
At the Pond
Geraldo Valerio(Author)
Groundwood Books Ltd ,Canada (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 16. April 2020
Book
Hardback
48 pages
978-1-77306-232-7 (ISBN)
Description
Geraldo Valerio looks at the nature of true friendship and love in a stunning new wordless picture book.
On a dull gray day, a boy puts his dog on a leash and they walk to a shimmering pond where snowy white swans swim freely. One of the swans invites the boy and dog for a ride. They climb on its back and sail into a stunningly beautiful landscape, dotted with wildflowers, spoonbills and ibises. Foxes, rabbits and deer appear in this paradise, then butterflies and even bigger, more beautiful flowers. The boy unleashes his dog on shore, and the dog bounds off to play.
Now the boy wraps his arms around the swan's neck - he has a new friend. But when he puts the leash on the swan, the sky turns stormy gray, the water becomes turbulent, and the other swans fly away. Both the boy and swan are miserable, until the boy realizes he must free his friend. When he drops the leash into the pond, warm color fills their world and they return to where the boy's dog happily awaits him.
Geraldo Valerio, a master of wordless picture books, explores the nature of true friendship and love in his newest creation.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7
Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)
On a dull gray day, a boy puts his dog on a leash and they walk to a shimmering pond where snowy white swans swim freely. One of the swans invites the boy and dog for a ride. They climb on its back and sail into a stunningly beautiful landscape, dotted with wildflowers, spoonbills and ibises. Foxes, rabbits and deer appear in this paradise, then butterflies and even bigger, more beautiful flowers. The boy unleashes his dog on shore, and the dog bounds off to play.
Now the boy wraps his arms around the swan's neck - he has a new friend. But when he puts the leash on the swan, the sky turns stormy gray, the water becomes turbulent, and the other swans fly away. Both the boy and swan are miserable, until the boy realizes he must free his friend. When he drops the leash into the pond, warm color fills their world and they return to where the boy's dog happily awaits him.
Geraldo Valerio, a master of wordless picture books, explores the nature of true friendship and love in his newest creation.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7
Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)
Reviews / Votes
[A]n important story for readers of all ages to reflect on love and what is required to earn and keep it. * School Library Journal * A provocative drama inviting readers to question their own behaviors toward all of the creatures in their orbits. * Kirkus Reviews * Full-bleed double-page complex illustrations move the story from monotones to brilliant colors, creating a magical world of joy. * Booklist * [Geraldo] deftly explores the nature of true friendship and love in his newest creation with a beautifully presented story that will be enjoyed by children ages 3-7 and will be considered a unique and prized addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections. * Midwest Book Review * [At the Pond] can be used to foster imagination and to teach about respect for the natural environment as well as domesticated pets. * CM: Canadian Review of Materials * Valerio uses simple crayon illustrations that clearly convey the message of the book about friendship and freedom. * Vancouver Writers Fest *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Ontario
Canada
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 3 years
Product notice
Picture book
Illustrations
Full color throughout
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 286 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
544 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-77306-232-7 (9781773062327)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
GERALDO VALERIO was born in Brazil, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Drawing, followed by a Master of Arts at New York University. His books, which frequently receive starred reviews, include My Book of Butterflies and My Book of Birds, Two Green Birds, At the Pond (Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award honor book), Blue Rider, Turn On the Night and Night Runners. His work has been published in Canada, the US, Brazil, Portugal, France, the UK and China. Geraldo lives in Toronto, Ontario.