When four-year-old Janie's father goes off to war, the rest of the family moves to the grandparents' on Chesapeake Bay, where Janie learns a secret of the world which helps her understand her father's long absence.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The highly prolific Yolen ( Owl Moon ; Elfabet ) here relates a bittersweet memory from an important period in her childhood: the two years during which her father was away at war. She recalls the fun she and her cousin Michael had when the family piled into the car to go see Daddy's ship off at the docks--the children ate ice cream cones, but Mama "cried all the way home." At the beach the next day Janie and Michael see some tiny spots on the horizon. Michael tells her that they are ships, but Janie doesn't believe him. (The specks are so small, she says, and her daddy's ship was so big. . . .) Five-year-old Michael teaches her a "secret of the world"--as he moves further away from her, he gets smaller. When father returns and tells his daughter that she is "lots bigger than I remembered," Janie explains, "Now you are here, so I am big." This timely, nostalgic story is told with simple grace, and Janie's thoughts and experiences are believably childlike. Baker's ( The Third-Story Cat ) watercolors are poignant, evocative and contain just the right amount of sentimentality. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
JANE YOLEN is one of North America’s most successful and respected authors for children. Among her best-loved titles are Owl Moon, Devil’s Arithmetic, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? and Briar Rose . Her list of awards includes the Caldecott Award, the World Fantasy Award, and two Christopher Medals. VLASTA VAN KAMPEN ’s award-winning children’s titles include: Beetle Bedlam, The Last Straw, ABC/123: The Canadian Alphabet and Counting Book, Orchestranimals , and Marigold’s Wings . Vlasta has earned numerous honours, including the Governor General’s Award, the Graphic Arts Illustrator Award, the 2001 IODE Award, and the Blue Spruce Award.
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More About the Author
Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, engaging book,
By Shelly Dalhaus (Illinois) - See all my reviews
This review is from: All Those Secrets of the World (Paperback)
IThis book is about a 4 year old girl whose father goes goes off to fight in World War II. While he is gone, Janie's cousin teaches her a lesson about perception and how things appear small the farther away that they are. When Janie's father comes home 2 years later, she echoes this lesson in his ear when he iis holding his daughter and comments on how big she has gotten. She says she was small when he was far away, and now that he is close, she seems big. This is a heartwarming and touching book, and what I especially loved were the beautiful watercolor illustrations that reflect the setting and time period of the story. I highly recommend recommend this story for children of many ages.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Touching and Thoughtful story...,
This review is from: All Those Secrets of the World (Paperback)
This was a wonderful book! It is a simple story about a little girl coping with the absence of her father during WWII. The secrets she learns about the world around her can help us all to appreciate life and its many blessings! The pictures make this the perfect read aloud book! I hope you enjoy this book as much as my class did!
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