Wake Up House! - Hardcover

Lillegard, Dee

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0679883517 ISBN 13: 9780679883517

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2000

Synopsis

This wide-awake collection of 34 poems reveals the essential personalities of the household objects that surround us. When the sun rises in the opening poems, its light wakes up the objects that fill a toddler's day --a chilly bathroom floor in the morning "waits to greet/two sleepy feet," a vacuum cleaner in the afternoon "Roars over carpets/ zig zag zips/sucking up fuzz/through metal lips," a rocking chair in the evening: "Rocker, rocker/dear old soul/rock, rock, rock/but do not roll!" and a night-light at bedtime "Gladly glows/because he knows/he makes things safe/for eyes to close." With vivid three-dimensional artwork, Wake Up House! is as much fun to look at as it is to listen to and is sure to be a favorite for sharing--morning, noon, and night.

About this title

Review:

Thirty-four short and evocative poems describe and personify a house as it wakes up and goes through its day. The clothes dryer is portrayed as a gentle, nurturing soul:

When clothes are wet
and want to cry,
she warms them up
and tumbles them dry.

The couch is a "Friendly chap/ with a big soft lap," while the fan has a slightly more sinister personality:

A blur of blades
with chilling power.
Then a silent,
steel-petaled
flower.

Dee Lillegard's quirky, inventive verses illuminate and inspire, encouraging readers of all ages to view their everyday surroundings in a whole new light. Find more creative wordplay from Lillegard in The Wild Bunch and The Poombah of Badoombah. Don Carter's fantastic sculptural illustrations perfectly complement the rhymes. Using foam board, plaster, and acrylic paints, he creates wonderfully original three-dimensional paintings. Young readers will want to start right in on a poetic exploration of their own surroundings. (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie Coulter

From the Back Cover:

"A magical book of poetry." — School Library Journal, Starred

"Young children will delight in these quick and quirky poems." — Parents

"Simple, cheerful rhymes . . . and clear, beautiful illustrations express how small children discover the place where they live." — Booklist

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0679883517
• ISBN 13: 9780679883517
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Carter Don