Customer Reviews

Hailstones and Halibut Bones (Adventures in Color)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This slim book was originally published in 1961 and by now, we may safely call it a classic. The title is taken from her poem "What is White?" A series of poems each entitled "What Is--- (Green, Gold, Red, Blue, etc.)" describes in ways you have never thought of what exactly the color is. I have never found the child who was not fascinated by the ideas presented and usually had a few additions of his/her own to add. I always thought this vivid book would bring much pleasure to a blind person who had never "seen" a color. Ms. O'Neill brings the feel, the taste and the mood of each color to a shimmering life of its own.

--the purple feeling

is rather put out.

The purple look is a

Definite pout.

But the purple sound

Is the loveliest thing

It's a violet opening

In the spring.

I loved this book when I was a kid - vivid imagery and evocative descriptions of colors. I am happy to see this has been reprinted! It's sophisticated for what it is, but utterly captivating for kids, as it describes colors in terms of smells, feelings, and other sensory images in ways that are imaginative and at times moody.

I haven't seen the new edition, but the original was loved by my children in the 60's and now is a welcome addition to my 5 year old grandson's library. Don't wait until they are 9 to begin reading this classic to children. It's a winner.

Excellent for young and old alike. Mrs. O'Neill was the first person to describe color to those who cannot see and for those who are sighted she added a dimension to our appreciation of color. I will never look at purple the same again.

Truly one of the most delightful little books on color. This book is appreciated by young and old alike. I strongly recommend it for all you art teachers (and parents) out there! It's a great tool to get students thinking . . . dreaming.

As a teacher I have struggled to find new and innovative ways to instill a love of poetry in my students. This wonderful book of poems was such a big hit with my students that I bought extra copies for our classroom library. Mary O'Neill's style of writing introduced the concept of poetry without overwhelming the children. They were eager to write and share their own color poems after listening to this collection of easy to follow poems. They also couldn't wait to take the book home to share with their families. This is a great choice to use as a read aloud or as part of a poetry unit for grades 3 and 4.

This was my absolute favorite book when I was in elementary school. Now that I have 2 small children of my own, I have rediscovered it with them. The poems are soothing to hear on a lazy afternoon and the colors are as fresh as watercolor can get. After reading it to the kids, I go back and indulge myself and read it again. Definitely a rainy day pick!

This was one of all time favorite books as a child. It's not a story per say, however, its' value lies in its' ability to teach even the youngest of kids about feelings, emotions and "color" through poetry. Each page dedicates itself to a different color and describes the essences and feelings that those colors evoke in us. It's a very useful teaching tool for young children in the primary grades.

I have loved this book since it was published in 1961. As a child I loved it so much I memorized every one of the poems. As an adult I named two of my cats from it: 1) Whisper - "White is a pair of whispers talking" and 2) Willow - "Pussywillows are grey in a velvety way." I've also recommended a friend name her new orange kitten "Tiger Lily."

I've passed the book down to my daughter...she came to us as a foster daughter at age 8 and we adopted her at 10. She finds it as magical as I did and it holds a special place for the two of us. I have no doubt that some day she'll pass it down to her daughter.

As a child, I was introduced to this book at a book fair held annually at my elementary school. While cleaning out my mother's house as an adult, I decidied to pass it on to my cousins' children only to find it again at a thrift and buy it back. Today the image of the dampened urban landscape for the color grey and the old house for the color brown are on paper as well as in my memory. I can safely say "don't grow old without it"!