What Do Angels Wear? [Library Binding]

Eileen Spinelli (Author), Emily Arnold McCully (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Can angels fly?

Can angels sing?

Yes, child. They can.

If angels can fly and angels can sing,
what do they wear when doing these things?

In this book from Eileen Spinelli and Emily Arnold McCully, a young child seeks to understand the nature of angels, in very childlike terms. A bedtime discussion between mother and daughter explores the secret lives of angels, from dancing and playing hide-and-seek to dressing in clothing that will be familiar to every child.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-Rhyming, fanciful answers to bedtime questions about angels showcase a child's inquisitive mind and a mother's patient love. The celestial beings are depicted as fairy-sized, but are otherwise ordinary-looking youngsters with wings. With mussed hair and robes askew, they are fully engaged in their activities, as described in the text: "Tell me, do they ever dance?/Every time they get a chance!/Tango, conga, bunny hop,/Hula, polka-they don't stop." Curving typeface scattered around and among oblivious angels enhances the airy, floating sensation created by the puffy clouds and airborne antics. The text has just enough bounce and grounding in day-to-day details (the sparkles that the cherubs put in their hair are offset by the wool socks they wear in winter) to avoid greeting-card territory. The red-haired protagonist resembles a younger version of the title character in McCully's Mirette on the High Wire (Putnam, 1992), and the angels are a diverse group, representing both genders and all races. Seamlessly blended together, art and text create a warm package for adults seeking a slightly sentimental read to share with their young ones.
Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

PreS. Simple rhyming questions and answers make up this sentimental poem about angels. "Tell me this, can angels fly?" asks a young girl as her mother tucks her into bed. Do they sing? What do they wear? The girl's last question is the big one: "Are angels real?" The mother's loving answer, one of the nicest lines, closes the book: "Real as love and wind and light / Real as Mama's kiss good night." Although a few lines seem too saccharine, Spinelli's words are playful and evocative, and McCully's airy watercolors extend the sense of magic and whimsy. The multicultural young angels may have wings, but McCully paints them to look like real children--some even have glasses. And whether the angels appear snacking on cake in the clouds or napping in a porch rocker, the colorful spreads reinforce the notion that angels are everywhere. A sweet, comforting bedtime book for the very young. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (September 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060288876
• ISBN-13: 978-0060288877
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,420,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eileen Spinelli is no stranger to the Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers list. Since her debut in 1991 with Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, an IRA/CBC Children's Choice book and Christopher Award winner, she has gone on to author numerous picture books, poetry collections, and chapter books, including the best-selling When Mama Comes Home Tonight, and the critically acclaimed Sophie's Masterpiece. Eileen lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From how angels play to the sparkles they wear in their hair, November 17, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Do Angels Wear? (Hardcover)

Caldecott medal winner Emily Arnold McCully provides touching, full-color illustrations for Eileen Spinelli's What Do Angels Wear?, and original and highly recommended picture book which depicts a young child's attempt to understand the lives and joys of angels in simple terms. From how angels play to the sparkles they wear in their hair, to their existence being as "real as mama's kiss goodnight," What Do Angels Wear? joyfully portrays holy spirits through a child's eyes.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read for Little Angels, September 4, 2005

By 

Marsha (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Do Angels Wear? (Hardcover)

My 2 1/2 year-old daughter loves this. I'm always calling her my "angel", but there just aren't that many cute, rhyming books about angels that she can relate to. This one works for her, because it features angels doing lots of things she likes to do (or fantasizes about doing), like eating cake, dancing, playing hide-and-seek, etc. Nice ending refocuses her on mommy's love. Very cute.