October Smiled Back - Hardcover

Peters, Lisa Westberg

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805017763 ISBN 13: 9780805017762

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 1996

Synopsis

Shy November looked out
with her eyes puddle-gray.
I peeked in and whispered,
"Come on...want to play?"

By personifying the months of the year, the author of this exuberant poem brings to life the capricious feelings of friendship-- from children's quarrels to their flights of fancy. We see, through the eyes of a child, the way a friendship ebbs and flows with the changing seasons.

Beautifully illustrated, pensive, and filled with boundless energy, October Smiled Back takes readers through the months of the year-- and ends with a brand-new season of friendship.

About this title

About the Author

Lisa Westberg Peters is the author of several books for young readers, including The Sun, the Wind and the Rain.

She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and two daughters.

Ed Young is the illustrator of more than sixty picture books, including Birches, Moon Tiger, and Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac. He is also the recipient of two Caldecott Honor citations and winner of the Caldecott Medal for Lon Po Po.

Mr. Young lives in upstate New York with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 3?With simple and evocative verse, this book captures the essence of the 12 months. From the "puddle-gray" eyes of November through October's star-lite nights, each month is eloquently portrayed in both words and pictures. Time and the seasons become a playmate to a child as the months progress. "July and I hardly remembered our fun/ as it faded away in the glare of the sun./ August said she'd return, but she didn't say when./I wondered if I'd ever see her again." Young's illustrations provide a visual expression equal to Peters's poem. Colored-pencil drawings on deceptively simple collages of textured and colored papers create defining moments. Each fully bled spread is a skillful balance of pattern, shape, color, and form. The unique and fleeting qualities of time and nature will ring true to children and will recall childhood experience in adults. A beautiful book for all collections.?Paula A. Kiely, Milwaukee Public Library, WI
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In this subdued chronicle of a year's passage, Peters (When the Fly Flew In) depicts the months as 12 fair- and foul-weather friends. Her volume begins with the onset of winter: "Shy November looked out with her eyes puddle-gray./ I peeked in and whispered, 'Come on.../ ...want to play?' " Generous December provides snow to build "a woolly white bear [with] icicle hair," but January and February are too drowsy to have fun. Peters subtly conjures the months' personalities, and she is matched well with Caldecott Medalist Young (Lon Po Po). Filling each spread with cut- and torn-paper collages, the artist uses handmade papers for pulpy textures, grainy speckles or, in the case of June's fiery dragon, a marbleized effect. Autumn features oversize silhouettes of squirrels and children's faces in profile; spring comes on with splashy greens; and summer ends with a wistful pastel sunset. The author and illustrator present nature in repose, without deep freezes or heat waves; the overall impression is of four temperate seasons. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 3^-7. Peters begins her poem: "Shy November looked out with her eyes puddle-gray. I peeked in and whispered, `Come on . . . / want to play?'" She continues by envisioning each month as a friend with a different personality--Lazy February, Silly May--concluding with October, an old friend. The poem's meaning may prove too elusive to satisfy young listeners; on the other hand, Young's paper-collage illustrations are more substantial. Their bold colors, striking textures and patterns, and intricately cut shapes capture the months in turn, from Frisky March's energy to the glaring heat of July. Susan Dove Lempke

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805017763
• ISBN 13: 9780805017762
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Young Ed
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32