Customer Reviews

Verdi

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Verdi is a young yellow python who doesn't understand why the adult (green) pythons are such killjoys. He is playful and daring, until he hurts himself doing a stunt. The older pythons help nurse him back to health, while Verdi learns that once they, too were young and wild like he was.

The book is marvelous. It is extremely readable for young (3 - 6) year olds, and the art work is beautiful, with vivid colors and expressive characters (even for a snake!). Best of all, the story line is appropriate, with a message that is easily understood (be yourself; we were all young once) without being preachy. A wonderful children's book.

It's about time someone wrote a kids book where the snake is a hero, not a villain! (There have been others, but they are few and far between)...Verdi was the best kids snake story I've ever read. Being a reptile keeper, I really appreciate this little story! What a great idea for a story PLUS snake facts at the end, teaching kids about the green tree python. More books like this would be excellent. Kids need to learn to appreciate snakes, and stories like this show that snakes aren't bad guys!! A++++++++++++++++++!!!!

As an education major, I have utilized many books in my quest to become a teacher. This book has received the greatest response from my pre-service teaching of students. The book is full on educational, and moral building material. At the end of the book, the author has included a two page fact sheet about snakes.

i work in the public library system here in st. louis, mo, and i almost never get a chance to put "verdi" on the shelve. why? because it's ALWAYS checked out! both parents and children love this coming of age story about a young snake who, like everyone else in life, is afraid of becoming "old" and "boring". once he realizes that with age comes wisdom, he's much happier as an older, greener snake than a younger, more yellow snake. i read this book whenever i get a chance, and because of the kids at the library, that's not very often!

Reading some of the other reviews on this book, it's been interesting to get some other perspectives on the story.

Fundamentally the story is simple. Verdi the baby snake zipps around happily, bored by the big green (complaining) adults. In his amusing quest to remain yellow and striped (young) he gets injured. The greens (adult snakes) take care of him by straping him to a branch so that he can heal. During his forced convalescence, he notices for the first time some of the magical beauty about him. He also learns that the big greens were once young and reckless also. Their response to the injuries that they had suffered was to want to live "the quiet life". By the time that Verdi heals, he too is big and green. At the end of the story he comes across a couple of fidgety young yellow snakes (very much as he was) and ends up playing with them (although being a bit more cautious). After all, he may be big and green, but "I'm still me".

This is a great book on several different levels. First, putting the snake as the protagonist is a refreshing change. The snake is a creature with a home, the jungle, and the portrayal makes for a less scary oportunity for children to learn some snake facts. The illustrations also help with the educational aspect, being so inviting that you are really drawn into them. Also, it is a story about growth and choices.

The language is indeed very direct and simple. In reading the comments of another reviewer, I noted the reviewer's estimation of the writing as being not up to par. I would have to dissagree, although from a less experienced perspective as the reviewer. I feel that the voice of the snake is appropriately somewhat "young". Also, I feel that this is a book where the language is more of a narration to the amazing pictures, but that it works very well in this case. When I had the opportunity to read this to my son's kindergarten class, the children were all so "into" the story that they had a hard time staying on their mats. The illustrations work with the story. At the start, the colors are very beautiful, but when the story slows down as Verdi heals, the illustrations come alive with detail. Just as the story is making the point that when you slow down you can notice things you didn't see before, you end up spending a lot of time seeing the detail finding the little hidden critters in the jungle.

The story is about attitude, growth and wisdom, beautifully illustrated. Verdi learns about the beauty about him, that he only notices when he slows down to observe it, as well as the consequences of reckless behaviour. He also learns that turning green (growing older) doesn't mean that he can't enjoy his life, in fact finding wonderful new things that he hadn't known about before. Through it all, Verdi maintains his sense of wonder and fun. Can we hope for more from life?

My friend's 4 year old daughter asked me to read her this book (her favorate) for bedtime, and once I started, I got hooked. Verdi is a young python, proud of his adventurous lifestyle and his bold yellow coloring. He can't understand the older snakes who have shed their yellow skin for deep emerald green and now spend their days snoozing in the trees. He nevers wants to grow up to be like them! When he notices that (tragedy!) he is starting to turn green (a sign that his body is getting older) he performs one daredevil stunt after another until he is forced to slow down and learn to take it easy.

Anyone who never wanted to grow "Old" can appreciate this tale. But just because you have to grow up doesn't mean you you have to be "old." As in her previous book, "Stellaluna" the author mixes animal facts with fantasy. This is a book not only lovely to read, but a treat for the eyes! Lush illustrations capture the greens and jewel colors of the rainforest.

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Verdi! This is a great name for a green python, especially one with musical talent who could tap a tune with his tail.

Verdi was a thoughtful little snake. He went off to seek some wisdom from the older snakes.

The first python he spoke to was Umbles and he was a grumbler. Ribbon was a complainer and Aggie didn't like being stared at. They were so boring thought Verdi. After speaking to Dozer he concluded old green pythons were lazy, boring and rude.

He wanted to stay yellow forever, but one day he noticed that he was starting to turn green. Verdi headed to the river, to scrub himself but a big fish almost took him. He got covered in mud and when that dried and fell off he was greener still.

Undaunted, Verdi climbed to the top of a tall tree towards the golden sun which he thought would make him yellow again. He startled a flock of colorful birds (Australian Rainbow Lorikeets) and then fell back to earth.

Verdi hurt himself badly, and the old green pythons had to nurse him back to health. He listened to the snakes tell stories of when they were young and adventurous. Now they preferred the quiet life.

One night when Verdi was well again he listened to the forest come alive with nocturnal activity. Under the light of the full moon Verdi could see the beautiful white CusCus and that wonder of the bird world, the Tawny Frogmouth.

For the first time Verdi noticed the passage of time with the waxing and waning of the moon. Our friend might just be slowing down.

He was now so green he blended perfectly with the leaves. Life has now turned full circle and two young yellow pythons start mocking Verdi for being old and slow.

But Verdi was still Verdi and he showed the young ones how to do a perfect Figure Eight.

Verdi is a magnificent book. The bright luminous illustrations match the breezy and witty story line. This is a great tale on the trials and pitfalls when we slither, swing and occasionally slip and fall along that pathway from youth to maturity.

At the back of the book there are some "Snake Notes" which gives some useful zoological details on snakes, and pythons in particular.

This book appeals on many levels. It is visually very attractive, the story line is amusing and there is an educational element that will expose young people to the marvels of the snake world and no doubt encourage further interest.

It is refreshing to see snakes portrayed as frolicking fun lovers, rather than the traditional sinister stereotype we normally see.

In the heat of the tropics, several small eggs hatch and tiny 8-inch snakes slither out, swiftly making their way out to the forest to explore and learn. One of them dilly-dallies, mesmerized by his colorful body and confused by his mother's encouraging words to "grow up big and green - as green as the trees' leaves." The Peter Pan of reptiles, "Verdi" is the charming story of a little snake who refuses to grow up.

Once a featured title on the popular children's program "Reading Rainbow", "Verdi" begins by introducing the reader to a just-hatched green tree python who after seeing how crotchety and lazy his elders are decides not to become like them, which means fighting off his inevitable maturation. Born with an eye-catching pattern of black markings littering his canary yellow scales, Verdi is a spry snake that flings himself about the trees, a little too adventurous for his own good. While fretting over the color change in his scales and slithering about, Verdi gets himself into a heap of trouble and is rescued by the adults. As he recovers from an incapacitating injury, he learns some interesting things about his peers and discovers that getting older isn't such a bad thing after all, so long as you remain young at heart.

Cannon's story slyly schools us on morelia viridis while dazzling us with her beautiful illustrations done in acrylic paint and Prismacolor pencils (and I can vouch for that brand, as I own a large set of them - they are EXCELLENT). Her excellence at rendering the anatomy of her star reptile comes from thorough, hands-on research with the help of Clay Garrett, a herpetologist at the Dallas Zoo and Robert Brock of the San Diego Zoo. At the back of the book are some source notes on snakes which include specific facts about the green tree python; these details will be of particular interest to children and adults who are animal and/or biology enthusiasts.

Bottom line: Fans of "Stellaluna" will love this work more so for Cannon's stunning vignettes, the story taking a bit of a backseat. Nonetheless, it is a frivolous and fun tale while being educational at the same time and Cannon's gorgeous depictions of wildlife will transport you to another world.

This is a wonderfully written story of a young python, a young yellow python, who does not want to grow old a boring like the adult green pythons he see around him. The art work in this slender book is absolutely breath taking. The artist has blended his colors perfectly and created life like studies of these wonderful snakes but not life like situations as far as the snake world goes. This is the charm of the story. Few, if any, want to actually grow older and kids in particular do not want to do and act as "boring" adults. This tale lets the child know that we all can keep our child like wonder and love of fun into our adult years. I read this one to the second and third graders and they catch the meaning of the story quite well with a bit of prompting. They love the pictures, in particular the ones where the author has made the snakes rather hard to spot. I also not that this is one of the more popular books chosen by the children when they have their "read alone time." An endorsement of a children by children is as about as good as it gets. I must say though, adults will enjoy reading this with the children also which I feel is important as kids can sort of sense when your heart is not really in the reading. Recommend this one highly. Very much recommend you add this one to your child's collection or to your school library.

As a mother and herpetoculturist I cannot praise this work highly enough. The illustrations are so compelling one can't help looking at them over and over again. Magical and artistic, they are just magnificent. In the tradition of Aesop, the story is one that will engage the children while having a deeper meaning for the adult reader. And as one who is very familiar with this species of snake, I can am impressed with the author's understanding of the distinctive characteristics of this animal.

Whether one is seeking a richly visual picture book, a romping children's tale, or an informed public relations piece for a rarely-understood animal, Verdi is masterwork.