Mr. George Baker (Reading Rainbow Books) - Softcover

Hest, Amy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0763633089 ISBN 13: 9780763633080

Publisher: Candlewick, 2007

Synopsis

A best-selling author and illustrator pay tribute to the power of language and intergenerational bonds.

George Baker and Harry don’t seem the likeliest of friends. Yet, sitting side by side on George’s porch, waiting for the school bus to come, the two have plenty in common, this hundred-year-old musician with the crookedy fingers going tappidy on his knees and the young schoolboy whose shoelaces always need tying. They’re both learning to read, which is hard — but what’s easy is the warm friendship they share. In an inspired pairing, a best-selling author and illustrator pay tribute to the power of language and intergenerational bonds.

About this title

About the Author:

Amy Hest is the author of many outstanding books for children, including the Baby Duck books, illustrated by Jill Barton. She also wrote YOU CAN DO IT, SAM; DON'T YOU FEEL WELL, SAM?; and KISS GOOD NIGHT, all illustrated by Anita Jeram. Two of her books, WHEN JESSIE CAME ACROSS THE SEA, illustrated by P.J. Lynch, and KISS GOOD NIGHT, were awarded the Christopher Medal.

Jon J Muth is the award-winning creator of several children's books, including STONE SOUP and THE THREE QUESTIONS. He illustrated COME ON, RAIN! by Karen Hesse and OLD TURTLE AND THE BROKEN TRUTH by Douglas Wood. His highly acclaimed comic books are published in Japan and the United States.

From Publishers Weekly:

Hest (the Baby Duck books) and Muth (Stone Soup) eloquently capture a friendship between two neighbors in the span of a morning wait for the school bus. First grader Harry and Mr. George Baker ("He's a hundred years old, no kidding," the boy claims), an African-American jazz drummer ("some people say he's famous"), share a special bond revealed through Harry's descriptive, first-person observations. "I really like his sweater,/ all hangy with three buttons./ It's chilly in the morning, and/ we both hug our knees./ And wait. We wait, watching/ leaves blow off trees." His youthful, sometimes lyrical narrative offers a peek into their understated relationship. "See his pants, all baggy, baggy, baggy?/ .../ There's candy in those pockets./ .../ George pops one in his mouth and I do too." But the biggest connection the two share is that they're both learning to read. Muth's soft watercolors maintain visual interest with varied perspectives of the same porch scene. In one, the pair sits similarly posed, arms crossed over knees, while another spread allows readers to peer out from the recesses of the porch, over their shoulders and identical book bags. With George's "crookedy fingers, going tappidy on his knees," Muth fluidly unveils a montage from a bygone era; a close-up of the man's large, dark hands fades downward into a nostalgic jazz club scene. When the bus finally arrives, both friends board, hand in hand. An upbeat, hopeful tale that speaks compellingly to intergenerational friendship. Ages 5-8.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0763633089
• ISBN 13: 9780763633080
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Muth Jon J