Synopses & Reviews
From the creators of the Caldecott Honor Book
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems comes a celebration of ubiquitous life forms among us. Newbery Honor-winning poet Joyce Sidman presents another unusual blend of fine poetry and fascinating science illustrated in exquisite hand-colored linocuts by Caldecott Honor artist Beckie Prange.
Ubiquitous (yoo-bik-wi-tuhs): Something that is (or seems to be) everywhere at the same time.
Why is the beetle, born 265 million years ago, still with us today? (Because its wings mutated and hardened). How did the gecko survive 160 million years? (By becoming nocturnal and developing sticky toe pads.) How did the shark and the crow and the tiny ant survive millions and millions of years? When 99 percent of all life forms on earth have become extinct, why do some survive? And survive not just in one place, but in many places: in deserts, in ice, in lakes and puddles, inside houses and forest and farmland? Just how do they become ubiquitous?
Review
"The creators of the Caldecott Honor Book Song of the Waterboatman and Other Pond Poems (2005) offer another winning blend of poetry, science, and art in this picture-book collection that celebrates the Earthand#8217;s most resilient and long-lived species."and#8212;
Booklist, starred review and#160; "The team behind the Caldecott-Honor winning
Song of the Water Boatman pays tribute to biologically successful speciesand#8212;from mollusks and lichens to dandelions and sharksand#8212;in poems that appear in order of each animal's first appearance on earth (a striking, mazelike time line puts the billions of years into perspective)...Fascinating factual information appears on each page; the graceful integration of science and art results in a celebratory story of survival."and#8212;
Publishers Weekly, starred review and#160; "This volume of beautifully illustrated poems investigates the natural world, from the single-celled bacteria and diatom to the ever-present ant and dandelion. Well-researched science facts are paired with vivid poems to describe how these very special life-forms avoided extinction to become natureand#8217;s survivors...From the depiction of ant tunnels to the surprising perspective of blades of grass, the bold and colorful linocuts are incredibly detailed and successfully capture the essence of each creature as part of its larger environment. A delightful feast for the eyes, ears, and mind."and#8212;
School Library Journal, starred review and#160; "Sidman delights with another gorgeous collection of poems celebrating the natural world, this time focusing on species remarkable for their ability to adapt and thrive in an often-harsh world...The text is accompanied and frequently surrounded by Prangeand#8217;s arresting linocuts hand-colored with watercolor. Vibrant and compelling, the illustrations help create and sustain the sense of wonder that makes this collection truly special. Occupying the endpapers is an eye-opening timeline that marks the appearance of each species on a coiled string that strikingly dramatizes the long march of life on Earth. Lovely."and#8212;
Kirkus, starred review and#160; "From the creators of
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems (rev. 5/05), fourteen additional deft poems extended by background information and entrancing illustrations...Prange drenches her bold linocuts in vivid watercolor-the translucent underside of a wave, a gorgeous sunset over a pack of ever-more-ubiquitous coyotes. She's master of both the precisely observed (dandelions from bud to seeds aloft) and the accurate impression (crows conversing)."and#8212;
Horn Book,
starred review
"It's a true collaboration. There's a back and forth to this book that you don't always feel in collections of poetry....It's certainly a beautiful book....Hold on to it."and#8212;Betsy Bird, Fuse #8 and#160;
Review
"Like its subject, the rhymed text moves with grand deliberation, carrying the primeval story line to a clever transition between that ancient era and ours....Never has time travel been so easy or so immersive."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Praise for TADPOLE REX Oprah's Book Club—Kids' Reading List
Children's Book of the Month Club "The swampy greens and hard edges of the digitally colored scratchboard artwork suit the prehistoric period and rough scales of the dinosaurs perfectly, while the varying scale of the illustrations will keep readers on their toes—Cyrus is a master of the extreme close-up. Readers will thrill to the action and suspense while teachers will appreciate the subtle lesson on the life cycle of frogs." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review "The rhyming text is image-rich, informational, and fun to read aloud. . . . Cyrus's oversize artwork conveys information spectacularly, beginning with a dramatic wrap-around cover and continuing with interesting perspectives of dinosaurs and the prehistoric environment. Created in scratchboard and then colored digitally, the illustrations are luminous and striking. . . . This is an exciting blend of science and literature that children will appreciate."—School Library Journal, starred review
Review
"Like its subject, the rhymed text moves with grand deliberation, carrying the primeval story line to a clever transition between that ancient era and ours....Never has time travel been so easy or so immersive."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"In this companion to Tadpole Rex, a prehistoric turtle hatches on a 'primeval beach' and slips beneath the waves. Cyrus's illustrations incorporate dramatic scale, movement, and majesty: the spreads are a marvel of lighting and textureand#8230; A moving and truly epic journey."."and#8212;Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The book will hook insatiable young dinosaur fanatics looking for readable, factual stories."and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review
Synopsis
Sploosh! Fizz! Swish!
The prehistoric ocean is a dangerous place for a baby sea turtle. But after she emerges from her egg, the treacherous waters are her goal. Swimming through the swirling waves and dodging larger sea creatures, she finds a resting place deep below. There she waits, until she grows into the majestic sea turtle that returns to the sand to lay her eggs and begin the cycle again.
This journey of a small creature in the oceanic world of the dinosaurs is a perfect mix of scientific integrity and dramatic storytelling.
Synopsis
Newbery Honor-winning poet Joyce Sidman presents another unusual blend of fine poetry and fascinating science celebrating ubiquitous life forms among us. Illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Beckie Prange in exquisite hand-colored linocuts.
About the Author
Joyce Sidman lives in Wayzata, Minnesota, where she battles dandelions with great respect for their survival techniques.
www.joycesidman.com Beckie Prange lives in Ely, Minnesota, where she spends as much time as possible in the woods looking at lichens, crows, and other hardy northern species. Her first book received a Caldecott Honor. www.beckieprange.com