Naomi Judd's Guardian Angels (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Dan Andreasen (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Judd (Naomi Judd's Love Can Build a Bridge) once again transforms one of the mother-daughter duo's top-selling songs into a sentimental picture book about faith and family. "A hundred-year-old photograph stares out from a frame," begins the narrator, who sees a physical resemblance between herself and her great-grandparents. From the stories her grandmother has told her, the girl feels as if she knows the strong couple who built the small Kentucky farm where the book is set. From this introduction, Andreasen (Rose Red and the Bear Prince) visually embellishes the story line, portraying the narrator's emotions as she prepares to leave the farm for the city with her parents. Her great-grandparents' loving presence defuses her sadness: "They're my Guardian Angels/ and I know they can see,/ every step I take they're watching over me." Andreasen's soft-edged oil paintings put a more childlike slant on this song about a young woman who finds a way to keep her family ties strong as she moves out into the world. He wisely grounds the abstract theme in the particulars of the girl's life--taking one last walk around the farm, bidding farewell to a calf, packing up the car. Yet the paintings also raise questions that the sketchy lyrics don't answer (Do the parents live on the farm, too? Was the girl just visiting her grandmother?). This slice-of-life treatment, with a CD recording of the Judds' song bound inside the front cover, will likely be of greatest interest to fans of the Judds. Ages 4-up. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-The words to the Judds' song cast a child's ancestors Elijah and Fanny in the role of her Guardian Angels. While the text has the general feel of a country song, Andreasen's illustrations tell a more specific story. A young girl wakes up on her grandmother's farm, spends the day saying a tearful good-bye to the animals and her grandmother, and then packs up and moves to the city with her parents. Despite the modern car and city scenes, the muted tones and outdoor focus give the pictures a timeless feel that nicely reflects the lyrics. When read on its own, the text comes across as somewhat stilted. However, when read in conjunction with the enclosed CD of the song, the book becomes an affecting "music video" comprised of a series of stills. The Judds' sensitive performance and obvious emotional involvement with the song take the entire package past the point of mere sentimentality and into the realm of true sentiment. Of course, the celebrity name alone may be enough to generate patron requests, but the warm treatment of the theme of family and home is an added bonus.
Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, Eldersburg, MD
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (April 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060272082
• ISBN-13: 978-0060272081
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,582,400 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Message, Wonderful Illustrations, April 12, 2000

By A Customer

The words are beautiful and introduce the idea of deceasedfamily members acting as guardian angels to a young girl. "Ahundred-year-old photograph stares out from a frame. And if you look real close you'll see our eyes are just the same. I never met them face-to-face but I still know them well from the stories my dear grandma would tell." The words are comforting, and the illustrations are beautiful. The deceased relatives can be seen faintly in the clouds, just as they would look if they were working on their farm today. As the words are song lyrics, they do repeat at the end. Young children like repetition, though, so this does not detract from the story. I recommend this book for children ages 3-6.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book!, April 16, 2003

By	Diane (US) - See all my reviews

I would trust Naomi Judd if I didn't trust another person in the whole world! Her book is beautiful, her songs are beautiful, her daughters are beautiful, her life is beautiful! Thank you, Naomi! In a world where so many people are invested in "taking," you are definitely a "giver." You enrich our lives in so many ways.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Naomi Judd's Guardian Angels is an Inspiration for Children, November 19, 2001

By	Laura M. Wackerly (Massillon, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This book for "all ages" is a timeless tale about our connections with our ancestors. A spin-off from a best-selling Naomi Judd song, Judd's Guardian Angels reminds us that we belong no matter where we are. The hardback book also includes a cd of the song that inspired the book.
The book begins with a forward from Naomi Judd that describes how the song and the book came to be. It is then followed by a short and simple rhyming story. The story revolves around the phrase, "And if you look real close you'll see our eyes are just the same." A young girl takes comfort in the photograph of her great-grandparents and feels a special closeness to them, even though she had never met them. She believes they're watching over her and that she is never alone because of that.
Probably one of the most charming aspects of the book are the illustrations. I may be a little biased, however, since Dan Andreasen is one of my favorite illustrators. He breathes life into characters that may otherwise seem flat and ordinary.
The beautiful watercolor paintings inside this book almost make it feel like an art gallery. Andreasen's token soft character expressions and wonderful colors make the story complete and add a sense of awe to the book.
As a whole, the book is wonderful and great to read aloud to kids and grownups alike. Its simple text allows the reader to grow on his or her own, filling in the spaces with their own personal experience. It is a true tribute to family and a great buy for the holidays.