Skip to main content

Grandpa Green

By curlyq
Grandpa Green
By Lane Smith
Roaring Brook Press, 2011. Unpaged. Picture book.

A young boy chronicles his grandfather's life as all the aspects are displayed through a beautiful topiary garden. The garden shows how his grandfather grew up on a farm, how he met his wife, and follows him through the war he fought in.

Lane Smith has a huge winner here. I've been a long-time fan of his since reading The Happy Hocky Family and have loved all his books I've read since. Not only is this book gorgeously, delicately illustrated--it's written with great poignancy and love. There are a few sly moments in the story, but mostly it's very tenderly written. The aspect of family history is made significant by the child's love for his grandpa. Smith's style in this book is a little reminiscent of the illustrations by N.M. Bodecker (Half-Magic series) and are just fantastic--creative genius and great ability combine to make standout artwork. I truly hope it wins the Caldecott. This is one you should not miss.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

By
If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.
Post a Comment
Read more

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

By Anonymous
There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

By loo
Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.
Post a Comment
Read more