting." School Library Journal
"Bunting perfectly captures the intergenerational love and respect shared by these two characters and the man's strong sense of honesty and integrity. Himler's softly colored illustrations reflect the feelings of the characters and setting." SLJ Best Books of the Year
Review
"A sensitive and moving picture book, and a great discussion book as well." School Library Journal, Starred
Review
"A good introduction to [Saint Patrick's Day's] wee fairy symbols. Caldecott-winner McCully's sprightly watercolors bring...story to life." KIRKUS Kirkus Reviews
"Bunting offers a kicky...outing here, bringing a dash of modern silliness to her twist on familiar lore." PW Publishers Weekly
"A great read-aloud, this will strike a chord with children who...can't resist a little mischievous fun." BOOKLIST Booklist, ALA
"Charming watercolors...A perfect choice for March story hours, this title can also be enjoyed all year long." SLJ School Library Journal
"Lively ink and watercolor illustrations energize the playful story." Horn Book Guide
Review
"A celebration of the seasons by a veteran author and a Caldecott Medalist. Charming, buoyant and year-round fun." Kirkus Reviews
"Delightful illustrations open up the rhymes [with] zesty watercolors that reflect the seasons. A charming choice, too, for beginning readers." Booklist, ALA
Review
"A moving piece of Americana from a veteran team, introducing the orphan trains of the 19th and early 20th century to a picture-book audience. . . . A reminder that the good old days were not so idyllic; this book will have a place in the history curriculum, but it's also an involving read-aloud." Kirkus Reviews with Pointers
"The book is timely yet universal in showing the desire of every child for a loving family. Himler's full-page, bordered paintings portray the people and towns in warm colors and softly blended brush strokes. Beyond this gentle story lie the social issues of our own day." School Library Journal, Starred
"A heartbreaking picture book tells the story of the nineteenth-century Orphan Train in the voice of the plain girl nobody wants. Himler's beautiful, understated paintings show the train steaming across the prairie and the children trying to smile and look their best, hoping that someone will adopt them." Booklist, Editor's Choice
Review
"Bunting's spare prose effectively matches the developmental level of the ages for which this book is geared, and will generate questions that both educators and parents will find difficult to answer. Stark watercolors of the present alternate with black-and-white drawings representing scenes from the past. Together, text and illustrations create and sustain a mood of reflection and reminiscence suited to the topic." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"This poignant, attractive offering fills a growing need for picture books about contemporary immigrants of Arab descent." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
"A story of contrasts, ONE GREEN APPLE...leaves the reader with...[Farah's] first step...on a journey of change." Bookpage
"[A] gentle story about being new and different, with the author delivering her message in her classically subtle style." Kirkus Reviews
"Bright, sunny watercolors evoke the sensory joys of an orchard...the text conveys both Farah's initial trepidation and eventual pleasure." Horn Book Guide
Review
In this picture book for older readers, Bunting returns to the theme she examined earlier in Your Move (1998), that of choices that children make when they are tempted to join a gang. This time she uses allegory to make her point. A tiger comes along and invites 10-year-old Danny to climb on its back. Once there, Danny notices the reactions of the people they meet and grows increasingly uneasy as he realizes how frightened they are. The metaphor works beautifully to convey the power and allure of a gang leader and the special feelings of being singled out by someone powerful and splendid. Frampton's woodcuts capture the tiger's magnificance, cruelty, and wickedness by highlighting, at different times, the tiger's sharp teeth, huge paws, and terrifying eyes. The pictures, colored in browns, oranges and reds, mix the real with the fantastical and blend beauty an brutality for a spine-tingling effect. They also mask Danny's ethnicity so that a wide variety of readers can identify with him. Parents, teachers, and others working with children will find this book and Your Move, excellent for discussing what it really means to join a gangand how to find the courage to steer clear.
Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
A provocative look at a timely topic.
School Library Journal
". . . .the offbeat exploration of a kid on the verge of trouble may provoke discussion and contemplation in readers." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
The prose has a poetic, free-associating quality, and the black woodcut images, set against brooding backdrops, are commanding.
Horn Book Guide
Review
"Eight-year-old Allison is afraid to walk to school, a simple act made dangerous by “the Troubles” that wrack Northern Ireland. Accompanied by her mother and uncle, she crosses “Protestant territory” to get her Catholic school. With her lucky marble clutched tightly, Allison fights through the spitting mob, her torn coat button flying. To her surprise, a Protestant child returns the article and Allison hands her the cherished marble, concluding that children’s friendships would overcome religious differences “if the grownups would let us.” Bunting describes intolerance’s complexity, painting Allison’s uncle as a lovable family man but bigoted; Allison fears his direct involvement with a man’s severe beating causing her to ask herself, “But are we a bad lot, too?” Dooling’s oils exude a grittiness that often results in jarring, unfocused perspectives that convey the turmoil. Having lived personally through this tumultuous period, Bunting includes an author’s note for background. This work slowly examines religious intolerance’s impact on one individual, providing no easy resolutions."--
Kirkus Reviews "Bunting addresses the complicated relations in Northern Ireland. Narrated by Allison, a Catholic, the story effectively captures the child's trepidation and confusion, particularly as she has learned that a favorite uncle has committed violent acts. A Protestant girl's act of kindness during her frightening walk to school leads her to conclude, "I think we could be friends...If the grownups would let us." The book does an excellent job of presenting the situation from a child's perspective without demonizing either side, but adults sharing it must be prepared for the inevitable questions as to why such tensions exist, as no background or history is presented in either the story itself or the author's note. Dooling's oil-on-canvas illustrations are realistic enough to resemble stills from documentary footage. Little on this situation is available for children, but do be prepared for those questions."--School Library Journal
"Walking a gauntlet of Protestant hecklers to her new school is scary for Allison, a Catholic child in Northern Ireland. Worse, she worries that the uncle who accompanies her enjoys the violence. In spite of the mob and confusion, she and a young bystander make a connection: "I think we could be friends. . . . If the grownups would let us." This picture book for older readers beautifully depicts the centuries-old friction between Catholics and Protestants, which, as late as 2001, affected schoolchildren. Dooling's oil-on-canvas paintings, reminiscent of Norman Rockwell but with an underlying tension, are beautifully reproduced on large-scale, double-page spreads, and the dark palette reinforces the story's themes of struggle. An afterword briefly summarizes the historical background. This is a poignant reminder that first days of school are not always a cause for celebration, and teachers may want to connect this title with titles such as Eileen Lucas' Cracking the Wall (1998) about the Little Rock Nine. The book closes with an additional plea for peace."--Booklist
Review
"Young Bull's struggle to hold onto his heritage will touch children's sense of justice and lead to some interesting discussions and perhaps further research." School Library Journal
Review
Winner of the Caldecott Medal
An ALA Notable Childrenand#39;s Book
An American Bookseller Pick of the Lists
A Hungry Mind Review Book of Distinction
A Publishers Weekly Childrenand#39;s Bestseller
A Parentsand#39; Choice Award Winner
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
andldquo;Diaz has not been afraid to take risks in illustrating the story with thickly textured paintings against a background of torn-paper and found-object collage. Without becoming cluttered or gimmicky, these pictures manage to capture a calamitous atmosphere that finally calms. . . . Both author and artist have managed to portray a politically charged event without pretense or preaching.andrdquo;and#160; andmdash;The Bulletin
andquot;Monumental.andrdquo;and#160; andmdash;The New York Times Book Review
andquot;Visually exciting.andrdquo;and#160; andmdash;Publishers Weekly
andquot;A memorable, thought-provoking book.andrdquo;and#160; andmdash;The Horn Book
andquot;Outstandingly handsome . . . an excellent vehicle for discussion.andrdquo;and#160; andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
andquot;[A] powerful story.andrdquo;and#160; andmdash;School Library Journal
andquot;A remarkable book.andrdquo;and#160; andmdash;The Hungry Mind Review
andquot;Bunting takes a serious subject . . . and makes it understandable for children.andrdquo;and#160; andmdash;Instructor
Synopsis
A young girl witnesses the discovery of the mummified body of another girl in an Irish bog and feels a strong connection to this unknown being from the past.
Synopsis
Maeve is unnerved when she and her grandfather find a body in the bog in Ballywhinney,
Ireland. It turns out to be the body of a young girl who lived more than a
thousand years ago. A girl like Maeve, with fair hair, who walked the same fields and
picked the same flowers. When archeologists display the mummy at a museum, Maeve
wonders: Does the girl mind being displayed in a glass case for all to see? Or does she
miss the green meadow where she had lain for so many hundreds of years?
Two picture-book masters sensitively capture the layers of thought and feeling arising
in the face of an awe-inspiring and mysterious discovery.
Synopsis
After the police come, a family is forced to flee their Caribbean island and set sail for America in a small fishing boat.
Synopsis
A homeless boy who lives in an airport with his father, moving from terminal to terminal trying not to be noticed, is given hope when a trapped bird finally finds its freedom.
Synopsis
Anna and Grandma are planning a surprise for Dad's birthday. Dad thinks he has received all his presents, but Grandma stands up and gives him the best one of all: she reads aloud the stories that Anna has taught her.
Synopsis
Each button on Lauras memory string represents a piece of her family history. The buttons Laura cherishes the most belonged to her mothera button from her prom dress, a white one off her wedding dress, and a single small button from the nightgown she was wearing on the day she died. When the string breaks, Lauras new stepmother, Jane, is there to comfort Laura and search for a missing button, just as Lauras mother would have done. But its not the sameJane isnt Mom. In Eve Buntings moving story, beautifully illustrated by Ted Rand, Laura discovers that a memory string is not just for remembering the past: its also for recording new memories.
Synopsis
In a night of rioting, Daniel and his mother are forced to leave their apartment for the safety of a shelter. and#8220;Diaz has not been afraid to take risks in illustrating the story with thickly textured paintings against a background of torn-paper and found-object collage. Without becoming cluttered or gimmicky, these pictures manage to capture a calamitous atmosphere that finally calms. . . . Both author and artist have managed to portray a politically charged event without pretense or preaching.and#8221;--
The BulletinSynopsis
Francisco, a young Mexican-American boy, helps his grandfather find work as a gardener, even though the old man cannot speak English and knows nothing about gardening.
Synopsis
A young boy and his father visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Synopsis
The three leprechauns Ari, Boo, and Col have a job to do. They must race to where theyve buried the pot of gold and dig it up before the rainbow comes. The clouds are already gathering, so therell be no time for mischief along the way.
But Mrs. Ballybunions cow, Miss Maud Murphys hen, and Old Jamie soon find out that the three clever fellows cant resist having a little fun on the road to Paddywhackers Bog. For, in addition to putting a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, mischief is what leprechauns do!
Delightful illustrations from a Caldecott medalist and a playful text written in a lilting Irish style make this a perfect story for St. Patricks Day or any other time of year. Includes an authors note about leprechauns and rainbows.
Synopsis
From skiing in January, to surfing in July, to giving in December, two energetic piglets romp through the months of the year in this delightful calendar in verse.
At year's end, the piglets sum up their experiences:
Sing a song of seasons, Lots of things to do.
They would be fun With only one But I'm so glad we're two!
Synopsis
Marianne, heading west with fourteen other children on an Orphan Train, is sure her mother will show up at one of the stations along the way. When her mother left Marianne at the orphanage, hadn't she promised she'd come for her after making a new life in the West? Stop after stop goes by, and there's no sign of her mother in the crowds that come to look over the children. No one shows any interest in adopting shy, plain Marianne, either. But that's all right: She has to be free for her mother to claim her. Then the train pulls into its final stop, a town called Somewhere . . .
Synopsis
Laura Iwasaki and her family are paying what may be their last visit to Laura's grandfather's grave. The grave is at Manzanar, where thousands of Americans of Japanese heritage were interned during World War II. Among those rounded up and taken to the internment camp were Laura's father, then a small boy, and his parents. Now Laura says goodbye to Grandfather in her own special way, with a gesture that crosses generational lines and bears witness to the patriotism that survived a shameful episode in America's history. Eve Bunting's poignant text and Chris K. Soentpiet's detailed, evocative paintings make the story of this family's visit to Manzanar, and of the memories stirred by the experience, one that will linger in readers' minds and hearts. Afterword.
Synopsis
Clad in flowing linen robes, adorned with jewels, pampered by servants, Heb-Nefert led a life of leisure and joy with her royal husband on the banks of the Nile. Now she lies, a mummy, encased in glass in a museum, and recalls the days of long ago. and#8220;A mummyand#8217;s moving soliloquy on youth, love and the fleeting nature of life is the centerpiece of this hauntingly beautiful picture book.and#8221;--
Publishers WeeklySynopsis
Farah feels alone, even when surrounded by her classmates. She listens and nods but doesnand#8217;t speak. Itand#8217;s hard being the new kid in school, especially when youand#8217;re from another country and donand#8217;t know the language. Then, on a field trip to an apple orchard, Farah discovers there are lots of things that sound the same as they did at home, from dogs crunching their food to the ripple of friendly laughter. As she helps the class make apple cider, Farah connects with the other students and begins to feel that she belongs.
Ted Lewinand#8217;s gorgeous sun-drenched paintings and Eve Buntingand#8217;s sensitive text immediately put the reader into another childand#8217;s shoes in this timely story of a young Muslim immigrant.
Synopsis
Esteemed author Eve Bunting brings all her insight, empathy, and storytelling skill to this powerful allegorical tale, set in the streets of an unnamed city and illustrated with striking woodcuts. Danny, new to town, is proud when a glittery-eyed tiger invites him for a ride. He climbs up onto the tigers massive back, and together they cruise the neighborhood. Everyone gives them respectshopkeepers and passersby, even other kids. Danny feels powerful and much older than ten. Soon, though, he realizes it isnt respect people feel for him and the tigerits fear. And when he decides to get down off the tigers back, he discovers its a lot harder than climbing on.
Whether the tiger is interpreted to represent gangs, drugs, or something else altogether, this poetically told, dramatically illustrated book is sure to provoke discussions about temp-tation, peer pressure, and conformity.
Synopsis
Walking to school can be hard if you live in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It's downright dangerous if you're a Catholic, like Allison, and the shortest route to your school goes through a Protestant neighborhood. But sometimes a ray of kindness cuts through the violence. That's what happens when a demonstrator rips a brass button off Allison's new school blazer, and a Protestant girl not only retrieves the button but returns it to Allison.
Once again, as in FLY AWAY HOME and the caldecott-winning SMOKY NIGHT, Eve Bunting finds a way to explore a complicated contemporary situation in terms that any young reader can immediately grasp.
Synopsis
andldquo;SCREE . . . SCREE . . .andrdquo;
Terry is half asleep when he hears the wailing, rising and falling like the waves of the sea. He wishes it were a dream, but he knows it isnandrsquo;t. It isnandrsquo;t an owl screeching, either. Or the Flannerysandrsquo; old cat. Could it be the Bansheeandmdash;the ghostly figure of Irish legend who wails outside a house when death is near?
Why would she come here?
In spite of his fears, Terry goes out to confront her. Is it really the Banshee, or . . . something else?
Synopsis
"The Indian in us must disappear, they say. It must be tamed." In the late 1880s, ten-year-old Young Bull is sent to boarding school to learn the white man's ways. Eve Bunting's sensitive and poetic text recreates an experience shared by many Native American children in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Irving Toddy's dramatic paintings capture the beauty and color of the world Young Bull has left behind- and the vivid memories he preserves in his ledger drawings.
Synopsis
In this Caldecott Medal-winning modern classic, a young boy and his mother are forced to leave their apartment for the safety of a shelter during a night of rioting.
Synopsis
Eve Buntingandrsquo;s heartfelt story and David Diazandrsquo;s dramatic illustrations create a compelling childandrsquo;s-eye view of urban violence. A young boy and his mother are forced to flee their apartment during a night of rioting in Los Angeles. Fires and looting force neighborsandmdash;who have always avoided one anotherandmdash;to come together in the face of danger and concern for their missing pets. David Diaz was awarded the Caldecott Medal for his bold acrylic paint and photo-collage illustrations.
About the Author
EVE BUNTING has writtenandnbsp;over two hundredandnbsp;books for children, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz, The Wall, Fly Away Home, and Train to Somewhere. She lives in Southern California. David Diaz has illustrated numerous award-winning books for children, including Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, for which he was awarded the Caldecott Medal; The Wanderer by Sharon Creech, which received a Newbery Honor; and Diego: Bigger Than Life by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, a Pura Belprand#233;andnbsp;Honor Award winner. An illustrator and graphic designer for more than twenty-five years, he is also a painter and an accomplished ceramic artist. Mr. Diaz lives in Carlsbad, California.