Tuesday (Hardcover)

by David Wiesner (Author) "TUESDAY EVENING, AROUND EIGHT..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
"Tuesday evening, around eight"--a deceptively mundane beginning for what proves to be a thrilling, miraculous, and surreal amphibian journey. Slowly and quietly on this particular Tuesday, a few fat frogs begin hovering over a swamp, riding lily pads like magic carpets. Clearly satisfied and comfortable, the floating frogs are as serene as little green buddhas. Gradually, the flying fleet grows in momentum and number, sailing over the countryside and into an unsuspecting town. These frogs know how to have fun--startling the occasional bird, waving webbed feet at late-night snack-eaters, and even changing the channels on a sleeping granny's television. As day breaks, the frogs lose their lily pads, head back to the pond, and wait impatiently for their next scheduled departure.

Tuesday won the 1992 Caldecott Medal and, among other honors, was named as an ALA Notable Children's Book. The critical acclaim will come as no surprise to anyone who opens the pages of this beautiful and humorous book. With hardly any words (except those noting the time), David Wiesner creates a wondrous romp as silent as the middle of the night. Using the rich purples, blues, and greens of late evening, Wiesner draws readers into the warm, incandescent world of frog flight. "Read" this wordless wonder to children and savor it for yourself as well. Chances are, you and the youngsters will both find yourselves poised at the window, hoping to catch a few airborne frogs in the act. (Ages 4 and older)

From Publishers Weekly
In this nearly wordless picture book, Wiesner ( Hurricane ; Free Fall ) again takes readers on an imaginative voyage, using everyday reality merely as a touchstone. Here, a squadron of frogs soars through the night air one Tuesday, squatting upon lilypads that they use as flying carpets. Apparently intending no harm, these mysterious visitors to a suburban development leave a minimum of disruption as evidence of their eerie flight: a few startled eyewitnesses, some scattered lilypads and a spooked dog. Wiesner's visuals are stunning: slightly surrealistic, imbued with mood and mystery, and executed with a seemingly flawless command of palette and perspective. But, perhaps because this fantasy never coalesces around a human figure, it is less accessible and less resonant than his tales that center on a child protagonist. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (April 22, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395551137
• ISBN-13: 978-0395551134
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #150,824 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Monday you can fall apart. Tuesday, Wednesday break my heart, April 21, 2004

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

We've all heard the stories of the skies, for whatever reason, raining frogs on innocent town travelers. This natural occurrence of the wild is one of the great weirdnesses of life. So how much odder is it, really, to consider frogs flying? They have all the self-possession required of such a task. Frogs are a uniquely calm species. Confident even. In Dave Wiesner's essentially wordless book "Tuesday", amphibian folk are given the unexplained power of floatation. In his tale, Wiesner considers what exactly frogs would do with the gift of flying if it was granted them.

One of the best pictures in this book is on one of the first pages. There, a turtle cowers into its shell as black eyed pupil-less frogs rise on their lily pads out of the water. The frogs descend, so to speak, on a nearby suburb, and proceed to wreak some minor havok. They disturb a man pausing to eat a late night sandwich. They disturb laundry and enter old ladies' homes to watch a little telly. And they take a great amount of pleasure in scaring a dog that would undoubtedly eat them if it had the chance. As the book ends, the frogs are relieved of their otherworldly powers and hop back to the swamps, leaving only their lily pads behind them. The next Tuesday, at the same time, we're given a hint of how a more porcine animal will handle flight.

Wiesner is a genius at the visual gag. His illustrations are simple watercolors, well-detailed and in-depth. Wiesner knows when to give an animal human expressions and when to leave it looking particularly froggy. He gets every single one of those frogs' spots down , and can manipulate his illustrations in such a way that you never doubt for a moment the ridiculous things you're seeing. To top it all off, the man's a master at conveying light. I'm particularly attached to a scene of flying frogs watching t.v., a wary cat crouching in the background. The old lady asleep in the chair is wearing glasses that are reflecting the light of the television perfectly. On top of that, this is exactly what a room lit only by a single screen looks like. Wiesner's details are marvelous. Make sure to notice the frog appreciatively eyeing the old lady's painting of the forest.

There aren't that many wordless picture books out there these days though Wiesner has made a name for himself by specializing in this area. After reading "Tuesday", you can understand why he deserves this honor. Both witty and perverse, this author/illustrator lets you see into worlds you never could have imagined existed before he came up with them. You'll be thankful that he did.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars to be read EVERY Tuesday, May 19, 2002

By	Jay - See all my reviews

In the inside of the cover, Wiesner claims these events actually happened one Tuesday and... "all those in doubt are reminded that there is always another Tuesday." Beginning at 8:00pm, we see a three-part picture of a pond that changes perspective to focus on an alarmed turtle. Frogs on lilypads have taken flight and begin to chase after birds, intimidate a dog and confuse a man eating midnight snack. As morning approaches, the frogs return to their pond, leaving their lilypads and the curious detectives behind. The story ends with the words, "next Tuesday" and the shadow of a flying pig.

I've used this book in primary classrooms. It is a very cute story with only a few words. It also provides a wonderful opportunity for children to tell or write their own words. This enables students who cannot read yet to engage in a literate activity.

Why 5 stars?:
This book tells a cute fantasy story with very few words. It lends itself to having children make up their own text, which will support their emerging literacy skills. The illustrations are incredibly lifelike and it is no wonder it won a Caldecott.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilariously done, September 26, 2001

By	Jim Carson "http://www.jimcarson.com" (Bellevue, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

We've enjoyed this book because it does so well at telling the story without words. The story is very fun to walk a child through because there is so much detail in the pcitures, each reading is different. For example, the look on the frogs' faces is one of sly amusement. Our daughter really laughed at the picture of the frog using the TV remote control.