PICTURE BOOK REVIEWS: The Whole Wide World and Me/Stardust
ABOUT THE BOOK
A bold, joyful picture book for the very young shows that the natural world is full of wonders -- and each of us is a small part of that.
Like a flower in a field . . .
Like a cloud in the sky . . .
So am I.
Just as a pebble is part of a mountain, just as a wave is part of the sea, so, too, is every one of us part of something bigger. With bright collage illustrations and a simple, lyrical text, acclaimed author-illustrator Toni Yuly invites readers to celebrate our relationship to the natural world.
REVIEW
This adorable book about nature and the place human beings hold in it delights the senses. The cute little girl with her red bow, purple outfit, an green boots stands out on each spread as she starts with a flower, then moves to a field, then a pond, as the world around her gets bigger and bigger and she ends up looking at an large expanse of prairie and hills before returning to dandelion fluff as she blows it away. The illustrations are what delight here with the gorgeous cut/torn paper collage the highlights the beauty that exists around us. A seemingly simple tale of a girl learning to appreciate the natural world around her and her place in it.
ABOUT THE BOOK
One little girl
dreams of being a star. But whether it's finding Mum's lost wedding ring
or winning the fancy-dress prize, her big sister always shines
brighter. Yet for her grandad she is a star and, as he dries her eyes
and they both gaze up at the night sky, he tells a story, the story of
the beginning of the world. Everything and everyone is made of stardust,
and we all shine in different ways. It's a lesson this little girl will
never forget ...and one day her dream comes true, and she finally
realises her ambition to become an astronaut and fly up to the stars.
REVIEW
A little girl wants to be a star, just like the beautiful sparkly ones in the sky. But somehow she never quite manages to live up to her older sister's exploits. Eventually her grandfather explains to her that just as the earth and all it's living creatures are made of stardust, so is she. He reminds her that while she doesn't shine in the same way as her sister, she does shine in her own way. With this reminder, the girl keeps dreaming about life's possibilities. My favorite part of this book are the bright, colorful, touching illustrations that highlight the girl's dreams and her failures. I don't know anyone who can stand being reminded once in a while that they are made of stardust and deserve to shine.
These both sound like wonderful books I need to read. Thank you for sharing! Congrats to all.
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