Synopses & Reviews
Everybody loves Leo Politi, who wrote and illustrated dozens of children's books, many of which are set in the Latino communities of Southern California. Parents and children--and their children's children--have grown up reading his stories. Libraries, parks, and schools have been named in his honor; in 2008, on what would have been his one hundredth birthday, there were celebrations throughout the state.
Many of Leo Politi's books have been out of print for years, and so Getty Publications is proud to reprint these popular titles, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Song of the Swallows, first published in 1948.
Song of the Swallows is the story of a little boy who's waiting for the once-a-year arrival of the swallows in San Juan Capistrano. Pedro: The Angel of Olvera Street is a Christmas story that takes place at that famous Los Angeles address, which is also the setting for Juanita, a fable about the annual blessing of the animals at Easter. Both Pedro and Juanita were Caldecott Honor books. The four-footed hero of Emmet is a plucky dog who saves his Los Angeles neighborhood from a fire.
These titles present the best of Leo Politi: the gentle humor and sense of magic that have made his books beloved by generations of readers in California and around the world.
Review
and#8220;No one has photographed sandhill cranes as thoroughly or as well as Michael Forsberg. Here, author Jeff Kurrus cleverly weaves a story around these images, luring readers young and old into one of natureand#8217;s great spectacles.and#8221;and#8212;David Bristow, author of Sky Sailors: True Stories of the Balloon Era and editor of Nebraska History magazine
Review
and#8220;Have You Seen Mary? is an enchanting love song to Plains wildness, and its fragile, magnificent migrations of feather and heart. It will appeal to both children and adults, taking us all on an unforgettable journey of joy, knowledge, and hope. A beautiful book.and#8221;and#8212;John T. Price, author of Man Killed by Pheasant and Other Kinships
Review
and#8220;Jeff Kurrusand#8217;s words and Michael Forsbergand#8217;s photographs are teamed here to bring us a remarkable story from the natural world they both cherish. The result is an elegant, touching, and inspiring book to help reconnect our children to nature, and not a moment too late. May there be many more like this to come.and#8221;and#8212;Joel Sartore, author, conservationist, and contributing photographer for National Geographic magazine
Review
and#8220;Have You Seen Mary? is an appealing childrenand#8217;s story by Jeff Kurrus that blends sandhill crane natural history with Mike Forsbergand#8217;s spectacular photographs of cranes and their Great Plains wetlands habitats.and#8221;and#8212;Paul Johnsgard, Foundation Professor Emeritus at the University of Nebraskaand#8211;Lincoln, and author ofand#160;Sandhill and Whooping Cranes
Synopsis
Song of the Swallows, which won the Caldecott Medal when it was first published in 1948, was written and illustrated by Leo Politi, one of Los Angeles' most beloved artists.
It tells the famous story of the yearly return of the swallows to the Mission San Juan Capistrano through the eyes of a small child. Julian, the bell ringer of the Mission, tells Juan, a young boy who also lives at the Mission, the story of the swallows and how--without anyone really knowing why or how--they return each year from their winter home in South America to San Juan Capistrano in California. Thrilled by the story, Juan makes his own small garden in the hope that at least one family of swallows will nest there when they return.
This delightful book also includes the music and lyrics for "La Golondrina," a song about the swallows that Politi composed himself, and Spanish phrases are sprinkled throughout the story. This book provides a delightful introduction for young children California's centuries-old Latino heritage and Mission culture.
Synopsis
Includes the words and music for "La golondrina," composed by Leo Politi.
Synopsis
Distributed by the University of Nebraska Press for Michael Forsberg Photographyand#160;and#160;and#160;
and#8220;. . . and the sky blackened with dark, gray bodies. In the blurry confusion, John lost Mary.and#8221; So begins Have You Seen Mary?, Jeff Kurrusand#8217;s fictional account of one sandhill craneand#8217;s faithful search during spring migration for his lost mate. Set on Nebraskaand#8217;s Platte River, this tenderly woven story of love is also a stirring introduction to these majestic birds, replete with Michael Forsbergand#8217;s radiant color photographs. This book will appeal to all ages,and#160; for it both entertains and educates readers about sandhill cranes.
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About the Author
Jeff Kurrus is theand#160;editor of the award-winning wildlife publication
NEBRASKAland magazine. He lives in Gretna, Nebraska, with his wife, Laura, and two-year-old daughter Madeline. Michael Forsberg is an internationally acclaimed wildlife photographer, the author of
On Ancient Wings: The Sandhill Cranes of North America, and the coauthor of
Great Plains: Americaand#8217;s Lingering Wild. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with his wife, Patty, and their two daughters, Elsa and Emme.