Dream Weaver (Rise and Shine) - Hardcover

London, Jonathan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152009442 ISBN 13: 9780152009441

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1998

Synopsis

Silently, a tiny yellow spider spins her fragile web. As a young boy stops to watch, she crawls along the delicate silken threads, sometimes hanging, sometimes spinning, sometimes staring back. Before the boy knows it, the spider’s world has become his own. . . .

About this title

About the Author

JONATHAN LONDON has written more than forty books for children, including the eight Froggy books, which were all named IRA-CBC Children's Choices, and his books about fun animal behaviors--Crunch Munch, Snuggle Wuggle, and Wiggle Waggle. He lives with his family in northern California.

Reviews

Through the eyes of a curious child, readers observe the behavior of a single yellow spider and his world in a lyrical bedtime story. London's text is gentle and peaceful, chronicling the actions of the spider as his world becomes the child's. The paintings offer a spider's-eye view of a giant snail, deep pools of water droplets, and danger as hikers crash through the woods. At bedtime, the spider weaves his web, calm as a starry night. Baviera's illustrations perfectly convey the poetic tone and tilt of the text, yanking readers right into the tiny milieu. Fascinating and fun spider facts cap off a rare effort where engaging text, distinct illustrations, and smart design jibe perfectly. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Grade 1-3ABoy meets arachnid in this dreamlike encounter. As a young hiker walks along a path, he spots the tiny creature: "Yellow spider glows like the evening star,/gleaming over the sea/beside the crescent moon." As he looks closer, the illustrations zoom in, providing deep-hued, magnified views of the spider's leafy, insect-filled world. The youngster is shown again at the end of the book, dreaming about his spider-watching day. The poetic text invites readers to participate: "If you're quiet and listen,/maybe you can hear its feet/on the sparkling web." Unfortunately, the accompanying view of the boy in this early scene is jolting, showing a wide-eyed and partial view of his face that suggests fright or horrified amazement rather than a friendly smile. The crayon pencil drawings are painterly in glowing red, green, blue, and yellow. Full-page scenes face white pages of text and lines of yellow type arch artfully across several double-spreads of gigantic snails and leaves. Though the text refers to the tiny size of these creatures, the idea seems to be that viewers are actually trading places and becoming smaller than the insects. It's an evocative and experimental approach that will confuse some readers and appeal to others. The poetic descriptions and impressionistic illustrations are sometimes vague and even contradictory. Still, this is a handsome book and an appreciative tribute to the world of the orb weaver spider. A final page of factual notes about these creatures is included.AMargaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This woodland idyll spins the delicate tale of Yellow Spider, an orb weaver. Magnifying the spider's hidden world, London (The Eyes of Gray Wolf) writes his lyric prose in second person ("If you're quiet and listen, maybe you can hear its feet on the sparkling web"), while Bavier (A Boy Called Slow) spotlights the initial spider sighting, then cleverly introduces a boy viewer with whom readers can readily identify. The book thus becomes an invitation into the orb weaver's universe. Here, a snail is gargantuan (it fills an entire spread), and "a raindrop on a fallen leaf is a forest pool." The tranquil, Lilliputian perspective shifts when a hiker charges through, and Baviera shows the spider's web and environs in shambles (and the hiker's footprint in evidence). Undaunted, Yellow Spider "waits, then begins to weave." Bavier's full-bleed, electric, crayon pencil illustrations and telephoto focus heighten the miniature drama. With a palette of primary and secondary shades, Bavier's pictures fairly vibrate with intensity. An addendum, presented as a notebook entry, fills in the scientific details of Yellow Spider. Even reluctant scientists can appreciate this unflinching arachnid hero and may see the world a little differently after viewing it through his eyes. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 4^-7. Watching a yellow spider on its web, a boy imagines himself spider size and observes nearby creatures: an ant, a snail, and a hiker, who breaks the web as well as the spell of imagination. After the boy places the spider on its broken web and watches it begin to weave, he returns home and goes to bed, where he dreams of weaving a web to catch fallen stars and returning them to the night sky. On the last page, the boy writes down 10 facts about spiders. Made with crayon pencils, the well-composed illustrations feature layers of intense colors, their brightness enhanced by contrast and complement. Text and pictures together create a mood and tell a story, as well as sharpen children's sensitivity to the natural world. A good picture book to read aloud. Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0152009442
• ISBN 13: 9780152009441
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Baviera Rocco
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32