Synopses & Reviews
A young girl longs to play the violin in this lyrical story that shows itand#8217;s never too late to pursue your dream. More than anything, Elva wants a violinand#8212;but her parents say no. So she pretends. When she should be brushing her teeth, Elva rehearses for recitals. When she should be learning subtraction or going to sleep, she imagines playing all the music in the world. The years pass, but Elva never forgets her childhood wish, and so one day she takes a deep breath and follows her heart . . .
Review
"Broad, lively . . . will have children demanding repeated reading and completing each verse at top volume."--
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Charming."--The New York Times Book Review
Review
andquot;An endearing tale of ambition fulfilled.andquot;
andmdash;Booklist
andquot;Tusaand#39;s illustrations are cheery and absolutely full of life: Readers can almost hear the music Elva does.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus
andquot;Quiet humor...provides a tender accompaniment to this meditation on fulfilling oneand#39;s dreams.andquot;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly
andquot;This charming book artfully and evocatively explores the joy that comes from following your dreams.andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal
Review
"This exuberantly glowing book will make readers want to go out and slap in some puddles."--
Kirkus Reviews"The pictures bring a child's world up close as they evoke the sights and sensations of the day. The illustrations work smoothly with the text to make this a most effective picture book for reading aloud."--Booklist
"A welcome addition for any library . . . A great choice whether read aloud or alone on a rainy day."--School Library Journal
Review
* and#8220;If bedtime books were dances, this one would be a pas de deux: prose and pictures partner each other effortlessly all the way to the last page. . . .andnbsp;andnbsp;Tusa appears to have breathed in first-time author Averbeckand#8217;s text and then breathed it out as pictures. The final appearance of the blue room, which sounded so impossible at first, will feel to children like a promise kept." --Publishers Weekly, starred review (3/31/08)
Review
"This dreamy bedtime book doesn't have a single unnecessary word. . . . Tusa's illustrations, done in ink, watercolor, and gouache, show a child progressing from Pippi Longstocking-like energy, through acceptance, drowsiness, and finally sleep. Their soft colors and simple lines are perfectly suited to the simplicity of the language. This lovely book works well as a one-on-one bedtime read, but it would also be the perfect final selection for a pajama storytime."
--School Library Journal, starredandnbsp;review, June 2008
Review
"A thought-provoking exploration of the creative process....Funny, clever, full of revelations to those who look carefullyand#8212;this title represents picture-book making at its best."and#8212;
School Library Journal, starred review"Children will giggle and marvel....Triple Caldecott winner Wiesner delivers a wildly trippy, funny and original interpretation of the artistic process."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"This small-scale and surprisingly comedic story takes place against a placid backdrop of pale desert colors, which recedes to keep the focus squarely on the dynamic between the two lizards and the wide range of emotions that Wiesner masterfully evokes."and#8212;Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Sophisticated and playful, this beautiful mind-stretcher invites viewers to think about art's fundamentals: line, color, shape, and imaginative freedom."and#8212;Booklist, starred review
"[A]and#160;visual meditation on the effects of illustrative style. . . . Detailed with Wiesner's signature craft and wit."and#8212;The Horn Book
"Longtime children's book legend David Wiesner takes exciting risks with his newest book about two art-making critters."and#8212;The Huffington Post
Review
"I love this book! Every teacher in the universe should have a copy."--Bestselling author Mem Foxand#160;"A very loving book, a tribute really, to the teachers of the world and beyond them to all people who nurture children."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Synopsis
A young girl longs to play the violin in this beautiful, moving new book from Mary Lyn Ray and Tricia Tusa that shows it's never too late to follow your dreams.
Synopsis
Mem Fox makes magic in this dynamic read-aloud about a hat with extraordinary powers.
Synopsis
One fine day, from out of town--and without any warning at all--a magic hat appears in the sky. It tumbles and bounces through the air and makes magic wherever it lands. Everyone is delighted as, one by one, the townspeople are transformed into giant playful animals. And then a wizard arrives. . . .
With irresistible rhyming language and bright, whimsical illustrations, this perfect read-aloud by internationally acclaimed author Mem Fox will weave its way into the hearts of young children everywhere.
Synopsis
An ode to muddy hands and feet, brown earth, and new grass
Simple text and exuberant illustrations will make children and their grown-up friends want to sink their feet into gooey, gloppy, mucky, magnificent mud.
Synopsis
From the creators of
Mud comes this joyous celebration of the delights of a rainy day.
Synopsis
One night it happens. Maybe it begins in the warmth of the day, but itand#8217;s always at night that it happens. Earth comes unfrozen, and then there is . . . MUD! This ode to muddy hands and feet, brown earth, and new grass celebrates the joy of mud and the coming of spring. and#8220;Wallow in it.and#8221;--
Kirkus ReviewsSynopsis
This is a story about a field and a man who loved it enough to do something to save it from development. and#8220;Based on the authorand#8217;s personal efforts to protect the land, this story broadcasts a deliberate and timely environmental message that, like the intentionally nameless protagonist,
anyone can make a difference. Aglow in harvest tones, Rootand#8217;s strong watercolor and gouache paintings heighten the storyand#8217;s magic.and#8221;--
BooklistSynopsis
There are a lot of fun things to do inside on a rainy day. But with the rain raining all around and splashy puddles everywhere, who can resist going outside--especially if there is a pair of red rubber boots nearby just waiting to be worn? and#8226;From the creators of
Mud, a
Crayola Kids Best Book of the Year and#8226;Perfect for springtime and rainy-day reading
Synopsis
It's bedtime, and Alice can only sleep in a blue room. What isand#160;a littleand#160;girl to do?
Synopsis
Alice is wide, wide awake. Mama brings flowers, tea, a quilt, even lullaby bells to help her sleep. But none of these things are blue, and Alice can sleep only in a blue room.and#160;Yet when the light goes out, a bit of magic is stirred up. Pale blue moonlight swirls into her bedroom window. Then the night swirls out, around the moon and into the universe, leaving Alice fast alseep in a most celestial blue room.
Synopsis
Mrs. Spitzer is a wise teacher who knows many things. She knows about gardens. She knows about children. She knows how similar they are, and how both will flourish if tended lovingly.
There are many remarkable teachers like Mrs. Spitzer in the world, and Edith Pattou's simple, moving story along with Tricia Tusa's inspired, whimsical illustrations celebrate all they do, year after year, to help our children grow and blossom.
Synopsis
Max and Arthur are friends who share an interest in painting. Arthur is an accomplished painter; Max is a beginner. Maxand#8217;s first attempt at using a paintbrush sends the two friends on a whirlwind trip through various artistic media, which turn out to have unexpected pitfalls. Although Max is inexperienced, heand#8217;s courageousand#151;and a quick learner. His energy and enthusiasm bring the adventure to its triumphant conclusion. Beginners everywhere will take heart.
Synopsis
A perfect teacher present, now available in a gift edition
About the Author
David Wiesner's interest in visual storytelling dates back to high school days when he made silent movies and drew wordless comic books. Born and raised in Bridgewater, New Jersey, he graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration. While a student, he created a painting nine feet long, which he now recognizes as the genesis of Free Fall, his first book of his own authorship, for which he was awarded a Caldecott Honor Medal in 1989. David won his first Caldecott Medal in 1992 for Tuesday, and he has gone on to win twice more: in 2002 for The Three Pigs and in 2007 for Flotsam. He is only the second person in the awardand#8217;s history to win the Caldecott Medal three times. David and his wife, Kim Kahng, and their two children live near Philadelphia, where he devotes full time to illustration and she pursues her career as a surgeon.