The Perfect Spot - Hardcover

Blake, Robert J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399221328 ISBN 13: 9780399221323

Publisher: Philomel Books, 1992

Synopsis

In search of the perfect spot for Dad to paint and his son to look for the sphinx caterpillar and the cricket frog, a father and son walk on trails, climb hills, and cross glens in their search.

About this title

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 2-- Vibrant watercolors and lively text reveal the warm relationship between a boy and his artist-father. Together the pair search the woods for ``the perfect spot'' for the father to paint and the son to catch insects and frogs. The impressionistic illustrations depict the natural beauty of the forest and streams. The brief text is carefully placed on double-page spreads to achieve a unity with the accompanying pictures. A wordless spread captures the special magic of a shared moment of silence as father and son watch a herd of deer stop and drink from the stream. In addition to revealing the wonders of the natural world, this book would also be useful for units about artists and their work. --Barbara B. Murphy, Shaler Area School District Libraries, Pittsburgh
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A somewhat headstrong artist in search of "just the right scene" leads off the adventure in this slight picture book. Accompanied by his son--who has his own plans for exploring the woods--Dad brings paints, easel and a big canvas while the boy carries a net, jar and some shortbread. Dad's temper grows short as his ideal location keeps eluding him, so when the boy falls into a stream, he is sure he will be in trouble. But a good splash in the water cools everyone down and saves the afternoon. Blake's matter-of-fact text, narrated by the son, moves along briskly. Although most children will warm to the father-son excursion, some readers may be troubled by Dad's gruff, impatient manner. Nature enthusiasts will appreciate Blake's ( Riptide ; Finding Foxes ) expansive watercolors--occasionally calling to mind the work of Ted Rand--that depict a quiet wooded world of interspersed sun and shade, where deer dart among the trees and rushing water provides the only sound. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

An illustrator who made a fine debut with his oil paintings for Weller's Riptide (1990) turns to watercolor for his own story about an artist on a woodland expedition with his son. (New Jerseyans may recognize the Delaware Water Gap area.) Dad is looking for ``oak trees, shadows, rocks, and water''; the boy, a budding naturalist, hopes for ``a unicorn beetle...and a green cricket frog.'' Along the way, the search occasions some amiable negotiation plus splendidly evocative double spreads (Blake seems to have found a number of ``perfect spots for his paintings); at last, after both fall into the stream and decide it's a laughing matter (which several deer pause to observe), Dad settles down to paint. The interplay between parent and child, each dedicated to his own valuable pursuit, is as appealing as the lovely play of light through trees and water. (Picture book. 4-9) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Philomel Books
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0399221328
• ISBN 13: 9780399221323
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32