I grew up on a farm in a musical, artistic family. Poetry, music, animals, and laughter were the fabric of daily life. I happened to be gifted with the ability to draw. With a particular passion for horses, I eventually earned my art degree and created the cartoon character Fergus the Horse. I truly believe that when extraordinarily skilled illustrations are combined with extraordinarily skilled writing to create a published work, then the projected age recommendation for readers becomes irrelevant.
I love this book because I love books whose illustrations are as enticing as the text.
“Silly” is a quality I look for in a book to share with little kids. Silly certainly applies to Gammell’s splashy, exquisite illustrations. The cadence of the text invites the reader (of any age) to engage with the rhyme and not just read it but perform it!
It also teaches the alphabet. Who knew that going through the alphabet could be such messy fun?
Nothing drives a family crazy faster than an old black fly on a hot summer day, especially when the family's a little crazy already. And this fly is as bad as they come. He knows every low-down trick in the book--and won't rest until he's gone through them all.
He ate on the crust of the Apple pie. He bothered the Baby and made her cry. Shoo fly! Shoo fly! Shooo.
Having grown up on a farm, animal characters are a big hit for me.
This book is beautiful, whimsical, and truthful. Barbara Reid’s illustrations invite the reader to stare in fascination at how she created them. The lyrical text will have grown-ups and wee ones repeating the refrains together at bedtime.
Emmitt’s plans collapse when his wife, Mirai, suddenly backs out of purchasing their dream home. Disappointed, he’s surprised to discover her subtle pursuit of a life and career in Tokyo.
In his search for a meaningful life in Japan, and after quitting his job, he finds himself helping his mother-in-law…
First and foremost, as an artist/illustrator, I maintain that as artists, it is our job to create work that evokes emotion. This book makes the mark.
I am a fan of Stephen Gammell’s illustration. He pulls out all the stops with colour and character. Liz Rosenberg’s simplistic yet delicate story hangs us in suspense between fear and love, made whimsical by Gammell’s illustrations.
I think this is a very powerful book and a perfect match for Gammell’s artwork.
Despite the fact that his beloved Mama is a monster, Patrick Edward adores her, until, one day, when Patrick Edward is attacked by three bullies, he discovers that he might be more like his mother than he had thought.
Every page of this book by Shel Silverstein holds a new surprise.
When writing and illustrating my own books, I've learned to enjoy creating surprises for my readers, whether in the text or the illustrations. I love it when readers ask me, "How did you think that up?" That is exactly what I would love to ask Shel Silverstein. With his endlessly playful imagination, each poem and each page of drawing takes you to a land of ideas you didn't know existed.
There is a certain level of sophistication in children's books where age-appropriate recommendations fall away. This is one of them. For a bedtime read-aloud, it is just as much fun for the parent or grandparent as for the child. It invites them to laugh together. Reading to kids doesn't get better than that.
There's a light on in the attic. I can see it from outside, And I know you're on the inside ... lookin' out.
Step inside the mind of Shel Silverstein and you'll discover a magic homework machine, a Polar Bear in the fridge and a Meehoo With an Exactlywatt. But beware stolen knees, the babysitter who likes to squash children - and the nighttime peril of the Whatifs! This is the second book of beloved poems and pictures from the marvellous master of nonsense, Shel Silverstein.
Trusted for more than three decades by family caregivers and professionals alike, this comprehensive and reassuring caregiving guide offers the crucial information you need to look after your elders and plan for the future.
Being a caregiver for aging parents, close friends and family, and other elders in your life…
Like Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss is one of my illustrating/writing heroes. Every verse, every page takes you to an unexpected place.
I like this book also because of its whimsical philosophy: “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can take yourself any direction you choose…”
This book reminds readers of all ages to lighten up, laugh, and keep going.
Fergus, the horse, suspects that the grass on the other side of the fence might be greener than the grass in his meadow. There is only one way he will find out, and his adventure takes him to unexpected places.
Fergus and I offer our readers beautiful, whimsical illustrations, fun lyrical text, and a subtle philosophical twist on the last page.
Citizen Scientist begins with this extraordinary statement by the Keeper of Entomology at the London Museum of Natural History, “Study any obscure insect for a week and you will then know more than anyone else on the planet.”
As the author chases the obscure Western red-bellied tiger beetle across New…
In Svetlana's country, it’s a felony to break a mirror. Mirrors are conduits of the Voice, the deity worshiped by all who follow Light. The Voice protects humans of MotherLand from the dangers that beset them on all sides: an invading…
