The Secret [Hardcover]

Lindsay Barrett George (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2005 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Can you keep the secret? Yes? Can you really? But what if it is the most exciting, the very best, the most delicious secret that has ever been whispered in your ear?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–Mr. Snail has a secret. His mouse friend promises not to tell, and Mr. Snail whispers it into his ear. The mouse heads straight for the beetle and "squeaks" the secret to it. The beetle "pinches" it to the turtle who "grumbles" it to the fish who "swishes" it to the frog. And so, the secret is passed among several animals and insects until the chipmunk finally "chatters" it to the spider who "clicks" it to Miss Snail. She turns around and whispers to Mr. Snail, "I love you, too!" This story is simple but sweet. George's collages combine natural materials such as flowers and twigs with watercolor cutouts for the creatures. The artwork has an eye-catching, three-dimensional effect. While some of the hues are rather dark, this delightful tale will work well in storytimes and for one-on-one sharing. Children will enjoy identifying the animals and trying to guess Mr. Snail's big secret.–Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA
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About the Author

Lindsay Barrett George was born in the West Indies and grew up in New Jersey. She received a B.F.A. degree from Manhattanville College, and an M.F.A. degree from the University of Wisconsin, where she majored in drawing and printmaking. After her studies in the Midwest, Lindsay returned to the east coast and worked as a fine-art printer in New York City. She later got a job in publishing, working as a designer in a children's book department, and was married to William T. George. Lindsay left New York City, had two children, and now spends her time creating children's books. In Her Own Words...

"When I was a little girl, my favorite pastimes were looking at things, drawing them, and making up stories about them," Lindsay Barrett George says. "My art has always been about the familiar things that I find inside my house or outside my front door. I have been fascinated by pillows, chocolate Kisses, tea bags, dogs, family, friends, and food. Writing and illustrating children's books never seemed a possibility until Bill and I raised a family in Pennsylvania. We lived out in the woods in a log cabin on a lake. I spent a lot of time walking and looking and sketching the animals, the trees, the rocks, and the mountains. The next step was obvious-why not write about them, paint them?

"I like to show children places they might not have seen before, and, perhaps, to make them see more than just the surface of things. The paintings that I make and the stories that I write represent what I think about and care about. I hope my books connect me to children who want to stop and look at the same things that I find fascinating."

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (February 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060295988
• ISBN-13: 978-0060295981
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,006,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars can you keep a secret?, March 23, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret (Hardcover)

Mr. Snail has a secret! He wants to tell someone so he tell the mouse who says he will keep it a secret. But the mouse tells the beetle, who tells the turtle, who tells the frog and the secret starts to travel all over the meadow! The secret gets back to Mrs. Snail. The secret was that he loves Mrs. Snail! How sweet! It's not a secret anymore!

The illustrations on the animals are very life like. They are done a a college type fashion.
This book would be nice to read aloud to kids ages 4-6. There are very few word per page keeping the attention of little ones well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2 year old daugther reads it to ME, July 23, 2005

By 

M. Arnold (Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Secret (Hardcover)

very cute book...my two year old daughter asks to "read" it to me. She's memorized the book so she goes through the pages and tells me about the story. She even copies my questions which I ask her throughout the story (i.e what color is this? or which animal is this?)