Kites Sail High [Hardcover]

Ruth Heller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 1988 | Age Level: 5 and up

Using simple, lively verse and vivid full-color pictures, Ruth Heller introduces young readers to many basic concepts about verbs and verb usage without ever becoming complicated.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Heller's newest concept book explicates and celebrates verbs of all kinds, in ebullient verses which themselves sail and soar. As in her previous works, the verses are accompanied by bold, gaily colored graphics that are especially striking for their skillful use of pattern and design. More ambitious in scope than her earlier books, however, this one attains a level of textual and conceptual complexity that may, by the end, leave its intended audience behind. The adroit but increasingly difficult verses addressing such points as tense, mood and voice may be of more interest to a parent or teacher than to a child, for whom the book's simpler, beginning pages are likely to hold more direct appeal. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5 Heller, who celebrated collective nouns in A Cache of Jewels (Grossett, 1987) here gives similar treatment to verbs in singing verse with vibrant illustrations which fairly leap from the pages in double-page spreads. While verbs do not lend themselves easily to two-dimensional illustrations, and many of the concepts here are too advanced and abstract for the usual picture book age child, these illustrations and the design of the book have such appeal that even children to whom the words seem mostly gibberish will enjoy the rhythm and visual impact of the book. Older children will find it a painless and concise grammar lesson as well as a visual treat. Most of the verse flows smoothly, and the meanings are clear. Verbs illustrated are well chosen and not hackneyed. While the overall design of the book is outstanding, it is unfortunate (for library circulation) that the text continues on the endpapers. This book should be a boon to language arts teachers in the upper elementary grades as well as fun for all children and adults who love to play with language. Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, N.J.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 41 pages
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap; 1ST edition (November 10, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0448104806
• ISBN-13: 978-0448104805
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,669,562 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"Writing and illustrating my own books have given me the opportunity to choose subjects of interest to me."--Ruth HellerAfter receiving a fine arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley and completing two years of graduate work in design at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, Ruth Heller began her career designing wrapping paper, cocktail napkins, greeting cards, and coloring books. After five years of rejection and one complete revision, Heller's first book, Chickens Aren't the Only Ones, about egg-laying animals, was published in 1981. It was so successful that the sequel, and second book to be published, Animals Born Alive And Well (1982), about mammals, quickly followed. In 1983 and 1984, her third and fourth titles, The Reason For A Flower (about plants that have seeds and flowers) and Plants That Never Ever Bloom (about plants that do not) were published.She then began work on a collection of six books, the How To Hide series on camouflage and the magic of this phenomenon in nature, which covered the entire animal kingdom -- insects, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and sea creatures. The next collection of books became a five-volume series on parts of speech: A Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns; Kites Sail High: A Book About Verbs; Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives; Merry-Go- Round: A Book About Nouns; and Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs. She also wrote and illustrated the unique and fascinating book Color, a charming and instructive guide to how art goes through the four color printing process.Among the notable people who have had an influence on Heller's writing have been: Ogden Nash, Gilbert and Sullivan, Edward Lear, Hilaire Belloc, and Dr. Seuss. Heller says of her work, "All my books are nonfiction picture books in rhyme. I find writing in rhyme enjoyable and challenging, and I think it is an easy way for children to learn new facts and acquire a sophisticated vocabulary. Children are not intimidated by big words. I try to make my writing succinct and allow the illustrations to convey as much information as possible."On October 31, 1995, Grosset & Dunlap continues Heller's parts-of-speech books with the publication of Behind the Mask: A Book About Prepositions, a clever, thoughtful, eye-pleasing explanation of just how prepositions tell us about the "when" and "where" of things.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Picturesque Grammar for all ages, January 12, 2000

By 

Palm Bay Readers Club (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kites Sail High (Ruth Heller World of Language) (Mass Market Paperback)

Most students are visual learners and when it comes to opening the eyes and minds of students to the study of grammar (parts of speech), Ruth Heller's books are the key to this learning style. My high school students beg to see the pictures, pass around the books, show that picture again! After show and tell, they also learn and in a fun way. I have shared Heller's books with colleagues at workshops and at school. We have enjoyed seeing students actually like this skill they often dread so very much. The colors and drawings capture the eye and the information floats painlessly into the student's brain. These books are "a good thing."

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun way to review verbs., October 9, 2005

By 

Tiffany Jones (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kites Sail High (Ruth Heller World of Language) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is a fun way to introduce or review verbs in the classroom or at home. The fun rhyming text and intresting illustrations make this book fun to read aloud. Great book for children of all ages.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ruth Heller's World of Language Books, December 21, 2008

By 

Galileo's Gang "Homeschoolingmom" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kites Sail High (Ruth Heller World of Language) (Mass Market Paperback)

Wonderful books. Your children will gain a deep understanding of the English language. The illustrations are wonderful and the dry subject of grammar comes alive. There will be no more fretting about grammar after reading these books. Enjoy!