Hey Willy, See the Pyramids

Kalman, Maira

ISBN 10: 0670821632 ISBN 13: 9780670821631

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers, 1988

Synopsis

Alexander loves listening to his sister Lulu's inventive bedtime stories--about the blue and green mountains where fish fly, the three cross-eyed dogs that eat in fancy restaurants, and Aunt Ida's most unusual party

About this title

About the Author

In her own words: "born. bucolic childhood. culture-stuffed adolescence. played piano. stopped. danced. stopped. wrote. discarded writing. drew. reinstated writing. married Tibor Kalman and collaborated at iconoclastic yet successful design studio. wrote and painted children's books. worried. took up Ping-Pong. relaxed. wrote and painted for many magazines.  cofounded the Rubber Band Society. amused. children: two. dog: one."

Review

"This book has genuine warmth. A party for endearing oddballs takes place in the sunshine. Attending are many relatives, many twins, many animals, and so many sweet mutants you may feel off balance but you won’t feel bored." —Parents’ Choice Gold Award, from the Parents’ Choice Foundation

"This one is far, far out, but has a heart of gold.... The illustrations are child-like, imaginative, and surreal; their swell, bright colors contrast with the white text on black pages where the kids talk and finally ‘both sink in / and see flying chairs / and green hats / and pink things / and sink some and / slowly sink / into sleep.’ Outlandish, but born of genuine creativity and understanding. Try it." —Kirkus Reviews

"Kalman’s unique illustrations are drawn from the far reaches of the imagination. The bizarre and the commonplace are mixed brilliantly, theatrically punctuated by black pages with the dialogue of the sleepy siblings shown in white type. Although this will not suit everyone, the stream-of-consciousness style is one that many will embrace uncritically, assisted by the colorful images and humorous figures that are scattered throughout." —Publishers Weekly

"A young boy pleads with his older sister for some bedtime stories, and Lulu obliges with some brief, highly imaginative tales that are matched to perfection with Kalman’s friendly illustrations, electric and eccentric. Childlike but with a cutting, surreal edge, these pictures are wildly funny. This is a free-spirited book that will engage children on many levels." —School Library Journal

"Maira Kalman’s marvelously inventive gifts really shine in the picture-book format. I’ve long felt that her artwork, with its playful use of color and perspective, provides kids with a fantastic organic introduction to the manifold varieties of art. When my son Max was little, we spent many happy hours together enjoying Stay Up Late; Hey Willy, See the Pyramids; Chicken Soup, Boots; What Pete Ate; and more." —Lisa Pliscou, author of Dude

"Overall, Hey Willy, See the Pyramids is a truly wonderful and creative book about dreams and stories that children will love for years! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up."
—Rabbit Ears (blog)

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1988
• ISBN 10: 0670821632
• ISBN 13: 9780670821631
• Binding: Library Binding
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48