  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 04/01/2013 *Starred Review* In this gorgeous love song to the imagination, a little boy and his trusty basset hound want nothing more than to catch a glimpse of a whale. If you want to see a whale, there are certain things you’ll need, like a window looking out on a vast ocean. You’ll need plenty of patience, too: “time for waiting / and time for looking / and time for wondering, ‘is that a whale?’’’ You might be distracted by miraculous things along the way, like the sweet, fragrant smell of pink roses or pelicans perched on posts or an inchworm on a leaf. These are all wonderful things, but they are not a whale. But if you “keep both eyes on the sea / and wait . . . / and wait . . . / and wait . . .,” it just might happen. The creators of And Then It’s Spring (2012) return with this quiet, contemplative, beautiful poem about patience and dreams—and about enjoying the journey. The illustrations open up from a boy sitting before a window into the world of his own imagination, where whale-shaped clouds swirl overhead and an armchair becomes a boat. Sea-foam colors, set off on white backgrounds, saturate the pages; the blues and greens are textured, giving the sea a palpability and immediacy. And when that whale emerges at the very end, it’s breathtaking, and most certainly worth the wait. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Stead took home the Caldecott for A Sick Day for Amos McGee in 2011, while Fogliano and Stead’s first outing, And Then It’s Spring, received five starred reviews. Fans will be waiting. - Copyright 2013 Booklist. School Library Journal - 06/01/2013 PreS-Gr 2—A poetic text advises children what to do (and not do) if they want to see a whale, as the illustrations show a boy, a dog, and a bird trying out the actions suggested: "…if you want to see a whale,/you will need a not-so-comfy chair/and a not-so-cozy blanket/because sleeping eyes can't watch for whales…" and "…if you want to see a whale/you shouldn't watch the clouds/…because if you start to look straight up/you might just miss a whale." An imaginative effort, the book uses linoleum printing techniques and pencil for the softly colored illustrations. It is also designed with a great deal of white space, which deftly evokes the mystery and vastness of the sea. A unique and lovely offering that will appeal to sensitive and patient children.—Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2013 The author/illustrator team from And Then It’s Spring (BCCB 3/12) returns with another lyrical take on the natural world. Here’s what you’ll need if you want to see a whale: “A window and an ocean,” of course, but also “time for waiting and time for looking and time for wondering ‘is that a whale?’” You also should resist distractions (“You shouldn’t watch the clouds . . . because if you start to look straight up you might just miss a whale”), but eventually, your patience may be rewarded. Whale-watching is a much rarer experience than watching seeds sprout, and this is airier than the last title, with a greater emphasis on fantasy and imagination. Fogliano’s text is prettily musing and even lulling, and there’s an effective balance between smooth, tranquil pacing and well-conveyed specifics (“Be careful not to notice something inching, small and green across the leaf”). Stead populates the scenes with a cast similar to (though not the same as) that in the prior title: a red-headed boy, a droopy-eared hound, and an inquisitive shorebird, as well as the eventual very fine whale, all created with her eyelash-fine pencil linework; the open sea and coastline are particularly suited to her dappled woodblock colors in gentle shades and occasional delicate-lined sailing ship. Her work is often a study in composition, with horizon lines recurring like a chorus, counterpointed with subtle or strong diagonals and swoops. The whale itself is legitimately humongous yet also clearly wise and benign, politely presenting itself to the presumably well-pleased whale searchers. This could be an inducement to some imaginary eyes-shut travel, or just an offbeat choice for sending kids off to dreamland. DS - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
 |