Dragon Scales and Willow Leaves [Hardcover]

Terry L. Givens (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Dragons! Pirates! Forest trolls! Jonathon's walk in the woods requires courage and daring to battle the forces of his own imagination. Rachel's walk in the woods is filled with the beauty of s quilty friend Tinker won't leave her side. They all know something truly wonderful is going to happen this Christmas Eve, snow or no snow, right here at Miller farm. In his unmistakable style, world renowned folk artist Will Moses brings Christmas to a Vermont village in an original story that the entire family--boys and girls, mothers and fathers, grandparents, aunts and uncles--can share by their own candlelight year after year.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2. Jonathan and Rachel, red-headed twins, embark on an adventure into the woods. Visual details predict their different viewpoints, for the boy carries a toy shield and spear while the girl carries a teddy bear. Thus, a rustling of leaves becomes an oversized and somewhat comical dragon for Jonathan while Rachel listens to a weeping willow. Loud sounds from the trees turn into an attack of forest trolls for Jonathan while Rachel smiles at the blue jays and squirrels. Jonathan returns home to a castle after his great adventure while Rachel is just happy to be welcomed to the farmhouse by her mother. This pleasant story certainly makes the point that twins can be different but it's unfortunate that the author and illustrator use gender stereotypes of daring boys and quiet girls to do it. The soft watercolor illustrations and story line will appeal to parents and teachers who are looking for an old-fashioned sensibility. Most adults, however, may question the premise.?Susan Pine, New York Public Library
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

From two newcomers to children's books, a dreamy glimpse of the way in which children make use of the world around them in imaginative play and wonder. Twins Jonathan and Rachel take the same walk around the land surrounding their farm house, but they see things quite differently. In a perfect illustration that defines them and the day, Jonathan is shown in t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers, peering through thick-lensed glasses and pointing skyward, while Rachel, her back to him, wears a picturesque frock, and is absorbed in collecting wildflowers. In the leaves of a huge willow tree, Jonathan sees a dragon looming, while Rachel looks at sheltering limbs and carpet of leaves. Rachel's quarreling blue jays and noisy squirrels are Jonathan's aggressive forest trolls, and so on. At the page-turning cliffhangers, readers will want to shout along with Jonathan--story hours could get noisy. The summer setting is joyfully delineated in Portwood's watercolors, which capture the fluid movements of the children and gracefully depict realistic and fantastic scenes. About half the size of most contemporary picture books, this one proves how much can be done with small, tidy dimensions. (Picture book. 4-7) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (October 13, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399226192
• ISBN-13: 978-0399226199
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #720,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great demonstration of how kids use their imaginations., March 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dragon Scales and Willow Leaves (Hardcover)

Our 3-year old is fascinated with this book because it showed him how different children use their imaginations and can see things differently. The book is beautifully illustrated as well. After we read this book to him at bedtime, he will look at it on his own until he falls asleep.