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ON MEADOWVIEW STREET

Name: ON MEADOWVIEW STREET
Author: Henry Cole
ISBN: 978-0-06-056481-0

by Henry Cole & illustrated by Henry Cole ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2007

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While her father mows the lawn at her new house, Caroline wonders how it could actually reflect the street’s name. Soon she finds a small blossom growing in the grass, then another, and eventually persuades Dad to sell the mower while the yard grows freely with wildflowers. Adding a maple tree and a man-made pond attracts an assortment of wildlife from birds, to insects, to a mud turtle and a meadow mouse. Neighbors are encouraged to follow suit, creating meadow environments rather than pristine lawns. Full-color acrylic paintings in double-paged spreads of multiple shades of green, dotted with hues of summer flowers, tell this nature-lover’s story which suggests the possibility of chemical-free garden environments. Though the message will be missed by young children, most will enjoy a final rendering of all the meadow creatures next to their proper names that now live on Meadowview Street. Gentle persuasion for the naturalist in everyone. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: May 1, 2007

ISBN: 978-0-06-056481-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2007

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
ALBERT'S ABCS
by Henry Cole ; illustrated by Henry Cole

- BOOK REVIEW
CARINA FELINA
by Carmen Agra Deedy ; illustrated by Henry Cole

- BOOK REVIEW
THREE HENS, A PEACOCK, AND THE ENORMOUS EGG
by Lester L. Laminack ; illustrated by Henry Cole

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THE GINGERBREAD MAN

adapted by Jim Aylesworth & illustrated by Barbara McClintock ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1998

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A traditional cumulative tale, which Aylesworth (My Sister's Rusty Bike, 1996, etc.) endows with a lively pace, is illustrated in a decidedly old-fashioned style, giving the book the look and feel of a reproduction of an old edition. Working with precise pen-and-ink, McClintock portrays the cozy home of an elderly couple, dressed in Victoriana and in possession of a great wood-burning stove. Her work has never been more animated than in the scenes of the two-dimensional gingerbread man running away, exuberantly eluding everyone elsethe couple, a butcher, and a cow and pig dressed in human clothesuntil he is devoured by a fox. The portrayals of a cow and pig are more bizarre than charming, and the too-obvious wrinkles on the elderly people's faces are one example of eccentric choices on the part of the illustrator.With Richard Egielski's The Gingerbread Boy (1997) hot off the press and other fine variations of the tale still in print, it's hard to make the case for this one, other than to appreciate its antique look. (Picture book/folklore. 4-6)

Pub Date: April 1, 1998

ISBN: 0-590-97219-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1998

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
MY GRANDFATHER'S COAT
by Jim Aylesworth ; illustrated by Barbara McClintock

- BOOK REVIEW
COCK-A-DOODLE DOO, CREAK, POP-POP, MOO
by Jim Aylesworth & illustrated by Brad Sneed

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MITTEN
by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by Barbara McClintock

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SKY COLOR

by Peter H. Reynolds & illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 28, 2012

Share this feel-good title with those who love art and those who can appreciate the confidence-building triumph of solving a...

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Reynolds returns to a favorite topic—creative self-expression—with characteristic skill in a companion title to The Dot (2003) and Ish (2004).

Marisol is “an artist through and through. So when her teacher told her class they were going to paint a mural…, Marisol couldn’t wait to begin.” As each classmate claims a part of the picture to paint, Marisol declares she will “paint the sky.” But she soon discovers there is no blue paint and wonders what she will do without the vital color. Up to this point, the author uses color sparingly—to accent a poster or painting of Marisol’s or to highlight the paint jars on a desk. During her bus ride home, Marisol wonders what to do and stares out the window. The next spread reveals a vibrant departure from the gray tones of the previous pages. Reds, oranges, lemon yellows and golds streak across the sunset sky. Marisol notices the sky continuing to change in a rainbow of colors…except blue. After awakening from a colorful dream to a gray rainy day, Marisol smiles. With a fervent mixing of paints, she creates a beautiful swirling sky that she describes as “sky color.” Fans of Reynolds will enjoy the succinct language enhanced by illustrations in pen, ink, watercolor, gouache and tea.

Share this feel-good title with those who love art and those who can appreciate the confidence-building triumph of solving a problem on one’s own—creatively. (Picture book. 4-6)