Synopses & Reviews
The toy box has erupted and the toys are perched high, dangling low, hanging by a thread. Bard, the old bear, has been lucky enough to land in the underwear drawer and from there is able to assist his friends, if only they will follow his daring directions. By a Thread is about heroism in small places, all the different kinds of courage a child can draw upon. The text rhymes, and its rhythm takes the tongue on a rollicking ride. Even the most determined reader will not be able to read the story silently.
Primarily a playwright, Ned Dickens lives a life filled with adventure. He has twice raised the money to buy a vehicle and drive it to Nicaragua to donate to development projects. He has been a special education teacher and has done theater with street kids. By a Thread is one of several stories about Beo (who takes her name from Beowulf). The collection Beo's Bedroom is about to become an animated series. By a Threadwill be one of the first episodes.
Graham Ross is thinking of joining the circus so he can learn to swing by a thread like Bard. His daughter, Olivia, was the model for Beo. The illustrations were rendered in acrylic, with collage and watercolor pencil, on gessoed watercolor paper. Graham lives with his family, including another model for the book, their gray and white cat, Dakota. This is Graham's first picturebook, and he recommends the occupation highly. Kids, he says, try this at home
Synopsis
In this fictionalized story about a piece of British Columbia history, Cameron and his father travel as packers with twenty-one camels on the long trip to the gold fields. On the way, they must deal with all the camel characteristics that make the animals poorly suited to the job. When the camels' feet are injured on the rocks, Cameron knows what to do. When they become so stinky that townspeople will not put up with them, Cameron knows what to do. In the end, though, doing what must be done is not so easy.
Synopsis
In this rhyming story, when the toy box in Beo's bedroom erupts, Beo and the toys must find a way back to safety.