Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water: Two Nursery Rhymes (Hardcover)

by Maurice Sendak (Author, Illustrator) "Hector Protector was dressed all in green..." (more)
Key Phrases: Hector Protector

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Now in its second season, HarperCollins's reissue of 22 Sendak classics continues. This time, his collaborations with Ruth Krauss take center stage. In Charlotte and the White Horse, first published in 1955, creamy pages frame Sendak's softly lit illustrations of a girl who convinces her father to keep a wobbly legged horse and cares for him until he can stand on his own. Sendak's delicate watercolors suit the dream-like mood of a boy who accomplishes all that he sets out to do in his imaginary world, in I Want to Paint My Bathroom Blue (1956), also by Krauss. A boy's imagination also comes to the fore in A Very Special House (1953) by Krauss, as the artist depicts the hero creating a home filled with a turtle, a giant, a very old lion and "some monkeys and some skunkeys." Oversize pages brim with the creatures as well as his house's "very special" furnishings. Open House for Butterflies (1960) takes a similar format to these collaborators' classic A Hole Is to Dig, and lastly, Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water: Two Nursery Rhymes (1965) by Sendak conveys as much plot through the artist's wordless spreads as with the minimal text. For collectors and budding readers alike. Nov.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Since Caldecott and Lesley Brooke, nobody has illustrated nursery rhymes this well... Wonderfully funny, charming drawings..." -- The New York Review of Books

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (November 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060286423
• ISBN-13: 978-0060286422
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,197,980 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great artwork, awful poems, awful messages, September 25, 2006

By	Fry Boy (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews

Rarely have I encountered a children's book that is so horrible. Two bratty, violent kids in two poorly written rhymes. The artwork is classic Sendak, which is good, but save your money. Don't even take it out from the library. Sendak must have gotten this published on his reputation alone, 'cause Yon Booke Doth Stinketh.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Family Favorite, August 22, 2005

By	S. Curry "loves books" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water: Two Nursery Rhymes (Library Binding)

All of my children loved this book. It was one of the first ones they could read independently. Our copy is 30 years old and it looks very loved.

5.0 out of 5 stars A little-known Sendak gem, September 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hector Protector & As I W Pb (Paperback)

This book happens to be my favorite Sendak. Taking two rather obscure Mother Goose rhymes, Sendak creates compelling stories purely through his illustrations. One could read the book entirely through his drawings, without making any reference to the texts. A very imaginative book, particularly as the child who is reading it has to make an effort to look at the pictures to follow the narrative.