Saturday, September 17, 2005

WHAT'S THE MAGIC WORD


Illustrated by Marsha Winborn
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 1–Little Bird has barely hatched out of his shell when a gusty gale picks him up and sends him swirling into the sky. Landing near a hay-filled stall, he asks the resident cow if he can come inside. The cow demands, "What's the magic word, Little Bird?" The youngster tries "Peep-peep?" but is soon set straight: "No, no. Haven't you heard?/Moo-moo/is the magic word…." Just then, the breeze comes again, and this time, the chick winds up in front of a beehive, where the magic word is "Buzz-buzz." Every time the wind sweeps Little Bird up, he lands near a different animal's home and the required phrase changes again. In the end, he is finally blown back to his original branch, where Mama Bird is waiting to ask him for the magic word. The poor little creature tries them all, only to learn that the answer is "Please!" The gently rhyming text twists and dances around the pages to stimulate gusts of wind. Rendered in pen and markers touched with brushstrokes of watercolor, the pastel-hued illustrations bring the charming farm and its occupants to life. Little Bird and his mother are plump yellow creatures with tiger-striped wings and speckled bellies. Don't wait for a blustery day to share this tale, which is suitable for both storytimes and one-on-one reading.
–Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY

From Booklist:

PreS-K. The first hours of life are traumatic for fuzzy peepster Little Bird, as he is swept out of his nest in a squall and can't find shelter from the storm. Whenever he requests permission from a fellow animal to enter a sty or stall or hive, he never knows, when asked, what the proper magic word might be: "Hello? Hello? Can I come in?" / "What's the magic word, Little Bird?" / "Peep-peep?" / "No, no. Haven't you heard? / Moo-moo / is the magic word, silly Little Bird." Of course, "Moo-moo" is not the magic word for a bee, nor is "Buzz-buzz" the magic word for a dog. Whisked away in a final gust of wind, Little Bird lands back in his mother's nest, where "Please" turns out to be the magic word. Winborn's illustrations are lively, expressive, and sweetly comical, capturing Little Bird's rampant swirling with swooshy white strokes. A breezy, rhyming read-aloud and gentle etiquette lesson rolled into one.
Karin Snelson

Great Book!
January 15, 2005
Reviewer: Mikey's Mom (Macomb, MI) - I just finished reading this book to my 2yr old son and he really enjoyed the book - he could follow the storyline and enjoyed the illustrations - it's a fun little story. Very nice work - would purchase other books from K. DiPucchio.

6:33 PM

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