Amber on the Mountain (Picture Puffins) [Paperback]

Tony Johnston (Author), Robert A. Duncan (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Picture Puffins

Amber's mountain is beautiful, but it is a lonely place--until the day Anna arrives, bringing both her friendship and the will to teach Amber how to read. Suddenly, Amber's world is filled with a new magic--and new challenges. But when Anna returns to the city, will Amber be able to keep reading on her own? Heartwarming. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review Tony Johnston's previous books include Grandpa's Song and Yonder (both Dial and Puffin). She lives in San Marino, California. Robert Duncan is a fine artist whose paintings have been exhi-bited throughout the United States. He lives in Midway, Utah.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An illiterate child in a mountain community learns to read and write. "Johnston knits this story together with recurring themes, lyrical images and picturesque and convincing dialogue," said PW in a starred review. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-A story about learning to read and write that doesn't quite work. Amber lives a solitary life high in the mountains. Then one day a man comes with a crew to build a road, bringing along his wife and daughter, Anna. She teaches Amber to read before the road is completed; Amber learns to write on her own so she can keep in touch after Anna's family leaves. The process of mastering these skills, while shown to be a slow one, seems to be one in which, as Anna says, you just, "Set your whole self to the task." Johnston, who has used poetic language to great effect in previous books, seems to be straining to be descriptive here. One brief page of text, for example, is crammed with figurative language, some of which is cliched. She uses expressions that seem to evoke an Appalachian setting, a place where "folks" might "roll clean off" of a road; where people say "hey" to one another. Duncan's large, lush oil paintings unfortunately confuse the issues of time and place. While the frontispiece painting and the details of housing have an Appalachian look, the mountains have the sharp ridges of the Rockies. (The cover painting of the girls on a grassy hillside in front of imposing peaks even evokes strong images of Heidi.) While the setting includes no modern touches, the two children's wardrobes seem to be directly out of the current L.L. Bean catalog. Eve Bunting's The Wednesday Surprise (Clarion, 1989) and Florence Heide's The Day of Ahmed's Secret (Lothrop, 1990) do a better job of telling the literacy story.
Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014056408X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140564082
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Where We Live > Country Life

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book for Kindergarteners and First Graders, November 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Amber on the Mountain (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

This is a really special book. It is all about learning to read and write and why someone might want to do so. The pictures are among the best I've seen in any children's book. The story is well told. It's also a lovely story about friendship and giving. For a kindergartener or first grader learning to read and write it is particularly appropriate.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A CHARMING STORY WITH LESSONS TO BE LEARNED, July 22, 2005

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amber on the Mountain (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

Enhanced with subtle rich oil paintings, "Amber on the Mountain" is the story of a girl who wants to learn. Amber is a mountain girl who has no one to teach her.

And then, Anna arrives - a girl her own age whose father is going to build a new road. Although Anna has to leave the mountain before she can teach Amber everything she wishes, Amber perseveres in her quest to learn.

This charming story teaches the value of education, friendship, and the importance of working for what you want.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent tale and artwork, July 19, 2001

By 

Michelle Johnson "JoyfulKeeping" (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amber on the Mountain (Hardcover)

Amber on the Mountain is a beautifully written and illustrated childrens book.

The tale itself draws young readers into the high mountains where Amber lives.

Robert Duncan's nature paintings are realistic and breathtaking.

A simple, secluded mountain family with a darling young daughter who befriends a newcomer. A heartwarming story for the eyes and ears.

Amber on the Mountain would be a wonderful gift for a young reader. Pair this book with Tony Johnston and Lloyd Bloom's ' Yonder ' and you'll have an excellent gift.