There Goes Lowell's Party! [Hardcover]

Ester Hershenhorn (Author), Esther Hershenhorn (Author), Jacqueline Rogers (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1998

Lowell refuses to believe that a brewing storm will keep his resourceful Ozark relatives from celebrating his birthday.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3?A "cat and dog pourdown" threatens to wash out Lowell's birthday party. This rhythmic tale mixes Ozark weather lore and steadfast kinship as five-year-old Lowell reports a red sky, low-flying geese, and other indicators as good party omens, but his family tells him otherwise. His optimistic predictions are the only rhyming text in a slightly dialect-tinged narrative. He's convinced that "mama's side can log-ride...papa's side can keg-slide...granny's side can fly on vines" to arrive at the party. Indeed, all come together through a virtual flood for a rollicking good time. The realistic, full-color, water-based illustrations capture the ambiance of the mountain weather, the diversity of the mountain folk, the breadth of the mountain scenery, and the love this family shares. There's plenty of personality in the human figures and lots of motion in each composition. The mostly double-page spreads offer humor, too, such as Lowell's siblings making mischief in the background. An appended list of weather proverbs adds to the book's value. A terrific read-aloud for groups exploring weather, birthdays, or families.?Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-8. "Red skies mean rain." Weather proverbs are at the center of this family farce about a boy's birthday in the Ozarks. Lowell just can't wait for his birthday, but when it finally comes, all the signs point to rain. His sneering older sister and brother are sure that there will be "cat and dog downpours" with waves of mud and that the birthday party will be called off, but Lowell knows that his relatives will get there. The storm does come, and all his grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles make it through the downpour on an ark made of logs and barrels and vines. The folksiness is a bit overdone, but Rogers' brightly detailed double-page spreads pick up the cheerful uproar of the words: the birthday preparations in the warm, messy house; the signs of the gathering storm; and the crowd of farm animals and splashing relatives. Much of the weather folklore is scientifically based (there's a list of proverbs at the end), and teachers might like to use this comedy to spark a nature unit. Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823413136
• ISBN-13: 978-0823413133
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,207,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars my son loved this book, October 16, 2009

By 

H. Hutchinson (Midwest USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: There Goes Lowell's Party! (Hardcover)

I found this book to be well written and illistrated. The book had an excellent flow and even though I thought my 6- year-old son would not follow some of the tougher composed sentences, which included some unusual vocabulary, he really enjoyed it. It was fun to talk about the different superstitions or signs that some use to predict rain. The story sequence is great, too. Just when you think Lowell's family will not make, they show up as planned. A great message about dedication to family.

5.0 out of 5 stars Get ready for a wild ride!, May 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: There Goes Lowell's Party! (Hardcover)

When Lowell's birthday dawns with a red sky, Lowell's siblings, Earl and 'retta Sue, take such delight in predicting foul weather and the cancellation of the birthday celebration. But in raucous tall tale tradition, Lowell imagines the many ways his far-flung relatives will find to get to the party. Rogers' exuberant art is the perfect accompaniment to this original tale that highlights weather lore based on scientific fact and begs to be read aloud in a down-home accent. Bravo!