Anna is reluctant to plant the kernels of corn her grandpa has left her upon his death, until she realizes that the act will help her remember the times they listened to the music of the corn together.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Delicately overlapping themes about the cycles of life, Santucci (Loon Lake) crafts a memorable, touching story about the death of a girl's much-loved grandfather. Grandpa teaches Anna that the corn in his fields makes "its own kind of music" and he shows her how to hear it, too: "A sudden gust of wind breathed through the dried corn stalks until a song formed. A raspy song, like Grandpa's voice." Grandpa gives Anna some kernels, and that winter, as he lays ill, he makes her promise to plant them. Shortly afterward he dies, and Anna wrestles with her promise. "If I bury them, they'll be gone forever," she tells her mother. Bloom (A Man Named Thoreau) contributes some of his most affecting work yet, rendering his soulful, folksy compositions in a restrained blend of graphite, watercolor pencils and pastels. His nuanced use of color subtly draws readers' attention to changes in the seasons that correspond to the changes in Anna's feelings. For example, when Anna finally resolves to plant the corn, Bloom shows her smiling in the field; light browns and grays (used for the soil, Anna's clothing, parts of the sky, etc.) dominate the illustration, while a patch of green in the distance reinforces the springtime setting, with its promise of renewal, as well as the rebirth of Anna's hopes. Not only useful for readers coping with bereavement, this work is resonant in its own right as a celebration of continuity, in nature and in the heart. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Grade 1-4-In the fall, Anna loves to walk through the drying cornfield with her grandfather. The raspy, crackling music of the stalks has the same quality as his aging voice. On one walk, he gives her a few kernels of corn to plant in the spring, and then he falls ill. After his death during the winter, Anna becomes reluctant to plant the seeds and lose them, too. With patient understanding and encouragement from her mother, the child grows to the realization that planting the seeds will renew her memories, and give her a chance to hear Grandpa's voice and the corn music again. The colored-pencil, graphite, and soft-pastel illustrations reinforce the hushed quality of the story. Following the same style that he used in Libba Moore Gray's When Uncle Took the Fiddle (Orchard, 1999), Bloom uses elongated figures that echo the corn plants swaying in the wind. The harmony of text and pictures is apparent in the muted colors and gentle figures. This quiet, reflective story can help children to accept the cycles of life and death, and the importance of memories in working through the grieving process. They can read this book on their own, but it will serve better if shared with an adult.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Orion Tech, Kingwood, TX, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Bloom, Lloyd (illustrator). Seller Inventory # 0802851193-3-28759076
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Bloom, Lloyd (illustrator). Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00070078042
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Bloom, Lloyd (illustrator). Library Binding. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # GRP95537231
Quantity: 3 available
Seller: Goodwill, Brooklyn Park, MN, U.S.A.
Condition: Acceptable. Bloom, Lloyd (illustrator). This is a retired library book with typical wear/markings. May or may not have library stickers attached which will not be removed. Cover/Case has some rubbing and edgewear. Access codes, CDs, slipcovers and other accessories may not be included. Seller Inventory # 2Y6RVS002V10_ns
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Bloom, Lloyd (illustrator). Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.8. Seller Inventory # G0802851193I3N00
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Bloom, Lloyd (illustrator). Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.8. Seller Inventory # G0802851193I3N10
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Bloom, Lloyd (illustrator). SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 21-0802851193-G
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Bloom, Lloyd (illustrator). SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 12-0802851193-G
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books Unplugged, Amherst, NY, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Bloom, Lloyd (illustrator). Buy with confidence! Book is in good condition with minor wear to the pages, binding, and minor marks within 0.81. Seller Inventory # bk0802851193xvz189zvxgdd
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Lowry's Books, Three Rivers, MI, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Bloom, Lloyd (illustrator). First Edition. Some light rubbing and edgewear, DJ has minor staining. Text is clean and tight in binding, no ownership or other markings. Signed and inscribed "Listen to the music of nature! " on title page. Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Signed and Inscribed. Seller Inventory # 095622
Quantity: 1 available