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(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
Llama is inspired to create "Something special. Something lovely." Her friends (Rabbit, Raccoon, Deer, etc.) join her, quilting, beading, painting, and weaving as she knits. Then Beaver arrives, and his need to create something "useful" prompts Llama to consider how her knitting might be put to practical use. Gauzy, pastel-colored pencil illustrations reflect the animals' gentle activities and calm friendships as they share their "special, crafty, useful" talents.
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
"Hurry up! We have places to be." These "places" include "places to be brave" (a diving board), "places to be muddy" (the dirt), and over two dozen other settings, each exploring a different emotion. The "places to be" bit isn't just cute wordplay: the two animal friends enacting each scenario in the warm-but-not-too-fuzzy illustrations are demonstrating that true friendship can bolster any emotion.
40 pp.
| Disney/Hyperion
| February, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4231-7874-3$16.99
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
A dormouse hibernates in his nest, dreaming of spring and of his friend, a dormouse girl. Meanwhile, in the fanciful illustrations, his friend travels by plane, sled, and other means to join him as spring arrives. The poem is lilting, if sentimental and overly syrupy ("Two friends tail-in-tail / pitter patter down the trail"); Liwska's digitally colored pencil drawings have a cuddly softness.
32 pp.
| Houghton
| November, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-544-41687-1$14.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
"It's winter and I haven't seen one snowflake," says Badger. The forest animals try to summon snow by banging pots, wearing pajamas backward, and performing a snow dance. Hedgehog wisely reminds them, "It will snow in snow's time." Soft-hued, digitally colored pencil illustrations convey the animals' valiant efforts (even sprinkling sugar for snow) in the child-friendly text until finally, after much waiting, "it was time."
40 pp.
| Viking
| June, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-0-670-78577-3$16.99
(2)
PS
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
In this story of friends disagreeing but finding compromise, bear Boom has his heart set on going to the beach, but robin Twitty wants to hike. Each is determined to get his or her own way; snail Snot, meanwhile, finds someplace that satisfies all of them. Cozy, delicate-colored drawings and spare, child-friendly text will satisfy and perhaps enlighten readers, too.
32 pp.
| Viking
| April, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-670-78575-9$16.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
A bear named Boom, a snail named Snot, and a bird named Twitty approach the day with different ideas of fun: one prefers to look for adventure, one to stay put, and the third to wait and see. Told with few words and expressive, gentle art, this is a quiet story about the satisfaction of friendships even when personalities differ.
32 pp.
| Little
| December, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-316-20816-1$17.00
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
A feather drifts through a child's window and he wonders about the feather's origin, leading to a series of questions about the nature of things ("Does a chair remember it once was... / a tree?"). The poetic text has a nice rhythm, and while the after/before concepts are rather abstract, Liwska's feather-soft, detailed illustrations of the child (and her signature animals) provide thoughtful illumination.
32 pp.
| Houghton
| August, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-544-05667-1$8.99 New ed. (2010)
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
There are "many kinds of quiet" in a child's day, from "trying not to hiccup quiet" to "sleeping sister quiet." Featuring different animal characters and capturing the essence of each hushed moment, the soft colored-pencil art in a muted palette provides a stylish match to the book's soothing tone. This is a successful board book adaptation; the slightly smaller-size pages give the whole more intimacy.
32 pp.
| Houghton
| October, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-547-55863-9$12.99
(2)
PS
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
This third book (The Quiet Book; The Loud Book!) explores quiet times of the season. Liwska's illustrations of gently rounded, softly furred animal-children extend Underwood's brief text. Quiet doesn't necessarily equal sedate; both words and pictures incorporate winter-themed humor. Young audiences will relate to the emotions, from a Nativity play's "Forgotten line quiet" ("Helpful whisper quiet" follows) to "Listening for sleigh bells quiet."
32 pp.
| Houghton
| April, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-547-39008-6$12.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
While some sounds are always loud, others just seem so when things are exciting, upsetting, or embarrassing (e.g., "Burp During Quiet Time Loud"). In this companion to The Quiet Book, succinct, descriptive text presents various kid-perspective scenarios. The animal characters' facial expressions perfectly reinforce the emotion behind each experience. Calm browns and beiges in the digitally colored illustrations lower the text's volume.
32 pp.
| Houghton
| April, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-547-21567-9$12.95
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
Within a youngster's busy day there are "many kinds of quiet," from "trying not to hiccup quiet" to "sleeping sister quiet." Clever illustrations featuring different animal characters capture the essence of each hushed moment. Soft colored-pencil art in a muted palette of gray, brown, and green provides a stylish match to the book's soothing tone.
138 pp.
| Philomel
| March, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-24543-5$14.99
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
A group of pond geese decides to escort a lost wild blue heron to his flock. Not only do they travel farther and higher than ever before, their experiences bind them together as a true flock. Cuffe-Perez's writing nicely depicts the geese's individual personalities, as well as working in facts about migration. Occasional full-page black-and-white illustrations propel the story.
32 pp.
| Philomel
| March, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-399-23884-0$15.99
(2)
PS
Illustrated by
Renata Liwska.
Because he growls and doesn't "play nice," Russian orphan Nikolai hasn't been adopted yet; the art portrays him (and only him) as a bear. But Nikolai turns out to be the perfect child for one American couple, who feel "soft-bearish" and who know how to growl. Touches of humor in text and art keep this adoption tale from becoming cloying.
Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2005
13 reviews
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