In the Tall, Tall Grass - Hardcover

Denise Fleming

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 080501635X ISBN 13: 9780805016352

Publisher: Henry Holt, 1991

Synopsis

If you were a fuzzy caterpillar crawling through the tall, tall grass on a sunny afternoon, what would you see?

To find out, just follow the tiny tour guide as he inches his way through the pages of this book. You'll see ants and bees and birds--hip-hopping bunnies too. You'll even hear the sounds some of them make.

Crunch, munch,
caterpillars lunch...
Crack, snap, wings flap...

Beginning as the sun is high in the sky and ending as fireflies blink and the moon rises above, this backyard tour is one no child will want to miss.

Denise Fleming's In the Tall, Tall Grass has been named:
1992 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award Honor Book for Picture Books
An ALA Notable Book
A School Library Journal Best Book
An American Bookseller Pick of the Lists
A Booklist Editors' Choice

About this title

About the Author

Denise Fleming won a Caldecott Honor for In the Small, Small Pond. She is the author and illustrator of more than a dozen picture books, including Buster. She lives in Toledo, Ohio.

Reviews

PreSchool-K-- Bold, bright, stylized collage illustrations capture the eye and the imagination as they depict the simple, rhyming text of this outstanding nature tale. From a caterpillar's point-of-view, children see the many happenings in the tall, tall grass: "crunch, munch, caterpillars lunch/dart, dip, hummingbirds sip" etc. Bees and birds, ants and snakes are among the daytime inhabitants. Then, with the "stars bright, moonlight" come nocturnal fireflies and bats: "good night, tall, tall grass." The childlike illustrations were created by pouring colored cotton pulp through hand-cut stencils, resulting in remarkable images. Colors--shaded and varied--range full spectrum, deep and true through sunny yellow, cobalt, plum, a dozen shades of green. On each double page appears the blue-eyed, yellow-with-orange-spots caterpillar, always in proper perspective to the other creatures. Two-year-olds (and even younger) will enjoy the rhyme and rhythm, three-year-olds exploring numbers will love counting insects, four-year-olds--who are sure they can "read"--will experience success after a few listenings, and adults won't mind the request, "Read it again, please." A real charmer. --Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NB
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

An adventurous caterpillar unassumingly leads readers on an afternoon excursion through a backyard, unveiling nature's sights and sounds from a larva's perspective. Measured in caterpillar steps the journey is long, and before reaching the yard's end, it's time to sleep, with fireflies and bats visible in the night sky. This gentle tale is far from quiet, however--among other things, "bees hum," "wings flap" and "moles scratch." An array of vibrant verbs and boisterous onomatopoeic words in bold black type bounce across the pages, describing the various creatures ("zip, zap, tongues snap" accompanies fly-catching frogs). Fleming's textured paper and bold, almost neon hues are a perfect match for her rough-hewn animal shapes and blades of grass. The ultimate kaleidoscope effect makes this title ideal for sharing with young explorers. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 080501635X
• ISBN 13: 9780805016352
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32