Under the Blanket

Gill, Madelaine; Linden, Madelaine Gill

ISBN 10: 0316526266 ISBN 13: 9780316526265

Publisher: Little Brown & Co, 1987

Synopsis

Mouse, Bear, and Lion search the house from top to bottom, looking everywhere for the missing Gillian

About this title

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 A simple tale told in verse, this story follows two toy-like creatures, Lion and Mouse, as they search for Gillian, who is missing at tea time. The verse is childlike but forced in parts; for example: ``In this house lives Gillian, too./ A little girl whose shoes are blue.'' It is, however, consistently rhythmic and easy to read aloud. Tiny pastel watercolors with figures reminiscent of early Sendak or a simplified Beatrix Potter expand and interpret the verse. Each two lines of text are illustrated, and the delicate watercolors are filled with delightful details that should make children want to stop and study them: the shell collection arranged on a windowsill behind the table where Gillian is pouring tea; the toys scattered by Mouse and Lion as they search the toy basket for Gillian; and the two-page view of Gillian's room with Mouse, Lion, and Bear looking around for Gillian, who seems to ``have vanished into thin air.'' The poetry is certainly not Prelutsky or Silverstein, nor does it have the rhythm or bounce of Karla Kuskin. Its charm lies in the integration of verse and illustration; however, the diminutive size of the illustrations make it an unlikely candidate for sharing with more than two children at a time. But with a very young child or two cuddling up to listen on a rainy day, this little book is just right. Constance A. Mellon, Department of Library & Information Studies, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

In a jingling series of couplets, Linden tells the story of Gillian, Mouse, Lion and Honey Bear, who played together each day. "But one afternoon when the clock had struck three,/ Gillian was not at the table to tea." What follows is a spirited game of hide-and-seek as Gillian's friends look in an old chest, behind the door and other places. Readers finally see the room in its entirety, including the lumpy pink blanket underneath which Gillian has been hiding the whole time. Linden's pastel watercolors are charming, the toy-like animals are winsome and cuddly, and Gillian is appealing in her striped socks and one blue shoe. It is unfortunate that the mystery of Gillian's hiding place is given away by the title, but this is bound to appeal to children who love the timeless game of hide-and-seek. Ages 38.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Little Brown & Co
• Publication date: 1987
• ISBN 10: 0316526266
• ISBN 13: 9780316526265
• Binding: Library Binding
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32