And Here's to You! [Paperback]

David Elliott (Author), Randy Cecil (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

"Elliott’s cup runneth over with good cheer in this rhymed toast to people — and not just the two-legged variety. . . . Will have listeners calling for another round." — Kirkus Reviews

Here’s to the birds and the bears and the bugs! Here’s to the weird and wacky, the cute and creepy! From toothy fish to get-you-when-you’re-sleeping cats to lick-lick-lick-lick-lick-lick dogs, every creature is unique and lovable . . . especially you! David Elliott’s infectiously joyful poem and Randy Cecil’s brilliant, amusing artwork invite us to celebrate the world’s vast diversity — and feel pretty happy with our place in it, too.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-A life-affirming look at nature's beings. The lively, rhyming text celebrates different creatures, including "The Feather People" (birds), "The Bubble People" (fish), "The Leggy People" (bugs), "The Purring People" (cats), "The Giving People" (cows), and "The People People" (humans). Finally, the focus is placed on readers: "And here's to you!/The You Person!/You!/Here's to the sweet you,/The messy and the neat you,/The funny-way-you-eat you-. The total and complete you." The effervescent, entertaining cartoons, done in oils, perfectly complement the narrative. Together, the words and pictures create a powerful package that conveys a sense of appreciation for all living things.
Andrea Tarr, Corona Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

David Elliott is the author of THE COOL CRAZY CRICKETS and THE TRANSMOGRIFICATION OF ROSCOE WIZZLE. He says of AND HERE'S TO YOU!, "My neighbor’s rooster and I were having a disagreement. I wanted to sleep in the morning; he wanted to crow. The rooster won, of course. The first verse of AND HERE'S TO YOU! is a tribute to his victory and to the joys found in simply following your nature."

Randy Cecil is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and has illustrated many books for children, including ONE IS A SNAIL, TEN IS A CRAB by April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre. Of AND HERE'S TO YOU!, he says, "It’s about time that the eels and wasps got to join in on the fun with the bears and kittens!"

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; Reprint edition (March 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076364126X
• ISBN-13: 978-0763641269
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.1 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful and Imagination-Inspiring, May 9, 2004

By 

Leslie D. Ehrlich (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And Here's to You (Hardcover)

This is a delightful book that uses word play and utterly charming rhymes to spark kids' imagination about all kinds of critters -- from the "furry people" (cats) to the "people people". Read it straight for the sheer pleasure of the rhymes and illustrations; you'll giggle out loud and your kids will giggle right along with you. Or, use it interactively ("who do you think are the furry people?"), or reach even deeper for lessons about diversity and tolerance.

Want a sample? The book was read on the air on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Saturday program on Saturday, May 8th. Hear audio or get a transcript on NPR's site.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To Amazon.com Buyers! The Reading People!, April 27, 2005

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And Here's to You (Hardcover)

After reading many Candlewick books, it appears you're practically guaranteed a great children's book if they've published it. "And Here's To You" is no exception. It features creative poems, fantastic illustrations, and quality production (e.g., sturdy pages, excellent color reproduction, etc.) This book celebrates diversity and individuality without going preachy or too new-agey. In other words, it's a book that almost any kid is going to love. David Elliott's rhyming tributes to various animals are clever, fun, and winning:

"Here's to the fish!
The Bubble People!
Fish!
Here's to the spiny ones,
The river and the briny ones,
The toothy and the eely ones,
All squishy squishy-feely ones

Oh, I love the fish!"


The animal pictures are bright and vividly colored illustrations, swirling with texture from Randy Cecil's oil on paper technique. To accompany the `dogs' poem, Cecil draws a girl surrounded by dogs who are fetching, howling, sleeping, sitting, and licking.

"Here's to the dogs!
The Dreaming People!
Dogs!
Here's to the howling ones.
The running, yipping, yowling ones,
All go and fetch stick ones,
The LICK LICK LICK LICK LICK ones.

Oh, I love the dogs!"


The imaginative people metaphor is a wonderful conceit, authentically egocentric for its young audience. There are additional poems and pictures about birds, bears, bugs ("The Leggy People!"), cats, cows ("The Giving People"), and finally, people ("The People People!") and "you" ("The You Person!"): "... Oh, how I love you! The You Person! You Person You! Yes! You! I love you!"

It's even more warm and fun than it sounds. A bighearted book, beautifully realized.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great children's book, March 16, 2004

By 

"beanmonster" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And Here's to You (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book. The story is simple (designed for children) and it celebrates a variety of creatures from frogs to cows to people to "you." I thought the whimsical illustrations really made this book great. The insects and the frogs especially made me smile. This is a nice keepsake, not a throwaway kid book.