forests

Review: Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley

| Tasha

hank finds an egg

Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley

This debut picture book started life as a self-published work.  As such, it was the cream of the crop, because it is also one of the best wordless picture books of the year, bar none.  Hank is a little bear, or some sort of bear-like creature, who happens upon an egg on the ground in the forest.  Looking around, he locates the nest that it must have fallen from, but even though he tries several different ways, is unable to reach the nest to return the egg to safety.  Night falls and Hank keeps the egg warm at his campsite all night long.  In the morning, he returns to the nest and finds the mother bird there.  An ingenious solution gets the egg up to the nest and before long, Hank is rewarded for his kindness. 

This wordless picture book has a charm that is hard to put into words.  Dudley has handcrafted all of the items on the page, from the brown leaves that blanket the floor of the forest to the unfurling green fronds of fern that add to the hopeful feeling of the book to Hank and the trees that surround him.  All are photographed with a great sense of detail and also a wonderful depth of field that make it all seem real and true. 

Beautiful and charming, this little book is sure to become a favorite.  Time to curl up with your own little bear and enjoy.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop

| Tasha

redknitcapgirl

Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop

Red Knit Cap Girl finds that when she is in the forest, she has time to think about all sorts of things.  In particular, she thinks about the moon and how she can get close enough to speak with her.  She tries reaching the moon with a branch, finding her in the reflection in the water, but nothing works.  Hedgehog recommends that she find Owl and ask about how to reach the moon.  So she does, and Owl tells her that there is no way to reach the moon, but she will bend down to listen.  So Red Knit Cap Girl heads out to find a way to get the moon to listen.  She decides to have a party for the moon and all of her friends help.  Bear and Squirrel hang lanterns in the trees that she has folded.   But moon does not appear.  What can they do to get moon to listen?

Stoop’s book is eye-catching and gorgeous.  Painted on plywood, the grain of the wood becomes a large part of the images.  The grain becomes clouds in the sky, patterns on the shore, and darkness in the deep forest.  It also works tremendously well with the subject of a girl in a forest.  The colors are deep and beautiful, so rich that they are almost wet in places.  The reds glow, the blues haunt, and the deep browns are real shadows.  Against these rich colors, the simple lines of the drawings pop.  The animals and Red Knit Cap Girl ground the book with their distinctive charm.

The writing is equally lovely with moments that catch the breath.  From the opening line, I knew I was going to love this book: “In the forest, there is time to wonder about everything.”  Isn’t that just the way you feel when you venture into the woods, like time has stopped and there are moments of eternity just to think? 

A shining picture book that has a richness and beauty that does not negate its inherent child appeal.  Add this to your next story time on moons or forests.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Ferocious Wild Beasts!

| Tasha

Ferocious Wild Beasts by Chris Wormell

Jack’s mother told him never to go into the forest because there are ferocious wild beasts in there!  But Jack didn’t listen and now found himself lost in the woods.  When a bear walked up to Jack and asked what was wrong, Jack told him about the ferocious wild beasts of the forest and how they gobble up both people and bears.  The bear was worried and the two of them walked on together.  They met an elephant who was told about the wild beasts and was also terrified, so the three walked on together.  They next met a lion who when hearing about the beasts also traveled with them.  With the sinking of the sun, they had even more animals grouped with them and on the outlook for the wild beasts.  They heard a stomping.  They saw a huge glowing eye.  They heard a loud roar.  What could it be?

This is a great picture book.  It has wonderful pacing that draws readers in and captivates them.  The humor is broad and children will immediately understand that the very animals accompanying Jack on his travels are the ones his mother warned him about.  Wormell’s use of realistic animals makes the book even more successful as it heightens the tension and adds to the humor too.  The watercolor illustrations here will work well with a group as will the text which has a rhythm and flow that reads aloud nicely.

Highly recommended, this is a book where children will get the joke and enjoy playing along with it.  A perfect addition to story times on elephants, bears or lions.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed at BooksForKidsBlog, Kiss the Book, and A Patchwork of Books.

Nonfiction Monday – Life in the Boreal Forest

| Tasha

Life in the Boreal Forest by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrations by Gennady Spirin.

Released on September 29, 2009.

This book so clearly captures the beauty and life in the boreal forest that one can almost hear the birds and smell the freshness of the air.  The great northern forest stretches from Alaska and Canada to Scandinavia and Russia Showing the brevity of the northern summer, the activity of the stark winter months, and the glory of the spring and the return of warmth will bring readers face-to-face with nature and its drama.  Spirin’s illustrations show delicate detail, dazzling vistas, and many many animals.  This is a book to sink into, explore and learn.

Guiberson’s text is filled with sounds, from bird calls to wolves howling to smaller noises like hares hopping on snow.  Each sound and its explanation brings this unique ecosystem to life.  Her words create an understanding through the small details of the importance of this forest for all of us.  Spirin excels as capturing animals with their small details and yet showing the forest itself as more than a background, as a living thing.  Her art is large and breathtaking even while the details are shown.

Highly recommended, this book is a great nature book for children.  For children in the north, this book is like coming home.  For everyone it is important to see forests celebrated in this way.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Henry Holt.