Play with Me (Picture Puffins) [Paperback]

Marie Hall Ets (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up | Series: Picture Puffins

A little girl goes to the meadow to play, but each animal she tries to catch runs away from her--until she sits still by the pond, and they all come back.

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (September 30, 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140501789
• ISBN-13: 978-0140501780
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Literary Criticism & Collections

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book as a child, now my son loves it too!, July 11, 2001

By 

"abraxxis" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Play with Me (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

I loved this book as a child, and reading it to my own child takes me back to lovely, lazy afternoons spent in the company of my grandmother. The message of Play With Me is one of respect and interest in the lives of living creatures around us. The book is wonderful for anytime, but especially for preparing a young child for bed or for a nap because it is a quiet, quietly happy book. Buy it for your budding naturalist or environmentalist and enjoy!

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Teaches gentleness and patience, October 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Play with Me (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

This book is wonderful at teaching children about nature/wildlife and about how to be gentle and patient. The illustrations are simple, yet full of expression. You watch the little girl try to play with various creatures from nature, and you see her sad expression as they all leap away from her. But because of her patience and gentle, quiet spirit, all the creatures eventually come to her to play. And that is the only reason I did not rate this a 5. In trying to be realistic with my own children, having a fawn or chipmunk come up to play is unrealistic regardless of how quiet or patient you are. But overall a great book for young children.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Book about sensitivity to others and sef-awareness., November 27, 2005

By 

Treetop learning - See all my reviews

This review is from: Play with Me (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

This is another book that I would recommend in a larger hardcover copy, to get the full affect of the illustrations. Written in 1955, the illustrations are simple line drawings set against light brown pastel washes, with specific creatures brought into focus with color. The illustrations are by no means exsquisite, but their simplicity is appealing to young children, and the point of the story is well taken, that you don't play with wild animals as you would your dog or your neighbor- you learn to sit quietly and patiently, and are grateful for their presence when they come near (something most children in their world of business don't learn to enjoy). I give it 4 stars for that alone. Attributes about each of the animals are learned as the child reads along and waits with the girl in the story for what might happen next. The only criticism I have is that the story could be more descriptive, to enhance the simplistic artwork. If your child loves it, buy it. It is certainly worth a review at the library.