In the Heart [Hardcover]

Ann Turner (Author), Salley Mavor (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

What's at the heart of the house?
A kitchen with warm muffins
and talk like clouds of stream.

What's at the heart of the afternoon?
A friend with an ear to hold a secret.

What's at the heart of this book?
Poetry that captures what a child loves best.

With art as three-dimensional and
rich as the extraordinary words, this
joyful book looks at the bits and
pieces and beautiful fabrics that make
a childs world special.

What's at the heart of your world?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mavor's (Mary Had a Little Lamb) distinctive, multidimensional art, a satisfying pastiche of curios, fabrics and creative needlework, is surely the heart of this visually enticing volume. Doll-like characters pop from the pages as Turner (Drummer Boy) follows a girl through a day. Brief poems describe the narrator's world, e.g., "The heart of the house/ is my kitchen:/ orange cat by my seat,/ a muffin warms my hand,/ talk like clouds of steam." With similar phrasing and cadence, she observes, "The heart of the street is my sidewalk," "The heart of the town is my school," "The heart of the afternoon is my friend" and so on. Observant youngsters may wonder at an inconsistency: the text concludes with the words that the moon "comes back to me /deep in the pillow,/ deep in the bed,/ deep in the heart of/ the house" this last no longer referring to the kitchen. But most will probably be too caught up in the pictures to notice. The girl's bedroom, for example, is a 3-D fantasy incorporating wood (bedposts, chairs, window frame), tiny stuffed animals, a beautifully embroidered rug edged with rickrack, and more. Arts and crafts enthusiasts will find inspiration in Mavor's work; nearly everyone will find something to admire. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-This poem follows a little girl from morning to night. "The heart of the day/is the sun:/a warm blanket on my eyes/and nose and feet,/a gold hat for my head." She describes the heart of her home (her kitchen), her yard (her tree), her town (her school), and more. With simple, fresh images that are grounded in the physical and the immediate, the appealing verse is beautifully illustrated with fabric collages. Children will love the color, the detail, and the three-dimensional look Mavor achieves. More a loving mood piece than a story, this title may not be an essential purchase, but is certainly artistically successful in its near-perfect blending of text and visuals. A cozy look at a happy and peaceful child.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; 1st edition (May 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060237309
• ISBN-13: 978-0060237301
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,242,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in a small town in Western Massachusetts to creative parents who always encouraged my writing and painting. I went to Bates College, majored in English, and spent a wonderful year abroad in Oxford, England, giving me a taste for neat Scotch, Evensong, and very old churches and buildings. I've been married long enough to break all records and have two grown children. I am especially drawn to telling stories about outsiders, rebellious girls, and people who don't fit in--as I didn't growing up. I was always a bit too loud, too passionate, moved too fast, made up too many stories, and thought that life moved just a tad too slowly for me. I love to cook, garden, swim, pet my wild Jack Russell terrier, talk to friends and my "kids," and laugh at my husband's wild, original stories. I also actually answer letters and emails sent to me by fans, and when I do school visits, I tell people--"Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't do it!"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A visual feast., January 17, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: In the Heart (Library Binding)

This comforting book is a masterpiece in all respects. Salley Mavor's glorious three-dimensional storyboards will have special appeal to cloth doll makers, embroiderers, textile artists and people of color. The simplicity of Ann Turner's haiku-like text truly warms the weary heart.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very unique & beautiful pictures..., November 3, 2009

By 

ThisThatNEverything "thisthatneverything" (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: In the Heart (Hardcover)

Book description:

What's at the heart of the house? A kitchen with warm muffins and talk like clouds of stream.

What's at the heart of the afternoon? A friend with an ear to hold a secret.

What's at the heart of this book? Poetry that captures what a child loves best.

With art as three-dimensional and rich as the extraordinary words, this joyful book looks at the bits and pieces and beautiful fabrics that make a child's world special.

What's at the heart of your world?


* The pictures in this book are so awesome & unique. The story is cute too but I'm not sure that children truly understand what "The heart of..." really means. Aside from that I really liked this book & I would recommend it. The book is recommend for Preschool-Grade 3. The story is short & good for early readers also. My recommendation would be ages 4-7.