Cynthia Rylant is the author of more than 100 books for young
people, including the beloved Henry and Mudge, Annie and Snowball,
Brownie & Pearl, Motor Mouse, and Mr. Putter & Tabby series. Her
novel Missing May received the Newbery Medal. She lives
in Portland, Oregon.
Brendan Wenzel’s artwork often explores the natural world and our
relationship to it and he has teamed up with many groups working to
preserve wild places and creatures around the world. He has
illustrated several acclaimed animal-themed picture books,
including Some Bugs and Some Pets by Angela DiTerlizzi, Beastly
Babies by Ellen Jackson, and his own They All Saw a Cat. He lives
in New York.
Rylant (Creation) looks to the natural world for wisdom and
consolation as Wenzel’s (They All Saw a Cat) lush, heavily worked
artwork imagines a primordial Earth with few signs of human
existence. “Life begins small,” Rylant opens; among bare hills, a
lone plant sprouts from red earth. “Then it grows.” A fantastic
gathering of wild animals and birds looks out at readers
expectantly. “Ask any animal on earth, what do you love about
life?” Each animal has its own answer (“The hawk will say sky”),
and its distinctive nature and perception determine the way it sees
the world, just as ours do. Difficulties appear and fade, and when
low moments come, “trust the rabbit in the field and the deer who
crosses your path.” Animals are not just wise: twin vignettes of an
eager dog and a wide-eyed cat remind readers that “in every corner
of the world, there is something to love.” Readers in search of
inspiration that does not need to be taken on faith will find it in
Rylant’s message that to live is to grow.
*April 10, 2017*
Readers are invited to reflect on life with the help of
animals.Addressing readers directly, the narrator opens with a
modest statement: "Life begins small." See an elephant grow bigger
as it walks underneath the fierce sun and gentle moon, through days
and nights. Life, it seems, also promises change—and wonders. A
hawk soars in the sky, while elsewhere, a camel stands tall in a
desert. Sitting on a rock, a turtle relishes the "rain on its
back." Each glimpse of an animal in the natural world elicits a
small jolt of joy thanks in part to Caldecott honoree Wenzel's
exquisite illustrations, which render these moments with low-key
precision. On one page, dark and soft blues bathe an adult elephant
and its smaller companion, both gray beacons in a picture of a
nighttime march. On another page, a snake blends in with the
smeared greens, yellowed brown, and hints of reds that make up the
grass. But even with all these merry images, moments of bleakness
can follow. The narrator proposes another fact: "Life is not always
easy." A small bird flies alone and vulnerable through a storm,
seeming lost before it finally breaks through. Thankfully, Rylant
keeps the narratorial voice direct and brief during scenes serene
or frightful. Flashes of levity in the illustrations and text
(think "grassssssssssss") serve to underscore the creators' trust
in readers. A splendid tribute to the world and its splendors, with
something to offer audiences of a broad range of ages. (Picture
book. 4-adult)
*5/1/17*
Veteran author Rylant tackles a subject both as tiny as a leaf and
as huge as the cosmos, as various animals are born and work
their way through the beautiful, though sometimes scary, world.
Most heartening here is the message that when things seem
tough, there is always something to love, something to protect, and
a reason to arise each morning, if only to find out what
happens next. Rylant’s poetic text is as spare as Wenzel’s
artwork is effusive. Occasionally, his nature scenes bring to mind
the work of Henri Rousseau, but there is also humor, courtesy
of the animals’ faces. Both text and art have disjointed
moments—asking what the animals love about their lives takes
away some of the grandeur, as does the
one-and-done appearance of house pets amidst depictions of the
natural world. But more important, this book gives
a shining overview of life’s peaks and valleys and conveys the
importance of understanding that a curve in the road only
starts a journey anew.
*May 15, 2017*
A spiritual yet not overtly religious epistle on hope and the many
reasons to embrace life. It opens with the notion that “life begins
small.” Wenzel shows a seedling surrounded by mountains. The next
spread declares: “Even for the elephants. Then it grows.” A calf is
seen looking up to the enormous adults in its herd. Several animals
discuss what they love about life, and as the author acknowledges
that “life is not always easy,” readers observe a bluebird flying
through a storm. They are asked to remember that there is always
“something to love…and to protect.” The narrative continues in this
vein, promising that “it is worth waking up in the morning to see
what might happen.” The mood of the child-friendly illustrations
shifts appropriately from the darkness of the wilderness to the
vitality of life seen in a flock of birds crossing the moon. The
illustrator infuses the book with humor where possible, such as in
the expression of a floppy-eared, stick-bearing dog or a camel
kicking up sand across a spread...Wenzel’s exuberant
paintings...are quite engaging and convey a deep appreciation for
the wonders of the natural world.
*June 2017*
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