Inch by Inch [Hardcover]

Leo Lionni (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 13, 2010 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years

A small green inchworm is proud of his skill at measuring anything—a robin’s tail, a flamingo’s neck, a toucan’s beak. Then one day a nightingale threatens to eat him if he cannot measure his song. Children will enjoy the clever inchworm’s solution and delight in finding the tiny hero on every page.

Every inch the classic, this was the first of Lionni’s books to win the Caldecott Honor.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The lovely colors, the sharp definition of cutouts against white space, the rhythm of the composition, and the simplicity of the whole make a handsome and appropriate book to give pleasure to little children and their elders.”—The Horn Book Magazine

About the Author

Leo Lionni, an internationally known designer, illustrator, and graphic artist, was born in Holland and lived in Italy until he came to the United States in 1939. He was the recipient of the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was honored posthumously in 2007 with the Society of Illustrators’ Lifetime Achievement Award. His picture books are distinguished by their enduring moral themes, graphic simplicity and brilliant use of collage, and include four Caldecott Honor Books: Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Hailed as “a master of the simple fable” by the Chicago Tribune, he died in 1999 at the age of 89..

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (April 13, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375857648
• ISBN-13: 978-0375857645
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 0.4 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #125,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

author spotlight
"From time to time, from the endless flow of our mental imagery, there emerges unexpectedly something that, vague though it may be, seems to carry the promise of a form, a meaning, and, more important, an irresistible poetic charge."--Leo Lionni

Leo Lionni wrote and illustrated more than 40 highly acclaimed children's books. He received the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was a four-time Caldecott Honor Winner--for Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Leo Lionni died in October of 1999 at his home in Tuscany, Italy, at the age of 89.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

"Of all the questions I have been asked as an author of children's books, the most frequent one, without doubt, has been 'How do you get your ideas?' Most people seem to think that getting an idea is both mysterious and simple. Mysterious, because inspiration must come from a particular state of grace with which only the most gifted souls are blessed. Simple, because ideas are expected to drop into one's mind in words and pictures, ready to be transcribed and copied in the form of a book, complete with endpapers and cover. The word get expresses these expectations well. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.

"It is true that, from time to time, from the endless flow of our mental imagery, there emerges unexpectedly something that, vague though it may be, seems to carry the promise of a form, a meaning, and, more important, an irresistible poetic charge. The sense of instant recognition with which we pull this image into the full light of our consciousness is the initial impulse of all creative acts. But, though it is important, it produces no more than the germ of an idea. Each book, at the birth of its creative history, has such a moment. Some are fortunate enough to have, from the outset, a strongly identified hero, one with an inescapable destiny. Others are blessed with a promising beginning, or perhaps with the vision of an ending (which means working backwards to a surprise opening). Others stem from a clearly articulated conflict situation. Sometimes, I must admit, the motivations of a book may be found in a sudden, unreasonable urge to draw a certain kind of crocodile. And it may even happen that in the dark of our minds there appears, out of nowhere, a constellation of words that has the bright, arrogant solidity of a title. Only last night I was jolted out of a near-slumber by the words the mouse that didn't exist. I am sure that, temporarily tucked away in my memory, they will eventually become the title of a story for which as yet I have no idea.

"To shape and sharpen the logic of a story, to tighten the flow of events, ultimately to define the idea in its totality, is much like a game of chess. In the light of overall strategy, each move is the result of doubts, proposals, and rejections, which inevitably bring to mind the successes or failures of previous experiences.

"Inspirational raptures may happen, but most books are shaped through hard, disciplined work. Creative work, to be sure, because its ingredients come from the sphere of the imaginary. But the manipulation of these ingredients requires much more than mere inclination or talent. It is an intricate process in which the idea slowly takes form, by trial and error, through detours and side roads, which, were it not for the guidance of professional rigor, would lead the author into an inextricable labyrinth of alternatives.

"And so, to the question 'How do you get your ideas?' I am tempted to answer, unromantic though it may sound, 'Hard work.' "


Leo Lionni has gained international renown for his paintings, graphic designs, illustrations, and sculpture, as well as for his books for children. He was born in Holland in 1910 of Dutch parents, and although his education did not include formal art courses (in fact, he has a doctorate in economics from the University of Genoa), he spent much of his free time as a child in Amsterdam's museums, teaching himself to draw.

Lionni's business training gradually receded into the background as his interest in art and design grew. Having settled in Milan soon after his marriage in 1931, he started off by writing about European architecture for a local magazine. It was there that he met the contacts who were to give him a start as a professional graphic designer. When he moved to America in 1939, Lionni was hired by a Philadelphia advertising agency as art director. Later he became design director for the Olivetti Corporation of America, and then art director for Fortune magazine. At the same time, his reputation as an artist flourished as he began to exhibit his paintings and drawings in galleries from New York to Japan.

Lionni launched his career as an author/illustrator of books for children in 1959. Originally developed from a story he had improvised for his grandchildren during a dull train ride, Little Blue and LittleYellow was the first of what is now a long list of children's picture books, including four Caldecott Honor Books.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Inching Along! July 9, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This Caldecott Honor Book is easy listening for the early child and the young child as a new schoolyear begins. An industrious inch worm is the main character. He engages himself with measuring a variety of birds and lastly outwits the hungry nightingale using his measuring savvy.

Teacher Note: This book can be used to introduce the young child to using standard measurement tools. It can also be used for activities with creative non-traditional measurement activities. For example: Paper clips, hands, feet, craft sticks, shoes, beans, etc. This book can be a springboard to a thematic unit on measurement. It can be extended for study of birds, other nature studies, art experiences, and musical activities as well.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lionni has Inched his way to Success December 1, 2004

By Allison Mccaslin

Format:Paperback

Once upon a time there was a cute, little, green inch worm hanging out on a piece of grass. One day, a robin came up to eat him, but the inch worm talked the robin into letting him measure the robin's tail. Being such a useful worm, the robin did not eat him, but took him to other birds so that they could have something measured by the smart inch worm. Finally, a nightingale told the worm to measure his song or he would eat the little inch worm. Using his little worm brain, the inch worm began measuring the song until he had inched away to safety.

This wonderful book, written and illustrated by Leo Lionni, won the Caldecott Honor in 1961. He has taken a little worm and made the reader fall in love with it through the worm's usefulness in measuring and his cunning ability to escape the hungry nightingale. Even though there are many different scenes, with many various shades of green on them, Lionni has illustrated the little worm in such a way that the reader can always point him out. Children would enjoy finding the worm on each page, especially at the end of the book when he is hiding from the nightingale. Also, we always see the story from an outside perspective; eye level with the grass. It is as if we are another small animal looking in on the story.

The background of each page is pretty much the same. All Lionni has illustrated on each page is the worm and the other details that are needed during that part of the story. For example, while the inch worm is measuring the legs of the heron, Lionni has only portrayed the heron with the worm inching down its leg. I think this technique is good for younger audiences because it helps children focus on the story and keeps their attention for more specific details. This also makes sense because there is a small portion of text to read on each page which means the audience does not have much time to look at the illustrations while the reader is reading to them. As for colors, Lionni has kept them realistic. For example, the flamingo is a bright pink whereas the nightingale's colors are calmer. Overall, the colors in the book make the readers feel at ease and calm. The dull greens of the grass and the open, white background keeps the reader moving along at a steady pace. It's almost as if we know that the inch worm is going to outsmart the different birds and there is no need to get over-excited.

Lionni has intertwined the illustrations and the text in a way that they are dependent on each other. Although you could get the gist of the story by either reading the text or looking at the pictures, by having the illustrations support the text, the reader gets a more detailed, visual story. However, Lionni leaves room for the imagination to add on to the story at any time.

Overall, I loved this book. Lionni has creatively illustrated this cute story, making children and adults want to read it over and over again.

If you are looking for instructional ideas, I would read this story to students in primary grades before doing a lesson on measuring. Then I would have students measure different things around the classroom including themselves. I would also use this book when talking about different types of art. I would have children do a collage or make something with decoupage. They could even re-create a scene from the book!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars FOR COMPLEX SIMPLICITY, THIS ONE IS DIFFICULT TO BEAT. November 29, 2009

By D. Blankenship HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This is the story of one very smart little inchworm. As the story begins, he is about to be an addition to a robin's meal as the robin is hungry and the little inch was quite available. But unfortunately for the robin, this was one fast thinking little worm and he convinces the robin that he is a very useful creature. He offers to measure the robin's tail. Of course the robin is quite impressed (he found that his tail was five inches long, which pleased him greatly) so he takes the little worm to the other birds.

And so the measuring begins; a flamingo's neck, a toucan's beak, legs of a heron and a pheasant's tail. This goes on until the nightingale arrives and demands that his song be measured or he will eat the little inchworm. Is disaster about to befall the little green guy? How on earth do you measure a nightingale's song? Is our little measuring worm about to become a meal and is there no escape?

Well folks, you have to remember that this little worm is a bright little worm and his thinking ability under pressure certainly surpasses mine! All ends well, but you will have to read the story of how the singing bird was outwitted.

Of course this Caldecott award wining author has not slacked off on this illustrations one bit. They are as colorful, as original and playful as any of his other work. The combination of Lionni's words, story telling skills, ability to simplify the complex and his beautiful art work are truly amazing. I am not sure how he was able to sustain his high quality output over the years, but he certainly pulled it off.

This little work is ideal for the classroom or personal library. There are so many lessons to be learned here...thinking fast not being the least. Measuring, counting activities, nature studies, art...really, what you can accomplish as to teaching with this little work is only limited by your personal experiences and imagination.

I will admit to being rather delighted with anything to do with inchworms. I spent hours as a child seeking them out at watching them inch their way through their small part of the world. I have to admit that as a old man now, I seldom pass one by without stopping to watch which has made me late for quite a number of lunches and appointments over the years...which you can tell really worries me.

Recommend this one highly for the little ones. It is a pure joy to read it to them and the delight in the colors and in many cases, trying to find the little inchworm.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks