What could be more fun than a train ride--the excitement of going places, the rhythmic sounds of the train clattering down the tracks, and the vivid window music of passing scenery. Suen's engaging text and Zahares' full-color illustrations capture the spirit of a train ride--from sky-high bridges to deep valleys to rolling vineyards to the lights of a distant city.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
"Window music" is 1880s railroad slang for passing scenery, and an impressive range of views is what this visual tour delivers. As a girl travels from her grandparents' house back to her home, Suen's (Man on the Moon) simple rhyming coupletsA"train on the track/ clickety clack"; "in a row/ oranges grow"Aevoke the rhythm of travel, and offer glancing descriptions of a varied terrain that includes banana trees, an ocean beach and city skyscrapers. In his first picture book, Zahares uses thickly applied paint and strong, geometric forms to create scenery that looks almost sculpted. A wave resembles a curl of plaster; a grape arbor is a tangle of thick wiry tendrils and bulging fruit; the train winds through the very peaks of conical snow-dripped mountains. The trip begins and ends in a docile, realistic station, but in between, the journey takes some surreal turns. This magical excursion is music with several movements, returning readers to a familiar theme in the final stanzas. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-As a young girl sleeps, a train passes by outside her bedroom window, presaging the day she leaves her grandparents' house to journey home by rail. After waving farewell at the station, the youngster and her mother travel from countryside to city, passing through meadows, orange and banana groves, ice-capped mountains, and seascapes of breaking waves. The scenery is, in fact, the "window music" that entertains the child until the city's skyline looms and Dad awaits at destination's end. This straightforward excursion is conveyed through rhyming text of five-to-six words on each two-page spread. The brevity perfectly captures the staccato rhythm of a rail journey. While simple and direct, there are moments of compelling imagery, "street after street/under our feet," as well as predictable onomatopoeia, "wooo! wooo!/passing through." Zahares's bright and thickly painted palette is wonderfully light-infused. The sinuously curving lines reinforce the loopy track and the panorama, viewed from both inside and outside the chunky train, is ever-changing. The illustrations are idealized and dreamlike, a combination of childlike simplicity and the occasional surreal image. This quick and jolly read-aloud is right on track.
Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
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More About the Author
Who is Anastasia Suen?
a) Author of 133 books for children and adults
b) A literacy blogger
c) Children's literature consultant
d) A former K,1,5, & 6 teacher who visits schools to teach the six traits of writing
e) Workshop instructor for SMU and online who teaches adults how to write for children
f) All of the above
The answer is: (f) All of the above.
a) Author of 133 books for children and adults
b) A literacy blogger
c) Children's literature consultant
d) A former K,1,5, & 6 teacher who visits schools to teach the six traits of writing
e) Workshop instructor for SMU and online who teaches adults how to write for children
f) All of the above
The answer is: (f) All of the above.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Charming verse is wonderful to read aloud.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Window Music (Hardcover)
Window Music is a treat for kids AND their parents! A wonderful book to read aloud, Suen's musical verse is just the right company for Zahares' bold illustrations.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent art work for a small childs book.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Window Music (Hardcover)
I, too, as a proud owner of three Zahares originals, was looking forward to the publication of this book. I was surprized to see such few words, but with this type art work, that is all you need. A simple book to read to youngsters. Looking forward to their next book Delivery.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Visually stunning,
By A Customer
This review is from: Window Music (Hardcover)
As a proud owner of two Zahares originals, I was looking forward to the arrival of this book and was not dissapointed. As I viewed each page, I felt as though I was there - the art is that arresting. Superb !
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