Synopses & Reviews
Renowned poet Eileen Spinelli celebrates the hardy creatures of the North in charming verse for younger readers. The Arctic may be a cold and unforgiving place, but it teems with wildlifefrom the humble orange-golden bumblebee to the majestic beluga whale. These creatures are captured in poems full of fanciful wordplay and playful images, spanning the four seasons and the icy splendor of the Arctic environment. Eugenie Fernandes's beautiful, realistic renderings complement the word pictures. Curious facts about each creature are included in the back matter.
Review
"Such light, inventive, easy-to-understand poetry is worth reading, either alone or aloud. (endnotes)" --Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The rhythmic poems in this picture-book collection combine simple wordplay with exciting biological fact. . . . Offers plenty to read aloud and talk about in classes across the curriculum." --Booklist
Review
"Well paced, with a strong relationship between illustration and poetry, this book will help children understand this vital ecosystem and the beauty of its wildlife." --School Library Journal
About the Author
Eileen Spinelli has won numerous awards for her writing, but she also knows what it feels like to have her work criticized. Telling the story of how she became a writer, Eileen says, "In second grade, my teacher, Miss Campbell, read my composition aloud as an example of the worst one handed in. I've been writing ever since." Miss Campbell was not on the panel of judges that gave Eileen the 1990 Magazine Merit Award for fiction from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, nor was she involved in the decision to give the 1991 Christopher Award to Eileen's warm and funny picture book Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch. Eileen also won the 1990 Highlights fiction contest and has had numerous stories and poems published in national magazines. She is the author of numerous books, including Song for the Whooping Crane, Sophie's Masterpiece, and, most recently, Here Comes the Year. Eileen, who enjoys traveling, her herb garden, old movies, flea markets, bookstores, tea parties, screened-in porches, and theater, continues to be hard at work on several book and poetry projects. She lives with her husband in West Chester, Pennsylvania.Eugenie has illustrated more than one hundred books for children, including The Mouse Was Out at Recess. She lives in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.