Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water: Two Nursery Rhymes [Hardcover]

Maurice Sendak (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2001 | Age Level: 1 and up

Maurice Sendak has interpreted these old' Mother Goose rhymes in animated sequences that have the aliveness and immediacy of a child's own imaginings.

There is little in these verses to suggest the settings, the characterizations, the unforeseen twists and turns of Mr. Sendak's fantastical picture-stories. They extend the boundaries of the short rhymes and add surprising dimension.

The many admirers of Where the Wild Things Are and The Nutshell Library will recognize in Hector Protector and the seafarer of As I Went Over the Water the same pugnaciousness, love of mischief, and derring-do that characterize Max and Pierre. And they will agree that Mr. Sendak has created a true picture book of astounding originality.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Now in its second season, HarperCollins's reissue of 22 Sendak classics continues. This time, his collaborations with Ruth Krauss take center stage. In Charlotte and the White Horse, first published in 1955, creamy pages frame Sendak's softly lit illustrations of a girl who convinces her father to keep a wobbly legged horse and cares for him until he can stand on his own. Sendak's delicate watercolors suit the dream-like mood of a boy who accomplishes all that he sets out to do in his imaginary world, in I Want to Paint My Bathroom Blue (1956), also by Krauss. A boy's imagination also comes to the fore in A Very Special House (1953) by Krauss, as the artist depicts the hero creating a home filled with a turtle, a giant, a very old lion and "some monkeys and some skunkeys." Oversize pages brim with the creatures as well as his house's "very special" furnishings. Open House for Butterflies (1960) takes a similar format to these collaborators' classic A Hole Is to Dig, and lastly, Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water: Two Nursery Rhymes (1965) by Sendak conveys as much plot through the artist's wordless spreads as with the minimal text. For collectors and budding readers alike. Nov.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Since Caldecott and Lesley Brooke, nobody has illustrated nursery rhymes this well... Wonderfully funny, charming drawings..." -- The New York Review of Books

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (November 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060286423
• ISBN-13: 978-0060286422
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,779,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Family Favorite, August 21, 2005

By 

S. Curry "loves books" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water: Two Nursery Rhymes (Library Binding)

All of my children loved this book. It was one of the first ones they could read independently. Our copy is 30 years old and it looks very loved.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars awful, October 22, 2007

By 

J & A - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water: Two Nursery Rhymes (Hardcover)

I don't remember who gave this to us but it is really terrible. Never have I seen the word "hate" so many times in a children's book. I've thought of making up some other story to go with the pictures but we'll just give this book away.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great artwork, awful poems, awful messages, September 25, 2006

By 

Fry Boy (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water: Two Nursery Rhymes (Hardcover)

Rarely have I encountered a children's book that is so horrible. Two bratty, violent kids in two poorly written rhymes. The artwork is classic Sendak, which is good, but save your money. Don't even take it out from the library. Sendak must have gotten this published on his reputation alone, 'cause Yon Booke Doth Stinketh.