Philip C. SteadBesprekingen

"Si observas bien, posibilidades ilimitadas del mundo y de ti mismo se encuentran detrás de tu ventana. La oportunidad de ser la gota de lluvia que cae en el caparazón de una tortuga, el cálido sol que arropa a un búfalo o, ¿por qué no?, ¡el charco de una gran rana!
Preguntas caprichosas y vívidas ilustraciones para reflexionar sobre todo lo que puedes ser, pero también sobre todo lo que eres: feliz y libre…
Al pasar las hojas de este libro, una meditación reflexiva sobre la imaginación aliviará irremediablemente cualquier incertidumbre que el niño, desde el calor y la comodidad del hogar, pueda sentir sobre el mundo exterior. Un libro, reconfortante y muy oportuno". (Descripción editorial).

This was a cute book that we read as an introduction to our virtual tour of the San Diego Zoo.

K-Gr 3—This winsome book features Louis and his grandmother; he wants to make the case for dog ownership and
she has her eyes on an empty lot. Stead and Cordell, separate masters, are co-conspirators on a secret civics
lesson on how to get stuff done. We almost filed it under nonfiction. A great addition to any shelf.

As the publisher says on the verso, the story is about Peter moving and "making friends," which he does quite literally. He and his father are also befriended by their neighbors. The illustrations tell a lot that is unmentioned in the text. So, a much cleverer and even stranger book than it seems at first reading and viewing.
Oh, and maybe Lenny is a projection of Peter, who worries that Lenny may be feeling as lonely as Peter probably is. Interesting that the companion Peter creates is female.

Lovely retelling of the classic fable. Gentle illustrations.

I adored this book! I want this to be in my future children's library.
I found the illustrations incredibly simplistic and calming. They are somewhat realistic and absolutely beautiful. I find them very compelling to look at and know that if I were a child, I would spend hours staring at them. I believe this art style is nurturing for children's minds.
The story was very cute and sweet, too. I would recommend this book for Preschool-1st grade.

This is a quirky one, for sure, and I can totally understand why some people would think it was completely ridiculous and/or inscrutable, but I think it's poetry that made me feel feelings and therefore I like it. My daughter and I read it together and we were both like, "What do you think it means?" and had a fun conversation about imagining ourselves as different things. I would really like for someone to set the text of this book to music.

PCS is absolutely capable of writing an excellent traditional story (see: [b:Every Dog in the Neighborhood|58989380|Every Dog in the Neighborhood|Philip C. Stead|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1635252766l/58989380._SX50_.jpg|92996502]) but I also like these quirky ones. If you've read [b:Ideas Are All Around|25332010|Ideas Are All Around|Philip C. Stead|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1454019851l/25332010._SX50_.jpg|45067879] you can guess that the Wednesday to whom this book is dedicated is the dog in that book and then it makes this one all the more meaningful.

I love this so much. Civic engagement, people!

This is like [b:Where the Wild Things Are|19543|Where the Wild Things Are|Maurice Sendak|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1384434560s/19543.jpg|3020535] if Max was a shy musician who just wanted to be alone. It's thematically similar: imagination, a journey, rejection, acceptance. But of course it's also got that signature Stead quirkiness that makes it either super lovable or just plain strange depending on your taste.

The art is exquisite -- I always love Erin Stead's illustrations. The text meanders in a way that works better the more times you read it. For example, when the room fills up with smoke, I was like what? Only on a second read did I put it together that the moon was blocking up her chimney. And that the whole thing is in her imagination anyway. Her stuffed animals are a walrus and a bear who turn into the hat-maker and the fisherman.

I like books that feel unique and classic at the same time and this book does that for me.

Loved it. Reminded me of Last Stop on Market Street in the best ways. It blows my mind how different his illustration style is to his wife Erin Stead's, but at the same time so similar. Especially the dog and the turtle.

I really loved the page turn to all the polaroids of blue skies. And I wonder if the blue horse is a tribute to Eric Carle.

I'm excited to share this with 6- to 10-year-olds. They're often asked to write stories in school and will, I think, be able to relate to the author's dilemma. It's all about how you look at the world.

Delightful! Vernon is a toad with a very big heart. He meets a bird who doesn't have much to say (the illustrations show that Bird is made of wood). Vernon makes friends with the silent Bird and takes it upon himself to help Bird find a home. The ending is sweet and satisfying.

This is reminiscent of the recent [b:Boy and Bot|12448586|Boy and Bot|Ame Dyckman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320511825s/12448586.jpg|17431671] because they're both about a living creature interacting with a non-living (or turned off, or asleep) creature in sweet and funny ways. It also mirrors the relationship a child may have with a favorite stuffed animal or toy.

I wonder, though, if many kids today have seen a cuckoo clock and know what it is...

So cute I squealed.

I love the fun details you can find when you look deeply at the illustrations.

In A Sick Day for Amos McGee, a very punctual, somewhat rigid, zookeeper always — always — takes the No. 5 bus to work at 6 a.m.

At the City Zoo, he visits his friends: the elephant, the tortoise, the penguin, the rhinoceros and the owl.

Until one day, Amos McGee wakes up with a terrible cold. He calls in sick, and his animal friends must overcome their fears to help take care of their friend.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee went on to sell nearly 500,000 copies and for a very good reason. It is a wonderfully charming story about friendship complete with amazing old school looking illustrations apparently done by hand by using woodblock printing techniques and pencil.

Independent Reading Level: Preschool - 2nd Grade
Awards: Caldecott Medal (2011)

A very lyrical story of all the things you could be and have been. I loved the vocabulary, it uses a lot of movement and feeling words and words specific to certain animals. The art is very bright and flowing against white.

picture books, illustrated, autumn, bears, storytelling, patience, friendship,

This is a lovely warm-hearted book. This is Erin E. Steadman's first book as an illustrator, and it won a well-deserved Caldecott Medal. The words and the pictures go together beautifully.

What a delightful book to pass time away. A cute, non-sensical book with a lot of whimsy and possibility garnered with impossibility as well. Beginning with animals to that might be liked to own such as a drop of water on the shell of a turtle's back, a puddle for a bullfrog to leap into, and a welcoming umbrella that a large elephant can use to shelter a butterfly during a rain storm, are but a few of the things the author ruminates about what he might like to be.

But, mainly, he would like to be a window for a wise old dog to sit on the windowsill that provides a lovely view for a wise older dog. Then, the author waxes philosophically about being a bumblebee, a honeybee, a whale, the sun shining down on the thick coat of a buffalo, or perhaps tall grass that shelters three little fawns and protects them as their momma looks own with love.

But, in the end, the choice remains to be a wise, contented dog who looks out on all the items seen through the window both joyfully and free.

Three and 1/2 Stars½

Genre
Picture books for children
Tone
Feel-good
Quiet
Illustration
Detailed
Muted
Theme
Get well soon
Subject
Colds
Friendship
Kindness
Loyalty
Senior men
Sick men
Visiting
Zoo animals
Zoo keepers

Louis sets out to learn about the dogs in his neighborhood, since this is the only way he can prove to his Grandma that he deserves one for himself. While Louis is out learning about the dogs in his neighborhood, he is also learning about the neighbors that make up his community. All while Louis is on his quest, Grandma is determined to turn a vacant lot into a dog park for the betterment of the community.

My dog's name is Bear so I couldn't wait to read this book. I loved it because of how the artist captured the expressions of the bear and the writer wrote so that we could understand the bear's gentleness. I especially love it because the face of the bear resembles my sweet dog.

sweet story

Independent Reading Level: Level 2
Awards: Best Children's Book of the Year, Caldecott Medal