Carry Me! [Hardcover]

Rosemary Wells (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–Sweet, signature watercolors highlight three poems told from a small bunny's point of view. Carry Me! Talk to Me! and Sing to Me! express the animal's desires: to be held close by a loving parent, read to, sung to, and told stories. Each picture, mainly in soft pastel hues, exemplifies a moment of shared happiness between child and parents. The paintings, generally one to a page, are on a background of white and are framed with a simple blue line. The book speaks for all young children who yearn to be included in their parents' lives. The lucky bunny in this book is well loved by patient, caring adults and appears to be the center of their world.–Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* PreS. Many will remember when Wells advised adults to "read to your bunny." Now, she makes carrying, singing, and talking to children irresistible. The cover shows a mother and father rabbit in their nightclothes, dancing with their little child under the light of the moon. That sets the stage for the inviting scenarios that follow. The baby rabbit is the speaker who insists: "Carry Me!" Oh, how this baby loves to be carried--up and down the stairs, while his mother is getting dressed for town, into the garden, "under the plum tree's shadow." When the parents finally fall asleep, the baby is wide-awake. "Talk to Me!" shows an eager bunny ready to talk and learn. Everything is of interest: "Open the window to hear the train / Close the window against the rain." "Sing to Me!" is rollicking; the rhythm is in the words as the bunnies welcome winter and later spring, summer, and autumn with music. Wells' artwork can best be described as joyous--and hopeful. There's dancing, smiling, skipping, but there is also baby bunny's expectation that its needs will be met--and they are. One wishes the same for all children. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; First Edition edition (March 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786803967
• ISBN-13: 978-0786803965
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 10.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,364,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in New York City, Rosemary Wells grew up in a house "filled with books, dogs, and nineteenth-century music." Her childhood years were spent between her parents' home near Red Bank, New Jersey, and her grandmother's rambling stucco house on the Jersey Shore. Most of her sentimental memories, both good and bad, stem from that place and time. Her mother was a dancer in the Russian Ballet, and her father a playwright and actor. Mrs. Wells says, "Both my parents flooded me with books and stories. My grandmother took me on special trips to the theater and museums in New York. "Rosemary Wells's career as an author and illustrator spans more than 30 years and 60 books. She has won numerous awards, and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She has also given Mother Goose new life in two enormous, definitive editions, published by Candlewick. Wells wrote and illustrated Unfortunately Harriet, her first book with Dial, in 1972. One year later she wrote the popular Noisy Nora. "The children and our home life have inspired, in part, many of my books. Our West Highland white terrier, Angus, had the shape and expressions to become Benjamin and Tulip, Timothy, and all the other animals I have made up for my stories." Her daughters Victoria and Beezoo were constant inspirations, especially for the now famous "Max" board book series. "Simple incidents from childhood are universal," Wells says. "The dynamics between older and younger siblings are common to all families."But not all of Wells' ideas come from within the family circle. Many times when speaking, Mrs. Wells is asked where her ideas come from. She usually answers, "It's a writer's job to have ideas." Sometimes an idea comes from something she reads or hears about, as in the case of her recent book, Mary on Horseback, a story based on the life of Mary Breckenridge, who founded the Frontier Nursing Service. Timothy Goes to School was based on an incident in which her daughter was teased for wearing the wrong clothes to a Christmas concert. Her dogs, west highland terriers, Lucy and Snowy, work their way into her drawings in expression and body position. She admits, "I put into my books all of the things I remember. I am an accomplished eavesdropper in restaurants, trains, and gatherings of any kind. These remembrances are jumbled up and changed because fiction is always more palatable than truth. Memories become more true as they are honed and whittled into characters and stories."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars charming as a penny, May 28, 2006

By 

julia fc (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carry Me! (Hardcover)

Wells' illustrations never fail to make me smile, but the little rhymes and whimsy of the three "chapters" in this book (Carry me, Talk to me, Sing to me) were an instant hit when we brought it home from the library. It's become a favorite and we had to buy our own. Even though the book publisher feels this is appropriate for 1 to 4 years old, it's a good early reader too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very sweet book for someone with a little intelligence, September 3, 2009

By 

Diane P. (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carry Me! (Hardcover)

This is a very sweet book and touching to a Mom who does spend time with her child. This was the first Rosemary Wells book that I read to my two year-old. After borrowing it from the library, I made sure to add my own copy to our library. My son is now 4 and still enjoys this book.

This is a book for someone with a little intelligence who understands the meaning behind the rhymes. Personally, I like a book that does not underestimate children like the majority of "popular" children's books available with matchy-match words and pictures. It's a thoughtful book that captures one's imagination and touches on the the sense that, while childhood is fleeting, you can hold it in your heart by making memories spending time carrying, talking and singing with your child.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Carry Me! Talk to Me! Sing to Me!, December 17, 2006

By 

George Buttner "Agent0042" (Dayton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Carry Me! (Hardcover)

"Carry Me!" is another cute Rosemary Wells book featuring three sweet, simple songs. Each one is pleasing and comforting and will easily be enjoyed by fans of this author and her books.

The first one, as you might guess, is "Carry Me!" 'Hold me when you get dressed for town ... Carry me over to hear the bees.' The song works nicely and has lots of fun actions to go along with it.

Next is "Talk to Me!" 'Open the window to hear the train / Close the window against the rain.' This is a very action-oriented rhyme.

Finally, "Sing to Me!" brings it all full-circle. 'Sing me a summer song / I'll dance you right along' and so on.

The gentle illustrations of rabbits are once more a winner. "Carry Me!" is another Rosemary Wells story to treasure.