Like Butter on Pancakes (Viking Kestrel picture books) [Hardcover]

Jonathan London (Author), G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1995 | Age Level: 2 and up | Series: Viking Kestrel picture books

A celebration of the simple pleasures of a normal day of living in the country begins with waking up, moves through a typical day, and ends with the night's dreams, all captured in a poetic text and mixed-media illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Uncluttered, airy spreads and a relaxed rural setting contribute to the charm of this thoroughly cozy book. As a boy awakens to sunlight pouring through an unshaded window, an unseen narrator compares the morning rays to butter melting on hot pancakes. The analogy gets an added boost when the child wanders downstairs to find his parents cooking the golden breakfast food. Although the text pays special attention to morning rituals, it unhurriedly takes the main character through an entire day; one oft-repeated phrase, "the sun ticks/ the birds talk," suggests that the sun keeps time as it moves across the sky. Readers observe the changing light?spread by spread, Karas creates the yellow dawn, clear midday light, dusky late afternoon and deep-orange sunset. By nighttime, the "puddle of sun" once on the floor has been replaced by cool gray moonlight, and "the moon spills milk/ for the cat to drink." London and Karas, who previously collaborated on Into This Night We Are Rising, deftly combine free verse and warm-toned illustrations; reading their calm and comforting volume is satisfaction in itself, a good way to celebrate the morning or conclude a busy day. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1?A mood piece about the cycle of the day. Although the setting is a farm, there is a nice blend of imaginatively poetic and concrete images that will speak to children everywhere. London begins bright and early when "spoons sleep nestled in the kitchen drawers"; accelerates during the sights, sounds, and smells of breakfast; jumps through the day where "you leap and tumble in the hay"; and slides into night as "Mama sings in your dark blue room." The illustrations are done primarily in pencil with watercolor washes in a free, slightly cartoonlike style that aptly enhances the evocative text. The use of colored and sometimes textured paper underscores the changing light as the day circles from "beyond the rim of morning" to "beyond the rim of evening." Like butter on pancakes, this warm and luscious book is bound to be a crowd pleaser.?Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (March 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670851302
• ISBN-13: 978-0670851300
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars gently poetic, May 2, 2009

By 

M Barbara "word weaver" (Lowell, MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Like Butter on Pancakes (Viking Kestrel picture books) (Hardcover)

This book is really like an illustrated poem. It is so gentle and warm likes its title. It's about the sun rising and setting on an ordinary day in the country and of a small boy, his parents and the animals that live on the farm. "The sun ticks, The birds talk" are refraining lines throughout this story-poem.
Rhyme and rhythm carry the story and the accompanying illustrations are so beautiful and whimsical at once. Both parents and teachers of younger students will enjoy this, even teachers of poetry and creative writing or art teachers would appreciate the beauty of this wonderfully created book.
A MUST for your home or classroom library!

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites!, October 24, 2008

By 

S. Gates - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Like Butter on Pancakes (Paperback)

This book is a joy to read aloud to my 3 1/2 year son. We checked it out of the library so many times that we ultimately purchased a copy. While the pictures are amazing, the gentle story and the carefully chosen words are what makes this book stand out. While Jonathan London's books may be rather inconsistent, this one is a winner!

5.0 out of 5 stars still remember the phrases..great book!, February 17, 2006

By 

D. Goodwin "tenngirl66" (memphis, tn) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Like Butter on Pancakes (Viking Kestrel picture books) (Hardcover)

my almost ten year old son and i read this book over and over..i still remember the phrases "momma's slippers whisper, daddy's bacon sizzles" and "sunlight melts like butter on pancakes" a wonderful book that you can easily picture in your mind...we love this book! also, "talk talk my crayons talk" yak yak yackity clack clack clackity!