When No One is Watching - Hardcover

Spinelli, Eileen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 080285303X ISBN 13: 9780802853035

Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2013

Synopsis

When no one is watching, it's easy to be brave -- to dance and sing, growl and cheer. But when everyone's watching, this book's shy young narrator finds it far easier to hide. With her best friend, Loretta, though, she doesn't feel shy, embarrassed, awkward, or odd -- not one bit. Together they're like two peas in a pod, whether anyone's watching or not.

Any readers who have felt shy will certainly recognize themselves within the pages of this adorable book, which will encourage even the most timid of audiences with its celebration of the value of a good friend.

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About this title

About the Author

Eileen Spinelli's love of books began at age five,during her first visit to the local public library. ?Iclimbed up the steps to the children's room on the secondfloor and into a wonderland! Books everywhere . . . Ididn't know which book to grab first,? she explains. ?Itmade no difference to me that I couldn't read.? After that,young Eileen visited the library every Saturday with hermother. After a few years of library visits, she knew shewanted to become a writer.

The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, and The Atlantic Monthly. He has illustrated several children's books, including Call Me Marianne

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-The nameless protagonist in this picture book is a wallflower around other people, but alone, she blossoms with exuberant play and a vivid imagination. Quirky and endearing with her wild mop of black curls, pink high-tops, and struggle with shyness, she will appeal to readers who know what's budding inside them, but who aren't quite ready to open up. The illustrations alternately show the little girl's introverted behavior and her lone, free-spirited singing, dancing, stomping, and pretend-wrestling with wild animals. Spinelli's narrative is simple, lyrical, and written from the first-person perspective, giving the sense that the child is sharing her secrets with a trusted friend. She is accompanied throughout by a charming cat whose actions and expressions mirror her own-perfect, given the feline tendency to be reserved between bursts of energy. In the end, readers are introduced to the girl's shy friend, Loretta. They buoy one another when they are out and about, and they appreciate sharing quiet time, too. Johnson's illustrations are dynamic, done in a palette of earthy colors and filling the pages with likable faces and activity. This is a wonderful book for reassuring a quiet kiddo that she is special, and that the world will be happy to know her, too, when she is ready to introduce herself.-Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, ARα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 080285303X
• ISBN 13: 9780802853035
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 26
• Illustrator: Johnson David A.