Puddles (Hardcover)

~ Jonathan London (Author) "All night the slash of rain and the flash of lightning,..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K. The creators of Like Butter on Pancakes (Viking, 1995) join forces again, this time in a paean to a puddle-filled day. Karas's paint-and-pastel illustrations use earthbound perspectives and the yellow-green tones of early spring to evoke the morning after a storm. Two children romp through this watery world in visual compositions that are strong and satisfying. Unfortunately, London's verse, particularly his onomatopoeic phrases ("drip drip drip," "splash, splash, splash!"), lacks the auditory panache of Kimberley Knutson's Muddigush (Macmillan, 1992), Mary Serfozo's Rain Talk (McElderry, 1990), Taro Yashima's Umbrella (Viking, 1958), or even Like Butter on Pancakes. Images such as "worms squirm/and stretch and leave tiny trails/in the muck like sloppy writing?/they're learning the ABCs/of weather" and "Birds flap/from the trees/and we think the trees/are applauding!" may not mean much to very young audiences. Still, London catalogues a glorious array of the delights of muddy weather, and Karas adds the zing.?Marcia Hupp, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-6. London and Karas get it just right here--the magic and physical delight of wading in mud and puddle jumping after a rainstorm. In London's simple, poetic text, a brother and sister "cuddle / between fright / and glee" as they listen to a thunderstorm at night but rush outside the next day to a "sky wiped clean / of the last cloud." Karas translates the children's joyful exploration of the storm's legacy--frogs and worms to watch, mud that sucks at their boots, and puddles in all shapes and sizes--into a series of jubilant double-page paintings that cleverly play with perspective to make every picture a happy surprise. The wonderful picture of chocolate brown mud is truly glorious. A great rainy-day book that will be read and read again, with illustrations perfectly sized for both small-group and lap sharing. Stephanie Zvirin

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670872180
• ISBN-13: 978-0670872183
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,492,935 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's So Fun to Play Outside After it RAINS!!!!!, September 4, 1999

By A Customer

My daughter (22 months) LOVES this book! It tells of the adventures of two childern who go outside to explore (and puddle jump, of course) after a night of thunder, lightening, and RAIN! My daugher brings this book to myself or my husband all the time and says "read Puddles". It's a must have in your collection.

5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite children's book, February 5, 2009

By	P. Schwartz (Andover, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Puddles (Paperback)

This is one of my absolute favorite childrens books. It follows along as a brother and sister delight in all puddles have to offer. Their enjoyment of the day reminds me of how much fun it was to be a kid. This book can be read to the very young, and will captivate them until they are about 8 years old (unless they are like me, who is still captivated!)