You Are Here [Hardcover]

Nina Crews (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

Mariah and Joy are bored. It seems that there is nothing to do, soe the girls decide to create their own fun. See what ideas they come up with to eas their boredom.'

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A rainy day inspires a mind-bending adventure in Crews's (I'll Catch the Moon) latest photo-collage fantasy. Stuck inside due to inclement weather, Mariah and Joy embark on an imaginative journey. First destination on the map (which they've constructed on top of a checkerboard, with coins, buttons, seashells and checkers) is an imaginary tiny island. Without fanfare, the girls shrink to a size that allows them to fit right into their surroundings. A decorative mask in the room becomes a "giant," a houseplant is a jungle to be explored and the chubby gray cat is now a fierce monster guarding "treasures" (cat toys). A look through a kaleidoscope turns everything on end, and soon the girls are back to reality. The smoothly pitched text builds in excitement as the images and action begin to fully take shape in readers' minds. In her most complex project yet, Crews creates photographic compositions with inventive shifts in proportion and perspective and with playful technological tweaks that will have readers pondering, "how did she do that?" Her young African American subjects are wide-eyed and expressive and are clearly enjoying their outing. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-In this handsomely realized book, double-page, digitally created, full-color photo collages show two African-American girls creating a magical journey for themselves as they wait for the rain to stop outside. Their adventure map is a checkerboard dotted with foreign coins, shells, jacks, and buttons that trace a trip around an imaginary world. Shrinking to a tiny size, they fly their model wooden airplane to the fireplace mantle/island, then descend into a flower pot and down onto the floor to cope with a fierce monster (their gray cat). After peering through a kaleidoscope, they spin back to normal size and real life and find the sun shining and their mother waiting to take them to the park. The fun is in the imaginative and skillfully executed, computerized illustrations, which are tied together by a thin plot line.
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville,
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow; 1st edition (October 29, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068815753X
• ISBN-13: 978-0688157531
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,892,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars nicely photographed, and a good idea, May 22, 2001

By 

W. K. Miller "kenmiller32" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: You Are Here (Hardcover)

The idea is to photograph two adorable children as if they are miniature visitors in their own house. They are tiny compared to the table, the cat, and everything else in their home.

The two girls are shown standing in the dirt beside a potted plant, and we read that they are "in a jungle." The photographs are crisp and clear and lifelike.

The girls imagine themselves on a grand adventure, but somehow these nice photos and clever settings don't add up to much of a story.

The neat feature of this story is this: the exotic elements of the girls' adventure are actually the regular, everyday objects in their house-- the cat, the houseplant, a toy airplane, etc. It's a nice idea, and the photographs are beautiful.

However, there are just about a million picture books for children out there with good stories, and this isn't one of them.

ken32

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parents and children will love this magical photo story, March 20, 2000

By 

Katharine Mark (Budapest, Hungary) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Are Here (Hardcover)

My daughter has been reading Nina Crews since she was one and loves all her books. She identifies intensely with Joy and Mariah, and delights in their adventures. Parents won't get bored either (even on the hundredth reading), enjoying the clever photos and engaging language. The way everyday objects take on a magical life can inspire parents who sometimes feel at a loss to devise unending entertainment. The use of an ordinary household setting also helps keep the adventures (giants, monsters, being lost in a faraway land) from being too scary.

5.0 out of 5 stars You Are Indeed Here, March 23, 2001

By 

vanessa cross (Memphis, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Are Here (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book. This microscopic view of what is available to explore inside of your home is quite delightful. It is very much like going on a museum tour through your house. By seeing items from a fresh perspective, in this case as miniature explorers, children and adults alike are offered an opportunity to re-stimulate their environment. The use of cultural imagery throughout the book makes one feel as if traveling on a safari. Wonderful buy.