A Summertime Song [Hardcover]

Irene Haas (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

One warm summer night, a frog jumped into Lucy's room with an invitation for her to a birthday party and a magic paper party hat. Lucy put it on, and out in the garden, when a moonbeam touched the hat, Lucy was as little as a leaf. So begins Lucy's wonderful adventure.

A taxi driven by Baby Bird, who is afraid to fly, picks Lucy up to take her to the party. On the way, they stop for Madame Mouse, wearing a brand new hat she's made; an inch-worm determined to get to the party in time to have some birthday cake; and a tiny tattered old doll whose owner, for whom he still longs, had lost him in the shadows of moonlight long ago. But suddenly, a huge owl blocks their way -- and he wants them all for his supper! Will they escape? Will they get to the party? Will the tiny doll ever be reunited with his beloved owner?

In a lovely, lyrical text, the story unfolds to its happy ending. The magical pictures, painted with intricate detail and subtle colors, bring the moonlit garden world to life. This is an extraordinary book of great beauty and vivid imagination that small children and adults will look at again and again, discovering new wonders and surprises as they look. It is a treasure by the widely known and loved author/artist of The Maggie B.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a starred review of this sumptuously illustrated fantasy about a magical birthday party held in a moonlit garden, PW said, "A treasury of images, this is a book to savor." Ages 4-8. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2. Haas's book is more like a summertime dream than a song. Lucy is in bed when a frog hops in and gives her an invitation to a birthday party and a magic paper hat. When she dons the hat, she becomes as "little as a leaf" and sets out through the garden for the celebration. She accepts a ride in a taxi that looks like a nest and is driven by a baby bird who's afraid to fly. On their way, they pick up various other animals and are threatened by an owl who wants to eat them. Lucy finds a doll lost long ago by her grandmother, attends the party, and returns home. She removes the hat and is once again full-sized. Like a dream, this story seems a bit disconnected and not terribly memorable once one is awake. Haas's watercolor and pastel artwork is also dreamlike. It is often difficult to discern figures in the pictures. Stylized chapeaus obliterate some and others are lost in the dark-keyed palette. The writing is like a free-flowing poem with rhyming here and there. Overall, the book is very pretty, with large, oversized, creamy-colored pages; but like lovely bits and pieces of confetti, it glitters without substance.?Judith Gloyer, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books; 1st ed edition (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689505493
• ISBN-13: 978-0689505492
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 12.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #812,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, Charming and Beautifully Illustrated, September 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Summertime Song (Hardcover)

This is by far, the best children's book I have ever read, and more importantly, shared with my children. I find myself sitting quietly with the book, intrigued with the illustrations, and looking at the details in all the little creatures. Not only is it beautiful to look at, it is also a delight to read. Charming, eventful, and beautifully written, Haas inter-twines the story with a touch of poetry, and the end result is astonishing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Summertime Song by Irene Haas, November 18, 2000

By 

Karen Yeow (Nice, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Summertime Song (Hardcover)

This is a charming tale about a little girl who has magical adventures in her grandmother's garden. The book is beautifully illustrated, and the text is both simple yet poetic. Irene Haas recounts the wondrous happenings in the story, in which a little girl loses herself in the magic of the garden. The childhood world of magic and "adult" reality meet when she finds her grandmother's lost doll in the garden. This book is a must for "children" of all ages.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars action for boys, sweetness for girls, with beauty and depth, January 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Summertime Song (Hardcover)

Lucy goes on a magical journey to a birthday party, finding friends, taming the owl "villian", and ultimately finding happy endings. My boy liked it for the action and the interesting illustrations; my girl liked the female heroine and sweetness. With lyrical poetry and beautiful illustrations, this is a great gift book -- a bedtime favorite.