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REVIEW TEAM FAVORITE
The Rooster Crows
By: Maud and Miska Petersham
Medal Winner
Reviewed by: Lara Lleverino
Also read and recommended by: Jeannette Tulis, Sandy Hall, Sherry Early
This is a lovely book to read to a child who is learning to enjoy the rhythm and beat of rhyming words! The illustrations are absolutely stunning! Excellent examples of skipping, counting, and wisdom rhymes. The rhymes in this book would make excellent copy and memory work.
Little Lost Lamb
By: Golden MacDonald (Pseud. Margaret Wise Brown)
Illustrated by: Leonard Weisgard
Honor
Reviewed by: Tanya Arnold
Also read and recommended by: Sandy Hall
This beautiful story of a shepherd boy taking care of and protecting his flock comes to life with the magnificent illustrations. The imagery expertly matches the lilt of the story and the reader imagines themself high in a faraway mountain top enjoying the serene days spent caring for a flock of sheep. In the first half of the book, the illustrations are presented in full-color emanating love, beauty, hope, and the peace found in long days spent in nature. However, by the second half of the book, the illustrations turn to black-and-white evoking worry, fear, and danger as the shepherd boy and his dog go into the night and up on the mountain to search for the one lost black lamb. Simply beautiful.
My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World
By: Becky Reyher
Illustrated by: Ruth Gannett
Honor
NOT REVIEWED
"Mama! Mama! Mamochka!" Little Varya woke from her nap in the wheat field and jumped to her feet. But her mother was nowhere in sight...
This happened long ago, at harvest time in Russia. But a little girl lost, wherever she is, has only one impulse—to find her mother as fast as possible.
"Poor little thing!" One of the women put her arms around Varya but this sympathy made the little girl want her mother all the more. She began to cry. Then they asked her name and her mother's and father's name, but Varya was too miserable to tell them. She could only sob out: "My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world."
The tallest man smiled. "Now we have something to go on."
The surprising climax and the happy ending follow quickly and they prove the old Russian proverb:
"We do not love people because they are beautiful, but they seem beautiful to us because we love them."
From the dust jacket
Sing Mother Goose
By: Opal Wheeler
Illustrated by: Marjorie Torrey
Honor
Reviewed by: Sandy Hall
It's no surprise that Opal Wheeler, well-known for her wonderful biographies about many composers, wrote this book putting Mother Goose nursery rhymes to music. From my own experience as well as my educational research, I know that anything put to music and learned in early childhood can be recalled in our later years. And I'm singing those songs to my little grandchildren now. "This little piggy went to market..." and "Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock." In recent years, I've tutored children who even at ages 8 or 9 don't understand the concept of rhyme, and I think it's because they were not taught these Mother Goose rhymes. Some of the rhymes in this book are quite familiar like "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" and "Little Bo-Peep," but others might be new to you like "Three Wise Men of Gotham" and "Curly Locks." The illustrations by Marjorie Torrey are lovely. Many are black and white line drawings and others have a single color added. Torrey also collaborated with Opal Wheeler on the book Sing in Praise. So learn these songs, teach them to your little ones, and sing them together throughout your day!
You Can Write Chinese
By: Kurt Wiese
Illustrated by: Kurt Wiese
Honor
Reviewed by: Sandy Hall
Kurt Wiese, the author and illustrator of this book, is no stranger to those of us who love vintage children's books. He illustrated the state and country books by Bernadine Bailey, the Freddy books by Walter Brooks, as well as such notable books are Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, and Honk the Moose, both receiving the Newbery Medal. He illustrated over 300 books and wrote and illustrated 20 books. Wiese actually lived in China for six years when he was a young man, and that part of his life is reflected in this book, You Can Write Chinese. The story tells of a young boy who moves to China with his family for his father's work. He goes to school and must learn Chinese. A respected teacher gives the lessons in an understandable way. The Chinese characters are simply shown and explained. Children following this story can practice writing their own words using the Chinese characters. This book would make a nice addition to studies of China. Get out some quality paper, black markers or paint and brushes and have fun. I highly recommend it!
