Synopses & Reviews
Pure picture-book magic. A polar bear rides a whale to a tree rising out of the water. At the top of the tree is a tree house. Hes joined by a brown bear in a boat. The bears find that the tree house is the perfect place to read. When the water recedes, they are joined by flamingos, panda bears, and other animals that come by land and air. The tree house is a place of wonder, where a brown bear catches snowflakes in a butterfly net.
Review
Publishers Weekly (March 22, 2010)
Starred Review. Imbued with quiet effervescence, this wordless picture book imagines a child-sized paradise in which dreamy scenes unfold one after another. The Tolmans, a Dutch father-and-daughter team, draw the central tree--with a marvelous, many-storied tree house in its branches--in rich umber; it maintains the same size, shape, and position throughout, though the details in and around it vary widely. A polar bear swims up first, and a brown bear follows by boat. As the two read, an enormous flock of flamingoes appears, and the spread turns pink. Some roost in the branches, until a rhinoceros bumps the trunk, dislodging them. (The jostling is shown by reproducing the image of the tree house about a quarter inch off, creating a vibrational effect.) The rhino is welcomed, more bears appear, as do a peacock and a hippo, and soon the tree house is pleasantly crowded. It's Noah's Ark undone, with no traumatic flood, no tidy matched pairs, and no need for olive branches. Readers of all ages will want to return to this treasure box of images again and again. Ages 2--up. (Apr.)
Review
The Bologna Ragazzi Award Jury stated the following about The Tree House:
The Tree House is a wise, clear, even poetic, example of how an established topos of the collective imagination may be revisited with a fresh eye to reveal a continued relevance to modern times. Marije Tolman and Ronald Tolman return to the "house in the trees". Their house, however, is rich with subtle cultural references ranging from symbolist painting to the most refined 20th century graphic art.
The book's message is not declaimed, but is conveyed quietly. It pleads for an enlightened ecological stance in which an intense awareness that we are part of nature does not forego our need for elegance and intellectual enquiry.
Review
Imbued with quiet effervescence, this wordless picture book imagines a child-sized paradise in which dreamy scenes unfold one after another. . . It's Noah's Ark undone, with no traumatic flood, no tidy matched pairs, and no need for olive branches. Readers of all ages will want to return to this treasure box of images again and again." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)"The most captivating aspect of this book is that there are no words, which opens the door for imagination and all kinds of wonderful interaction between parents and children as they create a story together."--ForeWord
Winner of the Ragazzi Prize for Fiction at the Bologna International Children's Book Fair
An Outstanding International Book of the Year--United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY)
Review
"Children will gaze in wonder at this tree house and understand the rhino's longing (and obvious impatience) to be up in its branches. This oversize picture book celebrates acceptance of others and the splendor of nature." --
School Library Journal"Children will appreciate this large-scale wordless book's whimsicality and its commanding art, especially the tree house's out-of-focus look as it's battered by a rhino." --
The Horn BookSynopsis
"Originally published under the title De boomhut by Lemniscaat b.v. Rotterdam, 2009"--Colophon.
Synopsis
A little dog finds an umbrella in the garden on a windy day. The moment the dog picks up the umbrella, it catches the wind and pulls the dog skywards. This is the start to fantastic journey around the world. The wind carries the umbrellas and the dog all over the world, from the desert to the sea, from the jungle to the north pole.
About the Author
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Ingrid and Dieter Schubert, a husband and wife team, are the creators of many award-winning picture books for children including Amazing Animals, recipient of a National Parenting Publications Gold Award and Where is My Monkey?, recipient of a Golden Brush award which is a Dutch award for best illustrated book. The Schuberts were both born and raised in Germany. Their first effort, There\'s a Crocodile Under my Bed! was an immediate success and was published in 14 countries. Now their many books for children are available in 21 languages. '