Sky Castle (Jody Bergsma Collection) (Hardcover)

by Sandra Hanken (Author), Jody Bergsma (Illustrator) "Let's build a great castle high up in the sky..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In this magical book, three little fairies help our imaginations soar as we build a dream castle in the sky. Sandra Hanken's poetic vision and Jody Bergsma's vivid illustrations create a majestic kingdom where all creatures are welcome. Intriguing Celtic borders twist through each page, adding special touches of mystery and creation. Once it's complete, the entire castle slides down to the Earth "on moonbeams and music and prayers."

About the Author
Though Sky Castle is the first book for Minnesota resident Sandra Hanken, sheÂ’s no stranger to the world of children. She has been an elementary school teacher, crisis shelter worker, parenting educator, and is currently a family social worker.

For many years, Sandra aspired to write "a book that would encourage their belief in themselves and their abilities." One January night, she awoke with the words, "LetÂ’s build a castle in the sky. WeÂ’ll build a castle you and I." When the rest the poem came a few days later, she knew that Jody Bergsma would be the perfect choice to illustrate her story.

Surrounded by woods and wildlife, Sandra and her husband live in their country home near the town of Chisholm, Minnesota. They have two grown children.

When she received the Sky Castle poem, Jody Bergsma immediately knew she wanted to illustrate it. "Making dreams come true is a recurring theme in my paintings," she says. Jody began her artistic career at the age of three after her mother suggested she draw her nightmares. Soon she discovered that monsters drawn in pink and green crayon were not so scary.

By her mid-teens, Jody was selling her fanciful works of art to an appreciative public. Now, three decades later JodyÂ’s original paintings, limited edition prints, and artistic clothing and gift items are sold internationally in gift stores and galleries.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Illumination Arts Publishing Company (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935699147
• ISBN-13: 978-0935699142
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #829,473 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charmingly simple...yet layers of mystery, January 20, 1999

By	Carol Wright ([e-mail]) (Orcas Island, WA) - See all my reviews

A simple poem tells of children dreaming alive a castle in the sky with room for all the world's animals. The poem is endearing enough, but compare what Jody Bergsma has done to extend the message of the book...the "children" are three Celtic fairies of different races, and Bergsma's brought intriguing Celtic borders and symbols into the dreamscape. Red strings (for protection) are placed around the animals' necks, a fairy wears a tri-yin-yang symbol...many layers to keep the adult interested. The animals and mythological beasts are delightful. Great message embraced by wonderful artistry. Truly appropriate for all ages.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful book for all ages, July 31, 2000

By	deborah josephson (MN) - See all my reviews

I love this book. My teenage children love this book. I've bought it for adults and children. The message is universal--dreaming and making it our reality--and that message is good for children and adults. This is a wonderful reminder for me that my thoughts and dreams can become my reality. Oh, I love the illustrations also.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sky Castle; lavish illustrations and wordy text, March 23, 2000

By A Customer

I bought Sky Castle because of the high reviews it received here. However, I was soon very disappointed. The illustrations are worthy of high praise, but the text is not. The entire book is one long wordy poem that tries too hard to rhyme. The book takes a wonderfully imaginative concept and drowns it in words. I had a hard time wrapping my mind around this text; I can only imagine how much work this would be for a child. Unfortunately, Sky Castle did not turn out to be the pleasurable, inspiring reading experience that I expected.