Amazon.com

"How does a dinosaur say good night when Papa comes in to turn off the light? Does a dinosaur slam his tail and pout? Does he throw his teddy bear all about? Does a dinosaur stomp his feet on the floor and shout: 'I want to hear one book more!'? DOES A DINOSAUR ROAR?" Most certainly not. Dinosaurs give their mommies and daddies big hugs and kisses, tuck their tales in, and whisper "Good night!"

Every sleepy little dinosaur will recognize the tricks of the trade in these bedtime shenanigans. The chuckle factor is sky-high here, with giant, full-page pictures of cleverly identified Tyrannosaurus rexes, triceratopses, and Pteranodons. A variety of human mothers and fathers trying to put their dinosaur children to bed will bring the point home that the story may have something to do with human kid behavior as well. This good-natured nighttime book is sure to be a winner (even though it might inspire a few noisy dinosaur antics), especially as it's written by Jane Yolen, prolific Caldecott Medalist author of Owl Moon. Yolen and Mark Teague have teamed up to create a fun, silly, playful read-aloud. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (60)

A book to make bedtime a little easier.
This book is now a favorite of my two and half year old daughter. She asks me to read it to her at least once a day. The premise of the story is to show the proper way to say goodnight. The first half of the book shows dinosaurs acting up at bedtime (hmm kind of reminds me of my daughter) and the second part shows dinosaurs saying goodnight nicely. The pictures of the dinosaurs really crack her up. She loves the opening picture of the dinosaur in the tub and the one of the dinosaur holding a toy train. The pictures are so charming that I am sure they will have adults smiling too. The text is simple enough for a small child to memorize and the names of the dinosaurs are included on the page with their picture to provide even more learning oppurtunities. This book has made my daughter so crazy for dinosaurs that I intend to take her to a dinosaur exhibit at our local science museum. The best part of this book is that it has actually made my daughter go to bed with less resistance. When she starts to act up I just quote a line or two from the book and she settles right down. Last night she told me "goodnight mama dinosaur." We love this book.

Beautifully Illustrated
The first thing that comes to mind when I look at this book is how beautifully illustrated it is. The images are rich, engaging and a delight to absorb.

The book covers ten dinosaurs -- Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Apatosaurus, Corythosaurus, Dimetrodon, Pteranodon, Stegosaurus, Trachodon, Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex. All of them appear so friendly that your child just might invite them for a sleepover. Moreover, they are anatomically correct, insofar as they can be for cartoon like illustrations.

One of the most interactive pieces of the book is that each illustration has hidden within it the name of the dinosaur. Everytime my son and I read this book he seeks out the dinosaur's name. It's a dino I Spy game for him.

He's also fascinated with the fact that he can match the dinosaurs from the inside covers (front and back) with those within the story.

Of course, beautiful illustrations are important, but so is the story line. This one is done well. The illustrations show the dinosaurs engaging in all sorts of antics to avoid going to sleep. However, the point of this is to question whether or not dinosaurs show "naughty" bedtime behavior. They do not. In the end, dinosaurs "tuck in their tails" and "whisper, 'Good night!'

Overally, I would highly recommend this book for dinosaur loving preschoolers! It is beautiful, interactive and well written.

Dinosaurs act up at bedtime too!
This imaginative book features a large cast of "real" dinosaurs acting as naughty as real kids do when it's bedtime. I loved the pictures of exasperated parents as a huge brontosaurus throws covers on the floor or a tyrannasaurus rex runs around the room. My second grade niece, a good reader, handles the text with ease but isn't too old to be tickled by the concept. Younger siblings like this one too. Inside the front cover is a chart with small drawings of the characters and their scientific names--an educational bonus!

How do you think?
I'm always pleased when an author and an illustrator of equal talents are placed together by a clever editor so as to produce a wonderful piece of picture book art. Jane Yolen is the author of, honest to goodness, more than two hundred books for both children and adults. Just pause a while and marvel at her consistency, if you will. Mark Teague may not have that many works under his belt, but what he lacks in proliferation he makes up for in downright fabulous illustrating. If you've read his charming "Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters From Obedience School" then you are aware of how amazingly adept this man is. Taking those monstrous creatures co-opted by children as their favorite animals, Yolen and Teague have created a book that proves what we've suspected all along. Your children are merely little dinosaurs in disguise.

The premise of this book is simple. Sleepy dinosaurs do NOT want to go to bed at night. The book ponders just how exactly these dinos do say their goodnights to their parents. The parents in this book, by the way, are always human while their dinosaur offspring fill their bedrooms from ceiling to floor. So how do dinosaurs say good night? Well, they can insist on reading one more book. They can fall onto their beds in tears. They can slam their tails about and pout too. But no, my friends. In the end, dinosaurs do none of these things. Instead, they give their parents a big kiss and a hug, tuck their tales into their beds, and say good night. Just like a good little dinosaur should.

The hope after reading this tale is that kids will understand that all the naughty behavior exhibited by the dinosaurs in the early parts of the book will be negated by the good behavior exhibited at the end. How well this works, I do not know. One thing is for certain, however. Mark Teague is a genius. Oh, I'm sure Jane Yolen put a lot of work into this puppy as well. Yes yes. But Mark Teague... now there's a man who knows how children react at nighttime. These pictures are just a scream. Each father or mother than enters the dinosaur's room is usually accompanied by some cowering pet, either a dog or a cat. The dinosaur's rooms are outfitted as a child's would be too. Teague has helpfully included each animal's name (from the roaring Triceratops to the piggy back begging Ankylosaurus) somewhere in the picture too. I was also well pleased with the parents in this book. A good multi-racial cast, they don't give an inch to these plying crying dinos. And you haven't lived until you've seen a Tyranosaurus Rex kissing his Donna Reed look-alike mother. More recently popular dinosaurs, like the Velociraptor, do not appear in this tale. Probably a good idea in retrospect.

All in all, this is one of the most successful new bedtime books to come around the pike. For those kids bored to tears by the far calmer "Goodnight Moon", this will be just the exciting bedtime tale to get them tucked away for the night. A fabulous creation that fully lives up to its popularity.

You think it is difficult to put kids to bed? Try a dinosaur
I noticed that there are editions of "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" in Spanish and French, which is not surprising because the art of Mark Teague certainly translates into any language. Author Jane Yolen poses the questions regarding what happens when Papa or Mama comes to turn off the lights and send their dinosaurs to bed, and Teague comes up with the utterly charming images that will delight readers of any age. Part of the fun is that Papa and Mama are regular human beings, so when Papa shows up and points to his watch to a Tyrannosaurus Rex that takes up an entire page as a way of suggesting it is time to put away his toy train and go to bed, you just have to smile (note the family dog is about the size of one of the T Rex's toes). From the Stegosaurus that slams his tail and pouts to the Ankylosaurus that demands a piggyback ride, each of these two-page spreads will make parents happy that they just have regular human kids and not dinosaurs.

For children the fun will be in answering the question of the title and discovering that dinosaurs and little kids have a lot in common when it comes to resisting being put into bed. There is a slight risk that your kids might find a new way of prolonging the inevitable and find themselves imitation the Corythosaurus and falling on top of their covers and crying or stomping their feet on the floor and shouting they want to have another book read to them. But then "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" really covers all of the basic delaying tactics of children. Besides, it is clearly indicated that these tactics are a bit silly, even if you are a sulking Allosaurus or roaring Triceratops.

All of the illustrations in this book are a joy, including those inside the front cover where Teague shows all of these dinosaurs sitting atop their beds doing things like blowing bubbles or quietly reading a good book (okay, the Ankylosaurus is jumping on the bed, but clearly he is the high energy one of the group). "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" is the first in a series of similar collaborations between Yolen and Teague that includes "How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?" "How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?" and "How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Room?" That last one is definitely the one I want to check out next, because I shudder to think what Yolen and Teague will come up for in those situations. You think getting a Dinosaur to say goodnight is difficult? That is nothing compared to getting them to clean their rooms. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Among the greatest charms of children is their ability to view a simple activity as a magical adventure. Such as a walk in the woods late at night. Jane Yolen captures this wonderment in a book whose charm rises from its simplicity. "It was late one winter night, long past my bedtime, when Pa and I went owling." The two walked through the woods with nothing but hope and each other in a journey that will fascinate many a child. John Schoenherr's illustrations help bring richness to the countryside adventure. The book won the 1988 Caldecott Medal. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Both Story and Art Enchant
I like this book and so do my children. Although it will have more appeal to fathers and sons, any parent and child can enjoy this story of the magical bond that takes place when a parent introduces their child to one of life's moments of wonder.

Who among us doesn't remember wonderful moments when you and you alone were the focus of your father's (or mother's) attention in a special setting that created a life-long memory pleasently returned to again and again. That's the magic of Owl Moon where a little boy takes a long walk in the woods over new fallen snow with his father. They are journeying to, as his older brothers had done before him, find a great owl, if he can be coaxed from his high above throne where he rules the night.

The story is simply told but carries all of the magic foretold by the setting. The water color illustrations are beautiful in their simplicity and convey the wonder of nature and the togetherness of father and son.

Good Parenting and instills love of nature
Owl Moon is a wonderful story of a young girl's first hunt for the Great Horned Owl with her father. As they trek through the snowy forest, Jane Yolen's text and John Schoenherr's illustrations work together to create a realistic adventure and to express good parenting. The picture book comes to life through a peaceful countryside and a still forest. The child's continual silence and concentration add to the hunt. Within the text the child says, "I put my mittens over my mouth and listened hard." This displays her constant effort to remain quiet and to take the adventure seriously. Each illustration depicts a calm forest dominated by snow and nature. I feel that this book contains ideas that are "simple but not necessarily simplistic" much like Perry Nodelman's analysis of children's literature (221). For instance, in many scenes animals can be found hiding without the knowledge of the characters. The animals all sit calmly. This shows that the intent of the father and child is not to disturb nature but to quietly observe and to be apart of it just while they pass. This idea can not be found written within the text yet, it is understood when they see an owl and do not shoot it. This peaceful respect for nature that the father is instilling in his child is shown when they came to the clearing in the dark woods. She speaks of how the fit it exactly "and the snow below it was whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl." This emphasizes her grasp of the beauty and enjoyment natural world in a child-like way. It brings to mind games equal to finding shapes in clouds. The illustrator has also gone through the trouble of presenting the field in the shape of a large bowl. I feel that the most important aspect of the work is the example of good parenting it delivers. He spends quality time with his children, while he instills important morals. Pa has also taken all of her brothers owling and they have told her "sometimes there's an owl and sometimes there isn't." This reveals a sense of close family unity in which can be seen as the positive message of the story. However, the tone is not didactic. Pa even uses onomatopoeia to make the adventure more intense. He calls the owl with a long "Whoo-whoo-who-who-who-whooooooo." All of this helps emphasis the joy of the communion with nature. Her father has been instilling a respect for the owl and natural world, while strengthening the father child relationship.

Remarkable illustrations and almost poetic narration
Owl Moon is a delightful story of the family tradition of Owling, Owl watching. The reader is taken on a winter journey through the woods as a father and daughter go Owling.
Beautiful illustrations by John Schoenherr help the reader experience this journey from a unique perspective. Schoenherr places the reader in the air, looking down on the journey. By using this technique, the reader becomes one with the Owl, experiencing the quiet togetherness of man and nature.
This story provides a moving narration, inviting the reader to experience the quiet solitude of a winter walk in the woods. The reader also feels the warmth of the special relationship shared by this father and his daughter.
Yolen instructs the reader that the only thing needed to go Owling is hope. Hope that just maybe if you're quiet enough, or lucky enough, you will spot an Owl. This wonderful story delivers much more than just the sighting of an Owl.
Owl Moon is sure to delight readers of all ages. The remarkable illustrations and almost poetic narration make it easy to see why this book is deserving of the Caldecott Award.

Wonderful Story for Any Age
I first read this book when i was a junior in college. At first I didn't like it very much. Then two years later I picked it up again and found the beautyful. It was like reading poetry. Each word was carfully chosen. The story of a little girl having the chance to stay up late and go owling with her father. Yet, it goes beyond that. Here is a little girl who feels like she is doing something wonderful and exiciting, becuase she is doing something with her father.

The way this stroy is constructed is wonderful. Although the book says that it is for children between the ages of 4-8 I have read this story to 6th graders and they have found interested and they thought it was "cool." This is a wonderful book for young and old, because of language and the way the words flow. It is just one of those books that are just plane fun to read.

Amazing and Artistic
Jane Yolen's book, "Owl Moon," is about a little girl and her father who go owling on a cold winter night. Yolen's describes the scenery of the wintry night, looking for an owl with vivid imagery. The father and daughter search patiently in the quiet, waiting for a slight glimpse of the great bird. When, finally they see an owl, they are intrigued for the minute of victory.

In the book, "Owl Moon," John Schoenherr uses pen and ink with a watercolor wash. The use of watercolor creates a sense of mystery and depicts what it is like to walk in the woods on a winter night with no more light than what is given off by the moon and stars reflecting off of the snow. This vagueness is complimented by the use of pen and ink in order to create a sense of reality by showing what little detail the characters were able to see as they continued on their journey. The added detail in the foreground also helped to create a sense of depth. Schoenherr chose colors which added to the mystery of the darkness and created the sensation of a cold night. I especially enjoyed the way that the author added detail within the expressions of the father and daughter when they finally heard a response from an owl. The owl itself was shown in great detail which I feel was to convey a sense of realness to the mystery of great bird. Another technique that I enjoyed was the adding of other hidden woodland creatures throughout the book which added to the anticipation of finding the owl. By doing this the illustrator is able to capture the child's attention as he/she begins to search for the owl along with the characters of the story.

Each page painted a wonderful picture both visually and within the story line of a father and his daughter creating memories of time together that neither one would forget. Although they spent the evening together in silence I feel that the time together showed a special bond being created between the two. Not only does the idea of silence throughout the story create a sense of adventure, it also shows that words are not always needed in order to create wonderful memories and that love can be conveyed between people by just spending time together. Although this book is recommended for children ages 6-10, I believe that it readers of all ages would enjoy this story and that the message of quality time spent with the ones you love could be enjoyed by the whole family. This is a wonderful story which could be shared in both the classroom during read-alouds or at home as a bedtime story. ... Read more

Book Description

Hannah thinks tonight’s Passover Seder will be the same as always. Little does she knowthat this year she will be mysteriously transported into the past where only she knows thehorrors that await. ... Read more

Reviews (187)

The Devil's Arithmetic
The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen in my opinion was a good novel to help others remember the Holocaust and the tragic events that occurred. Jane Yolen strived make the concentration camps seem real to the reader throughout the novel. This is a story of a Jewish 12 year old girl named Hannah Stern who has always questioned why we should remember what has happened in the past. During the Passover Seder, as Hannah pours the wine, she is suddenly in 1940 in a small village in Poland. Hannah, as well as her family and friends are taken away to a concentration camp where conditions are appalling. Hannah is forced to realize and understand what her ancestors went through, and realizes that we should remember for their sake. Chaya, Hannah's Polish name, is willing to risk her life for her friends and wonders is she will ever again see her family, and through Yolen's descriptive writing style, the reader is able to imagine themselves in the book as another character and feel the pain that Chaya feels. Jane Yolen has created a book that forces us to remember the hardships that were placed upon the Jews by the Nazis during the Holocaust, and is a must-read.

You'll never forget it
This is Schindler's List for children, a chilling account of the Holocaust from the point of view of a young girl. Yolen skimps on few details, and you can tell that her story comes straight from the heart.

Hannah, a modern Jewish girl, is irritated by the Passover Seder and the "remembering" of the Holocaust, which some of her relatives lived through. But when she opens the door for Elijah, she is transported through time and space to a village in Poland.

Soon the Nazis arrive, and Hannah (called "Chaya" by everyone in this new time) must both try to survive and to keep her friends alive in the deathcamps.

I tried very, very hard to summarize this story, but the spiritual and emotional tones are simply impossible to talk about. This is an intense book, the descriptions of it simply can't express the greatness of this plot.

A haunting tale of life, death, memory and sorrow. Even though this is a children's book, it may be disturbing for younger readers--you might want to talk to your children about it afterward.

The Devil's Arithmetic: A Holocaust Story
By: Jane Yolen

This is a novel about the Jewish experience in concentration camps. There is a spoiled young girl by the name of Hannah. She hates her family's Seder meal, but when she goes to open the door for the prophet Elijah, she gets transported back in time to the year if World War II. Gitl and Shmuel are calling her Chaya instead of her real name. At Shmuel's wedding, the Germans come and take them away to concentration camps where they are starved, humiliated, and periodically killed. What will be Hannah's fate? Will she ever return to her normal life?
I genuinely enjoyed this book. I loved the plot, and the ending was magnificent. I liked how courageous Hannah was. She was a true hero to me even though she was only there in the pages of the book.
Right off the bat, the plot and storyline are some of the book's many strengths. Another good thing that Yolen gives you is the plain knowledge and facts about concentration camps. She tells about the different types of labor and the horrible conditions of the concentration camps. After reading this book, I had a whole other view of the insanities and inhuman conditions of the Nazis. I can really connect that to my life and appreciate every single thing I have, including time on this Earth.
My favorite part was during a scene with the midden:

"When they got to the midden, they skinned out of their clothes and dove naked into the dump."

I enjoyed this excerpt because it was funny how Hannah just stood there and watched. She was a true first-timer!
I think that the thing that the author would like me to take away from this book is just plainly the story of the Holocaust. She wants people to read her book and remember. Of course she wanted to tell a great story of survival and courage, but she only wants us to take away from this the story and knowledge of the Jewish experience.
This is one of the most memorable books I have ever read because of the fact that it was entertaining but still informing. The word choice that the author used really brought out clear pictures in my mind. The image was very powerful. You could not read this book and not be changed. It didn't have to be a big change. Only the way you look at your shoes. It is a meaningful book.
I recommend this book to people who really want to take something away from what they read and who care about their history. This book's theme is; if you don't appreciate what you have now, history has a way of showing itself to you! The evidence is the way Hannah was brought back in time. She was so changed by her experience and learned to appreciate life and what she had.

The Devil's Arithmetic
The Devil's Arithmetic is about a girl who is tired of remembering Passover meals. When she is asked to open the door for Elijah and is transported to the past in the year 1942. Her name in the real world is Hannah and then Chaya in her 'dream' and finally J197241 is her name. She is then taken to a concentration camp were she battles to remember lessons in school about the Holocaust. But no one believes her and she has to face work, deaths and escape.

The Devil's Arithmetic is a very interesting book. It has interesting characters that have interesting personalities. You can really learn a lot about the death camps and how the people inside dealt with it. It is really sad because Hannah knows what is going to happen to them but the people don't believe or listen to her. This causes Hannah to lose her mind and forget all about her normal life and any thing that has happened before her life in the death camp. It becomes every emotional for her and she becomes very doubtful in her self which causes it to be a sad book.

But there are some happy moments inside the camp. Like the fact that whenever the Commander came to inspect he camp, the Jewish people would make a sound that tells the children to hide, because children were not aloud to be in the camp. You also learn different codenames the Jewish people used in the camps. They also keep their hope up by reminding themselves about who they are by learning what their 'number' really means. There is also a happy part when Hannah makes friends with Rivka who really helps her survive.

But the book did have some downfall to it. I thought it ended very abruptly with no explanation. Also, if you wanted a book that explains the work in the camps, don't get this book. It doesn't have that good of an explanation of their work in the camp. In the beginning, she has a very good family but doesn't give that much information on them, which I was hoping for.

It was a very fun book that showed how friendship helped her survive.
It was because of her friendship with Rivka that she was able to survive so long. This was because Rivka knew what was happening faster then she could figure it out, so Rivka was able to help her in many ways. She also had a deep friendship with her aunt, considering that they didn't know each other that well. So I think the theme is 'friendship can help you survive in the toughest parts of life'.

My favorite part of the book is when Hannah finds faith in herself by making the numbers on her stand for something. This really is a good part because she begins to have faith in herself, which is really important for survival sake. Her number, J197241, means J for Jew, 1 for alone, 9 for 'no' she will no die, 7 for the 7 days a week that she survives, 2 for 2 family members in her 'dream', 4 for 4 family members in her old family, and 1 for again, that she was alone.

Overall this book was very interesting and kept you hanging on at some points. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in life as a Jewish person in World War II.

Excellent Holocaust Tale
Twelve year-old Hannah has always been impatient and embarrassed by her Jewish heritage and traditions of remembering. During the Passover Seder, the jaded Hannah is transported back to 1942 Poland when she opens the door for the prophet Elijah. She experiences life as Chaya, a young woman who is rounded up with the rest of her family and village and sent to a Nazi work camp. There she meets Rivka (one of her aunts who survived the camp), who teaches her how to survive the dehumanizing conditions in the camp. A gripping portrayal of life in the Nazi death camps. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Reviews (4)

Not appropriate for young children
I am very enthusiastic about exposing my children to different cultures and ideas, and when I saw this book and read the reviews on Amazon, I was excited to get it for my girls. When the book arrived, I read it immediately. The story and the pictures are beautiful. I liked everything until the very last sentence of the book -- I was very surprised to read that Yeh-Shen's stepmother and stepsister were "crushed to death in a shower of flying stones." Although I understand that this may be part of the original story, I am giving this book one star because it is supposed to be appropriate for children 4-8. I don't believe, with such a violent and disturbing ending, that it is appropriate for this age group.

A great book
I think this book is very,very good. It was a great book about China also a good book for childrens around the world. This book is about a girl named Yeh-Shen that was a orpahan. She had to work for her stepmother and her stepsister. Yeh-Shen had a fish that she did not know that it was magic fish. The fish's name is goldeyes. Yeh-Shen stepsister found out that Yeh-Shen had a friend that was a fish. The stepsister want and told her mother. The stepmother told Yeh-Shen to get some wood from the far side of the land. At the end of the story Yeh-Shen married the king.

One of the best versions of Cinderella
In almost every culture, parents tell children a story that resembles the European Cinderella. Scholars have collected more than 500 versions of the story. In the past couple of decades a lot of these multicultural variations on Cinderella have been turned into children's picture books. The familiar story gives kids a great introduction to people of the world. Several of these books are very good, but two are exceptional. One is John Steptoe's "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters," an African version of the story. The other is this one.

"Yeh-Shen," a Chinese version of the tale almost a thousand years older than the earliest known European version, contains many familiar details - a poor over-worked girl, a wicked stepmother and stepsister, a magical helper, a king in search of a wife, and a lost shoe. But while Cinderella is simply handed gifts from her fairy godmother, Yeh-Shen earns her wishes through kindness to a magic fish. This one change makes a big difference in the ethical tone of the book. It also makes the reader feel much more sympathetic toward Yeh-Shen, who seems to deserve every bit of good fortune she gets.

The illustrations greatly add to the book's charm. Ed Young's style is striking and unique. There's a misty, ethereal quality to his art that makes everything look as if it were taking place in a dream - which is just perfect for the book.

THE OLDEST VERSION OF CINDERELLA
This is the oldest known version of Cinderella. It dates back to 9BC China. Having taught a unit on the history of Cinderella to my class every year around Holiday time, I'm pleased to finally have a copy of the book -- the copy from the Minneapolis Public Library is missing -- because it teaches children that not every version is about pumpkin coaches and glass slippers. Beautifully illustrated by Ed Young, the theme of the fish/fairy godmother character plays throughout the book.

Enjoy this version, along with Shirley Chimo's Egyptian and Korean Cinderellas, The Turkey Girl, The Rough Face Girl, Sootface, and of course, the old classic versions.

This book is an excellent addition to your multicultural children's collection! ... Read more

Book Description

Moon shadow is eight years old when he sails from China to join his father, Windrider, in America. Windrider lives in San Francisco and makes his living doing laundry. Father and son have never met.

But Moon Shadow grows to love and respect his father and to believe in his wonderful dream. And Windrider, with Moon Shadow's help is willing to endure the mockery of the other Chinese, the poverty, the separation from his wife and country'even the great earthquake'to make his dream come true.

1976 Newbery Honor Book
Notable Children's Books of 1971–1975 (ALA)
1976 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor Book for Fiction
1976 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
"Best of the Best" Children's Books 1966–1978 (SLJ)
Outstanding Children's Books of 1975 (NYT)
1976 Children's Book Award (IRA)
Children's Choices for 1976 (IRA/CBC)
Notable 1975 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
1976 Carter G. Woodson Award (NCSS)
1976 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor Book
1979 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Children's Books of 1975 (Library of Congress)
1979 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)
1995 Phoenix Award (Children's Literature Association) ... Read more

Reviews (66)

Dragonwings
During the Tang period, a Chinese boy named Moon Shadow immigrates to America. He meets and lives with his father, Windrider, who is an absolute genius. Windrider is said to have encountered a dragon, who instructs him to pass several tasks in order to be reincarnated as a dragon. Inspired, both father and son build a flying machine, and, with some help from their Chinese company and two good, American friends, they fly the plane, thinking that this is one of the tasks needed to be fulfilled for the dragon. In the end, however, the flying machine breaks apart, but Windrider decides not to work on it ever again. Somehow, the whole experience seems to bring everyone together again. Even Moon Shadow raises enough money for his mother to join them in America.
I greatly enjoyed this book very much. The detailed description made it sound like I was in the book. It was easy to read, and I did not have much difficulty trying to figure out the main point of the story. I saw that the book had a well-thought-out plot, because it all fitted together nicely. The cover was quite interesting.
The part of the book I enjoyed reading was when Windrider flew his huge flying machine outside against the strong winds. The book described it so well, I thought I was flying myself! When Windrider finally crash-landed, I could not tell whether I really did experience it or not. Laurence Yep is quite an amazing writer. Overall, I know that this book will always be one that I would greatly enjoy reading once more.

illustrates varities of themes.
This book, Dragonwings, is full of emotions, including sadness,happiness, fighting, suffering, perseverance, dream, and comedy. It expresses some stereotypes about americans ,and it also points out the good relationship between Chinese immigrants and Americans. The main theme mentions about one Chinese immigrant, who had left his family to work in Demon land. He was full of dreams ,and he believed that he was a dargon in the past life. He tried to construct his dream to become true with builted glider and plane. He wish to fly as a dragon. However, finally, he had knew that nothing was more important than his family. I can learn the ideas of different culture that help me open my mind widely.I like this book. It is useful to read it- good novle.

Dragon Wings
This book is about a white boy who learns to fly kites using a stick and a paper. HE learns thet white people are the best and christians are not bad.

I want to get away, I want to fly away
No one melds fact and myth into seamless storylines of historical fiction quite like Lawrence Yep. Like many of his tales, the remarkable, "Dragonwings", reflects on the Chinese experience in America. Says Yep in his author's note, "I have tried to make some of these dry historical facts become living experiences". The result is a book that certain kids will grow attached to and respect. Admittedly, it is not a book for all children, but for what it offers it is an impressive work.

The plot follows Moon Shadow, a boy sent from his native China to live with his father in the Land of the Gold Mountains a.k.a San Francisco in 1903. While there, Moon Shadow learns a great deal about the ways the white settlers (referred to in this text, without exception, as demons) reacted to the Chinese in California. Yep does not play down the characters' difficulties, but Moon Shadow and his father, Windrider, learn the ways in which they may live their lives acceptably. They befriend their white employers, survive the great San Francisco earthquake, and finally Windrider follows his dream of making a flying machine just as the Wright Brothers did. This portion of the book is based on the true story of a Chinese immigrant that on September 22, 1909 flew from the hills of Oakland, California. As Yep points out in his author's note, this book is a historical fantasy and not an actual factual construction. Nonetheless, Windrider's quest is such that you feel just as caught up in the excitement of the moment as he is when at last he is able to test his creation.

What is so impressive about Lawrence Yep's writing is how he accepts that there are no hard and fast rules about the ways in which people act and react. The Chinese are constantly set upon by the white majority, yet there are good Tang people and bad Tang people just as there are good whites and bad whites. The sentence that really drilled this home for me was one referring to a white female friend Moon Shadow and his father made the acquaintance of. Miss Whitlaw befriends our heroes, as well as the patriarch of their company, referred to mostly as "Uncle". The section I love reads, "I won't say that Miss Whitlaw and Uncle became the best of friends, but they came to like each other as much as two such difference people could". To me, this is an eloquent description of how two people from remarkably different backgrounds can become close without ever reaching the closeness that comes from being with someone like yourself.

So here's the real test of this book; Do kids actually like reading it? Published originally in 1975, I remember hearing about this story when I was in elementary school. And, admittedly, I never so much as picked it up. For those kids that do glance through it, or are assigned it in school, what is their reaction? Honestly, I thought the book began rather slowly. Yep is introducing his subject honestly and with tact and feeling, all of which make the beginning a small slog for the average child reader. Those kids that stick with it, however, will find fights, natural disasters, and attempted throat slittings galore. To my mind, Yep's "Child of the Owl" is a lot more kid friendly than the well-written but ultimately measured "Dragonwings". So if I were to give a child I knew a good, if more contemporary, book reflecting the experiences of Chinese-Americans, I'd probably offer them the former. None of this is to say that there aren't children out there that consider "Dragonwings" to be their favorite book ever. I just suspect they are a minority.

In the end, "Dragonwings" has won more awards and garnered more praise than I think Lawrence Yep could have ever hoped for. It is a fine noble creation and well deserves the attention it has received. Whether kids will ever willingly open its pages is open to debate, but it is definitely a fascinating look into the lives of a people that could well have remained unknown but for the superb prose and experienced writing of one of the finest American writers of our day and age.

dragon wings reivew
...BR>I didn't like this book at the beginning, because I thought it was boring. After I read and I found that it was pretty interesting. In this book, I learned a lot of things, such as vocabulary, what is important in life, and how to make it easier, etc. Laurence Yep mentioned detaily in people's emotions and their different characters. Yep listed out how people felt after they left their home, and went to a different place for work. In addition, he also stated how was a life for a little boy, and how he managed it. In general, it was a little bit long. Finally, according to the last chapter of the text book, I knew the "Family" is the most important in life ... Read more

Book Description

When her father, Robert the Bruce, becomes King of Scotland, Marjorie Bruce becomes a princess. But Edward Longshanks, the ruthless King of England, has set his sights on Robert and his family. Marjorie is captured and imprisoned in a wooden cage in the center of a town square, exposed to wind, rain, the taunts of the townspeople, and the scorn of Longshanks himself. Marjorie knows that despite her suffering and pain, she is the daughter of noble Robert the Bruce&150and she will make her father, and her country, proud. For a true princess is a princess, whether in a castle or in a cage. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

I wouldn't read it again
There were choppy sentences and there were parts that were a bit too gory. An example of the choppy sentences was right in the beginning. The main character, Princess Marjorie,was imprisoned in a cage, and was talking about how people would throw turnips at her and how she hated it. 'If Father is ever king in more than name, I shall remember those turnips. And the people who threw them.' Throughout the rest of the book, there are many sentences like this that get very annoying to read after awhile.
There are also some unneeded gory parts too. When Marjorie and her family are passing through the Highlands, they are attacked by evil Highlanders. Marjorie gets knocked off her horse and described the scene as,
'All I could see was a blur of legs and horses' hooves and the fine red blur of blood as it spattered the air.'
Later on during the battle, the scene was described as,
'Bleeding horses whinnied and kicked on the ground, wounded and dying men groaned and clutched their wounds in agony.'
I think the authors were trying to be realistic,which is good, but they went a little overboard with the realism.
Overall, it was okay, but I wouldn't read it again.

This Book That Make Me Happy, And Stuff Like That !
Now this book like to make me happy cuse this book I read at my
school bus when I got home I was like can you pless give me this
book so I can keep this at the media ctr plessand she said O.K

Suspense is Everything
As Jane Yolen and Robert Harris flashback in and out of a young dynamic princess's life, the suspense of foreshadowing at the end of every chapter keeps you engaged and on the edge of your seat.I felt captivated and could almost tune the whole world out just to dive into Jane and Roberts realistic world brought alive by the imagery and strong emotional connotation.I assure you this book is a exciting, intense, sensitive and contains all the components of the real world.Try it out and you'll see!

Historical Novel Brings out the best in yolen and harris
this novel is greatly appreciated, believe you me. i began this book shortly after finishing breath by donna jo napoli (another great read, in a similar time period) and i was engrossed from page one. i finished it within 24 hours, and thanks heavens i had a snow day this week because i read for a few hours and barely lifted my head once to notice anything else.

it can get a bit dragging during the chapters where marjorie and her family (the Bruces) are leading the English through a merry hunt in the Scotish countryside, and i found myself wishing for the captivity days to come sooner. (though all chapters are wonderful, really!) my favorite characters were ultimately Isabel, who reminded me a lot of Alanna from the books by Tamora Pierce, and also Enid, the young snotnosed peasant who visits Marjorie and helps her establish her "court" while she is caged.

Truly a delightful read for young and old!

It Was Okay....
"Girl in a Cage" by Jane Yolen and Robert Harris seemed somewhat flat to me. I found myself irked when the authors left me at a suspenseful part of the story, only to go into a drawn-out flashback about Marjorie's life as a princess, as well as joyful when I finally finished the book. Although exposition is crucial to a story, more than half the book was spent detailing the events leading up to the caging of Marjorie. This was unnecessary, as well as tedious. Camp, battle, camp, battle.
However, Marjorie's term in the cage was well-written although I couldn't identify with Marjorie, mainly because she felt that insulting Longshanks as well as the cruel peasants, rather than trying to understand them, seemed very unprincess-like. When she creates a pretend world, with herself as "queen of the cage" and various people as "knights", "chaplains" and "ladies-in-waiting", it seemed all too familiar....if anyone who is reading this review has read "A Little Princess" you will understand what I mean. However, if you were to skip the drama and long, boring scenes, this could prove a good portrait of Scottish history. ... Read more

Book Description

A one volume collection of 160 tales from over 40 cultures and traditions, containing both classics and lesser known tales. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

If you like folktales, you'll want this book
Not only is this collection marvelously diverse, but it's also incredibly easy to read. Though the tales still retain the feel of original storytelling, they do not have the awkward idiosyncracies you find in other texts with obscure (to the US) tales which have been litreally translated or transcribed. If you're tired of seeing the same tales in every book you find, get this one. It's a wonderful resource and just plain fun to own. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not just for children
This book is for anyone - of any age - who has lost anything of beauty or anything they love. Children will love it, but don't keep it from the adults. I still can't read it without crying.

Deep book about dealing with loss
The best thing about this book is its refusal to play games with your child's mind. Rejecting the shameless tear-jerking of so much media aimed at children, this book embraces the grand tradition of children's books that takes children seriously. This is a book about dealing with loss about about letting go, but also a book that makes the reader reflect on what is good about life. Warts and all, life is sweet. As a historian, I really appreciate that Yolen tries hard to show what her valley was like AND what it is like after the dam is built. Kids are frightened when they see orchards being ripped out for suburbs; this is a book about dealing with that kind of loss.

Should have packed an emotional whallop
"Drowing towns" I had never heard of such a thing and was highly interested in reading this book about a remarkable event in history.
(Though apparently it has happened worldwide)

To be honest .. I was disappointed. What should have been an emotional, impactful story turned out to be rather bland.

The writing was choppy, (difficult to read out loud) pictures ho-hum (even though I love Barbara Cooney!) and the overall intensity was not there as I thought it should be. Afterall we are talking about people leaving the homes and their way of life that had been in their families for generations.

I was expecting better. I think Patricia MacLachlan and Illustrator Ted Rand or Susan Jeffers could have made a real triumph out of this.

That said, _DO_ read this book. It is a remarkable event in history and this book is still worth reading.

moving & important -- a great place to bring your kid's mind
The concept of water -- where does it come from, how do we use it, where does it go when we are done with it -- is a big topic in our busy household. Both of my kids are interested in the environment and conservation, and I think a lot of that interest can be attributed to a small set of books -- Letting Swift River Go among them -- that were a part of their bedtime often throughout the beginnings of their childhood. My youngest son, in fact, is eleven now, but still pulls this book out and reads it to himself and to others on occasion.

You'll find the great writing here that you expect from Jane Yolen, along with a plot that serves as a vehicle for commentary that allows children to look at the cost of progress when it comes to building towns and cities.

Amazingly touching...great for kids and adults
This is one of the best children's books I've read in a long time. The story of the building of the Quabbin Resevoir in western MA is not a wide told story, but it should be. This book is clearly written so children can understand what was happeneing. The illustrations are also wonderful and will keep the children engaged. If you're the grown up reader, don't count on getting through this with a dry eye. It's definatly a book for ALL ages. ~Sarah Aziz Mount Holyoke College Sophomore (age 19) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Following up their bestseller How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?, Caldecott Medal winner Jane Yolen and illustrator Mark Teague have penned this instructive lesson on dinosaur health care. Eachdouble-page spread features one enormous dinosaur looking wan and sniffly but mostly cranky, petulant, ornery, sullen, and disagreeable. The human moms and dads are visibly worried and/or frustrated by their sick dinos behaving badly. Witness the nice lady dragging her gigantic Styracosaurus out of the elevator and across the hall to the doctor's office: "What if a dinosaur goes to the doc? Does he drag all his feet till his mom is in shock?" The look on this mom's face will be familiar to anyone who's ever forcibly moved a child, who seems to have suddenly gained a million pounds, from one place to another. And of course, it turns out that dinosaurs don't misbehave when they're sick: "He drinks lots of juice, and he gets lots of rest. He's good at the doctor's, 'cause doctors know best."

The rhymes are somewhat forced, especially toward the end of the book, but Teague's marvelous paintings are bright and expressive throughout. Each dinosaur is cleverly labeled, and these aren't yourrun-of-the-mill dinos; dinosaur-obsessed little ones will crow over Parasaurolophus, Euoplocephalus, and Tuojiangosaurus. They'll also learn a little something about how to behave when they're sick. --Jennifer Lindsay ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Mom of 2 in TX
I bought this book for my son (who is 4). We already have its predecessor "How Do Dinosaurs Go to Bed". They teach great lessons about how to behave at bedtime and the doctors office. Both are bedtime favorites - he even loves to look at the dinosaurs on the inside covers! Anything Mark Teague does is beautiful work and I recommend his books highly. Jane Yolen makes this book very easy to read, my son knows both dinosaur books by heart. Beautiful book, a must for childs book collection!

Great Book for 4-6 Year Olds
I purchased this book for my five year old nephew who is a BIG Dinosaur fan. I previously purchased for him "How do Dinosaurs Say Good Night" Both were Big Hits. Large print and very few words on a page and easy vocabulary to help the youngsters learn to read. Also helps the children realize that everyone, even Dinosaurs, get sick once in a while.

A bt of a disappointment...
My daughter likes dinosaurs a lot, and we loved the first "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" However, this sequel does not compare in originality and wittiness. The illustrations are good, similar to those in the first book, but that's about it (a repeat). The first book was fun, funny, and more than anything VERY original in its approach. Plus, most kids can relate to the attitudes portrayed in the first book, while this one is mostly for conventional families that go to conventional doctors and use conventional medicine (as if that was the only way to get well). Not us, and not so many families I know... I sincerely hope the authors are not planning any more sequels like this one (a collection of subtle "how to behave" manuals for kids), and keep in mind that their readers are young kids --keep their books FUN!

Mom of Dinosaur lover
These books are great! My 5 year old daughter is a dinosaur fanatic and received "How Do Dinosaurs say Goodnight" as a gift. She loved it and when we found out there was another, we knew we had to have it. The rhymes are easy for her to remember and recite. And they teach great lessons that help her see a better way to resolve some problems with going to bed and going to the doctor. I only wish there were more....

Mrs. Larson's 1st Grade Class
We liked this book a lot! We liked that it had a rhyming pattern. We liked the illustrator. He uses really bright colors. His pictures made us laugh. He hides the names of the dinosaurs in the pictures. WE had to use our eagle eyes to find them. It was a very good book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Ed Young drops the ball
Not everyone knows this, but authors don't always have control over the artists that illustrate their books. Sometimes a well-established author will be paired with an up-and-coming illustrator, and sometimes it's the other way around. In an ideal situation, the text and the art compliment one another flawlessly, making it so that the reader finds it impossible to imagine any other pairing for that particular book. If I had been Penny Pollock, I would have been initially overjoyed to learn that Ed Young had been selected to illustrate my work. After all, Mr. Young is a winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal. His books include the beyond beautiful "Lon Po Po" as well as the technically adept and gorgeous "Seven Blind Mice". Which makes it all the more painful that Ed essentially slept through the making of "The Turkey Girl". While the book has a rather interesting and remarkable story, Young's illustrations look slapdash and amateurish. This is a book that has been ruined by its pictures. Worse still, it's been ruined by a formerly very talent artist.

This Zuni tale is a kind of Cinderella story with a dour ending. It tells the simple tale of a girl who lived in her village and was very poor. Her only means of sustenance came from tending the turkeys of the rich, thereby earning her the moniker, Turkey Girl. One day the Turkey Girl overhears that there is to be a fabulous harvest dance that everyone may attend. The Turkey Girl understands that she hasn't the clothes or appearance for such an event, so she contents herself by telling her woes to her only friends, the turkeys. To her amazement, however, the turkeys respond by talking to her. Not the dumb birds we have taken them for, the turkeys present their mistress with a beautiful dress and jewelry for the dance. They insist, however, that she return to them that night before the sun sets. If she does not, they will fly far away and never return. The Turkey Girl promises and goes off to join the dance. She's a hit, but as the afternoon turns to evening she keeps putting off her return to the turkeys. Finally she tears herself away, only to find that they've all gone and that her dress has been returned to rags. As Pollack says in her Author's Note, this book (like some other Native American versions) ends with, "the hard truth that when we break our trust with Mother Earth, we pay a price".

Though it's a little depressing in the end, I liked what this tale had to say. The author has an excellent voice, and the scenes are beautifully presented through her narration. Then we get to the pictures. At first, I was captivated by Young's style. Using pastel and oil crayon, Young works with colors that are native to the American Southwest (where this tale takes place). Though a little fuzzy at first, I was more than willing to give Young the benefit of the doubt. The fuzzy image of the Turkey Girl leading her charges out of the pueblo village looks as if we are viewing the scene through the wavy lines of heat you get on especially bright sunny days. But as the book continued I realized that this style of drawing, while lovely, was completely misplaced here. Though the action in the text becomes interesting and intense, the illustrations are static and without any detail at all. In the section where the Turkey Girl goes to a spring and hears the other girls gossip (soon followed by the announcement of the dance), the picture shows a fuzzy white image of a girl perched on top of (why?) a pueblo as similarly fuzzy images walk away with pots of water on their heads. The scene where the Turkey Girl receives a beautifully described dress of, "white doeskin...belted with red-and-yellow cloth", is accompanied by a shot of two or three somewhat grotesque turkeys taking up 1.25 pages. Worst of all is the dance. The closest we get to seeing ANYTHING at all is a washed out watery shot of eight or so legs that are, for all intents and purposes, not moving. How hard would it have been for Young to infuse a little life into these pictures? Or even, heaven forbid, a little detail. The illustrator seems to be under the impression that to show any intricacies would be to betray the story itself. If so, allow me to assure you Mr. Young that we would have been GLAD to read a book where in the event that a character does something...you see it! Instead, a section that says that, "The Turkey Girl danced every dance, her heart beating in time with her stomping feet", is accompanied by a lazy-hazy view of slightly turkey-shaped clouds against a peach background. If I have no patience for this, then I can guarantee that a five year old being read this story is definitely not going to have any patience with it either.

Which is a real pity. Though Pollock's tale is a bit dark and sad at the end (not only is the Turkey Girl tawdry once more but she's also out of a job) it could easily have worked beautifully with some well placed illustrations. I just can't understand how Ed Young screwed this up. Maybe he was really busy the month he was supposed to be drawing this. Perhaps it didn't pique his interest. Whatever the reason, this book looks like nothing so much as some rudimentary studies of Zuni color schemes hastily scrawled onto a series of pages. If you'd like an adept and haunting Native American picture book fable, allow me to recommend, Rafe Martin's "The Rough-Face Girl". An Algonquin (rather than Zuni) Cinderella tale, that book has the life and energy that this book lacks. All I can say is that I feel very badly for Penny Pollock. I hope that in the future she's given an illustrator that spends a little more time and energy on the final product. For as much as I admire Ed Young, I cannot understand how he allowed himself to produce such a drab creation. I guess it just happens to the best of us sometimes. Maybe.

Not authentic!
Many professional and lay people have given this a positive review, but my study of the book reveals it strays significantly from the way the Zuni people tell this story. While it may be poetic and well written to an uninformed eye, it fails miserably to convey the values and concepts within Zuni culture. As such, it cannot be used in a unit that teaches children about Zuni people.

A Cinderella with substance
This wonderfully evocative retelling of the Cinderella tale has a very different spin, giving the reader much more to think about than the more familiar version. It will make you reflect on your own integrity and will leave you with a clearer understanding of just how much your actions influence your future. Very powerful.

An excellent American Native version of the Cinderella story
Turkey Girl is one of the finest versions of the Cinderella Story to use in your fairy tale and Native American curriculumns. I use Turkey Girl when reading in school classrooms and in my public library, and the children love to hear a story where there are consequences to one's actions. Too many fairy tales rely on the "happy ever after" ending, when everyone knows that if you break a promise, there are consequences to it. This book leads to lots of good discussion about promises and consequences and can be used with children from first through fourth grade. Penny Pollock writes beautifully as always.

Exquisite Native American tale of Cinderella.
A classic. Beautifully illustrated and a moving story. The book is culturally accurate and well researched. It is an exquisitely retold Cinderella's tale in a Native American setting ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Great Folktales for Boys & Others!
This is a great collection of folktales specifically selected for the author's sons and grandson. The stories are interesting and exciting - they'll hold the attention of the most reluctant reader. Disguised under the fun tales are great lessons of character and integrity that boys today need so desperately to hear. I highly recommend it to parents, teachers, and kids! ... Read more

Book Description

"It's a pillar," says one. "It's a fan," says another. One by one, the seven blind mice investigate the strange Something by the pond. And one by one, they come back with a different theory. It's only when the seventh mouse goes out-and explores the whole Something-that the mice see the whole truth. Based on a classic Indian tale, Ed Young's beautifully rendered version is a treasure to enjoy again and again.

"Immensely appealing." (The Horn Book, starred review) ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Have you ever seen such a sight in your life?
Ed Young is nothing so much as an artistic version of Eric Carle. Not that I have anything against Eric Carle (author of "The Hungry Caterpillar") but in "Seven Blind Mice", the artist has imbued his book with such amazing colors and textures that it's a wondrous delight to look through. The story is the classic folktale of the seven blind men and the elephant, rendered mousey. In this story, seven blind mice (not the usual tailless three) come across a large elephant. Each mouse feels a different part of the elephant and comes up with a different idea of what the large object blocking their path is. The moral of the story is summed up nicely at the end as, "Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole".

Each scene displays the colorful mice (each a different vibrant color) against a black background. These cut-outs are positioned perfectly in each scene to convey movement, mindset, and personality. Though they may be similar shapes, they are by no means identical. But I really can't convey the beauty Young has created here. The elaborate papers used for the elephant's skin or the evocative mind's eye scenes of what the elephant might be. Each time a colored mouse describes what the elephant is (whether pillar or spear or cliff) that object appears on the opposite page in brilliant beautiful papers the color of the mouse describing it.

Pretty doesn't describe it. Beautiful comes close. But spectacular is the most accurate statement that can be made about this book. Now go buy it.

The seventh mouse took his time.
This book was wonderful. The illustrations were so bright and distinct. There are seven blind mice tring to figure out the identity of an object by feeling it. The first six mice make their decisions very quickly, therefore making the wrong choice. The seventh mouse takes his precious time. He runs on top of the object. He runs back and forth. When he finally makes his decision it is the correct one. This book would be great in teaching children to look at every angle of a situation before making a decision.

Kids learn that wisdom comes from seeing the whole
The Indian story of the blind men and the elephant has to be one of the most popular and familiar tales from the sub-continent, and the well-known story receives some nice twists in this book written and illustrated by Ed Young. This time around it is "Seven Blind Mice" who are one day surprised to find a strange something by their pond. They all cry "What is it?" and then run home. Each day, one by one, they investigate the mystery and each returns to report something different to the others, insisting it is a pillar, a snake, a cliff, and so on.

Young, who previous wrote and illustrated "Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China," works in collage for this volume. When we first see the mice they are a row of brightly colored tails against a field of black. Throughout the book the vibrant cut-paper collage on a stark black background makes for a very strong visual impact. The elephant, or I suppose I should say the real elephant, is made from textured and crumpled paper. Even though the mice are blind, each one imagines what they have discovered to be the same color as they are; for example, it is the Green Mouse that feels the trunk of the elephant and reports that he has found a snake, which is also colored green.

"Seven Blind Mice" is a Reading Railroad book aimed at younger students (K-Grade 3). The book works on several levels, because in addition to colors and days of the week, there is an emphasis on counting as well, all of which would be topics in a Kindergarten curriculum. Classes can also discuss what it is like to have a disability, differences and similarities between animals, favorite days of the week, and many other topics off of this book. Plus there is the story's moral: "Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole." Of course, even young readers will not miss out on how it is the only female in the group, the White Mouse, who is able to put the parts into a whole.

Seven Blind Mice
The book Seven Blind Mice is about seven blind mice that notice something unusual by their pond. Each of the mice goes to the pond to investigate the object. After each one comes back from their investigation they have a different result from the others. Until the white mouse goes to investigate and comes back, and tells them that it is all of the things they said it was. The lesson that this book teaches is that you can all have your own opinion, but you'll be smarter if you look at everyone's. This book should be read by children ages four through seven because I think anyone younger wouldn't understand, and anyone older would think it is uninteresting. I thought that the book was good, but a little boring. It lost my attention half way through the book.

OkaY
WeLL, I reAD THis Book and I MUSt saY ThaT I aM MoSt hORrIblY diSApPoinTEd! FroM AlL thE PoSItivE RevIEwS I EXpected THat tHIs WaS GoinG tO Be a GREAT BooK ThaT I WouLD ReallY ENjoY! It WasN'T! IT alsO WASn't HorRIble EitHER! It was MEdioCRE. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1920 a missionary brought two young girls to an orphanage in India. The girls didn't know how to talk, walk, or eat from a plate. Some people thought the girls had been abandoned by their parents. Some people said the girls were brought up by wolves in the wild. Still others thought that the missionary who ran the orphanage made up the story about the girls. No one knows for sure.

Become a detective as you read this true story, study the clues, and try to figure out the fate of the wolf girls of Midnapore. The Unsolved Mystery from History series is written by acclaimed author Jane Yolen and former private investigator Heidi Elisabet Yolen Stemple. Read carefully and check your clues. You might be the first to solve a puzzle that has baffled people for years. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Historical Education
"The Encounter" written by Jane Yolen, is a historically accurate fiction. As a departure from the other writing style she shows, this book is not light-hearted,