How Would It Feel? [Hardcover]

Mary Beth Goddard (Author), Anna Mycek-Wodecki (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Takes children on an imaginative journey, inviting their personal exploration of all aspects of nature

• Presents a series of fantastic hypothetical questions that encourages children to imagine an intimate and playful relationship with the natural world

• Contains vivid and intricate full-color illustrations to spark the imagination

• For children ages 4 to 6

In How Would It Feel? Mary Beth Goddard takes children on a journey of fantastic proportions, inviting them to imagine a playful interaction with the natural world. How would it feel to ride on a breeze . . . splash down with the rain . . . play tag with the sun . . . or wake up in a flower? Children and parents alike will have an opportunity to view the world from widely varying perspectives, such as high in the sky or deep under the sea. But the final stanza provides reassuring closure, returning children to the safety of home: "It’s time to go back / to your own bed and rest, / back to the family / who loves you the best."

The repeated poetic phrasing beginning each passage provides early reading skill development, and the vivid and intricate details in the watercolor artwork successfully extend and amplify the text, inviting many hours of exploration.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Developmentally, a big step for any child is being able to sympathize with another person’s viewpoint: in other words, walk in someone else’s shoes. The imaginary journey of How Would It Feel? helps the child reach this important developmental stage and have lots of fun at the same time."
(Muninn, Family Literacy with Fantasy Fiction, Feb 2006 )

"The artwork and the poems work together to create an unusual world for children, a world that is full of adventure and positive pathways."
(Lee Prosser, Ghostvillage.com, March 9, 2006 )

"The vivid illustrations in this children's book are gorgeous! How Would It Feel? takes children on a journey of fantastic proportions, inviting them to imagine a playful interaction with the natural world."
(Quest Bookshop, Feb 2006 )

"How Would It Feel? is all about finding wonder in nature, and kids will love this call to interact with their surroundings from a fresh perspective. Parents, on the other hand, will love the way the book brings them back to that special time, when everything looked so new, and all seemed possible…even swinging from the arms of a shining star in the sky." ( Marie D. Jones, curled up with a good kid's book.com, June 2006 )

". . . the illustrations are sure to catch your eye and grab your heart."
(Pagan Reviews, Spring '06 )

"Whimsical and fun, yet comforting and calm, this book will become a bedtime favorite, and a springboard for creative play and artistic expression. Highly recommended for children 4 to 6."
(Lyda Whiting, Awareness, July-Aug 2006 )

"How Would It Feel? is a fantastical adventure in nature. The readers are transported on the breeze, fall with the rain, shake hands with lightning, swing with the stars, and play tag with the sun. It's such whimsical fun. . . . The illustrations are bright and playful, further adding to the experience." (Dr. Tami Brady, TCM Reviews, Nov 2007 )

From the Back Cover

AGES 4-6

How would it feel
To ride on the breeze,
Aloft in a cloud ship
And taller than trees?

And how would you like
To wake up in a flower,
Fresh as the daffodils
After a shower?

How Would It Feel? takes children on a journey of fantastic proportions, inviting them to imagine a playful interaction with the natural world. How would it feel to ride on a breeze . . . splash down with the rain . . . play tag with the sun . . . or be held by the moon? What if you could peer at the world from high in the sky or live deep under the sea without having to come up for air?

Mary Beth Goddard’s poetry and Anna Mycek-Wodecki’s vivid watercolor illustrations encourage an intimate and imaginative relationship with nature. Yet the final stanza provides reassuring closure, returning children to the -saf-ety of home: “It’s time to go back / to your own bed and rest, / back to the family / who loves you the best.” Repeated poetic phrasing at the start of each passage will be helpful for beginning readers and the intricate detail found in the full-page paintings and whimsical border art will spark the imagination, enticing children to make many return trips.

MARY BETH GODDARD wrote How Would It Feel? for her son, Alex, who has been challenged by ill health since his birth. She owns a graphic production company and lives in Wisconsin.

ANNA MYCEK-WODECKI attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland, and graduated with dual masters degrees in graphic arts and fine art. She owns a graphic design studio and shares her time between Chicago and Warsaw, Poland.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Bear Cub Books (October 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159143050X
• ISBN-13: 978-1591430506
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,278,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff for kids AND adults :-), February 9, 2006

By 

Micronaut "Micronaut" (Internet) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Would It Feel? (Hardcover)

Reading this book was a very enjoyable experience for me, and I'm an adult! I can only imagine what it must be like for a kid to read it, or have it read to them. But the book helps with that. It really made me remember what it was like to be a child, and it elicited memories of how much I enjoyed other wonderful books, which were read to me when I was a youngster (and which I later read to myself). And not just vague memories; it brought back sights, and sounds, and smells, and sensations I might otherwise have never again recollected. Mmmmm... I would have loved this book then, and I love it today.

One of the best things about this book is how it stimulates the imagination. The author, and the illustrator are obviously very imaginative, and through this book, they help readers to exercise their own mind`s eye. The questions posed throughout the poem are ones which would seem absurd, and meaningless to an unimaginative person. Yet if you suspend disbelief, and allow your imagination to take you wherever it might, you will enjoy yourself greatly; I guarantee it. Even the most unimaginative "mature grownup" will remember what it was like to daydream in their youth, and to be wowed by things which they did not yet understand; to imaging what things are like, instead of knowing.

This book is remarkable, and I highly recommend it for children of any age (including the grownups ;-).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful experience for parent and child, March 15, 2006

By 

Boudica (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Would It Feel? (Hardcover)

I always am surprised when I receive something from a publisher, in this case Bear & Company as Bear Cub Books, and at first glance it may be "off topic" but it turns out to be a sparkling gem that fits perfectly.

In this case the book appeared to be a children's fantasy book. I was curious, however, because of the illustrations on the front cover. They appeared almost "magical" and, of course, I was hooked.

The book is a journey, an adventure. And the theme of the book - very magical and very natural. From the first page that introduces the reader to the first steps of the journey, there are exciting aspects of the artwork for the child and adult to explore together. From the boat flying on a breeze, to dancing on raindrops, or traveling on rainbows, each verse suggests an adventure, each illustration offers exploration for a young mind's eye, and each concept explores an aspect of nature that is only limited by the boundaries of the parent and child's imagination.

The verses question the child, challenging them to fill the story with their own ideas. While the book seems short, the possible conversations between parent and child can make this an entire afternoon's activity, encouraging conversation and quality time between parent and child. This would be a perfect book for a rainy afternoon spent in a comfy chair, where the parent and child share a seat, a book and many stories.

The book maintains a steady theme of exploration in a positive manner. The images are friendly, even when they are exploring something that might be considered scary. There is always a friendly face that could be associated with a parental figure, the child is always represented as having a good time and being kept safe and protected, yet the child is allowed to explore beyond the limits of his own living room. It is freedom yet it is secure.

The themes are from nature. It explores seasonal changes, goes from the depths of the ocean to the furthest reaches of the sky. It explores the natural world, yet it pictures everyday life such as buildings and neighborhoods, reminds the child of home, yet it also explores their home is part of an even larger place called the world.

Run out and get this book for your little ones. Run out and get this book for yourself! Treat yourself to some quality time with your child, or with yourself, as you explore the never ending limits of your own imagination. See if you don't agree with me this is a wonderful concept in children's reading material that will delight again and again. boudica

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book!, October 30, 2007

By 

Angela Linhares (Oakland, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Would It Feel? (Hardcover)

I bought a copy of this book to read to my daughter because of the beautiful poetry and wonderful illustrations and I just sent a copy to her cousin because it's a must have for every child's library.