Jenni DesmondRecensioni

This is wonderfully illustrated. I like the approach of starting it as a story of a child reading about polar bears. They are quite interesting creatures.

Would be a good read-aloud

The art in the book was quite cute. The blue cat wants to be like the red cat and the red cat wants to be like the blue cat. Eventually, they realise they don't have to fight but instead teach each other.

This book is filled with facts about the blue whale and has beautiful illustrations to help children visualize features of the blue whale. I thought this book was informative and included information that children would be interested in. I could see a child using this for a report or project.

This is a picture book about polar bears. However, different from other non-fiction books that talks about polar bear knowledge directly, this book have another layer of perspective---a little girl reader holding this book in the story!½

This kid friendly book, gives awesome/ powerful facts about Blue Whales. Readers learn about the size of blue whales in a way that gives perspective and they learn other facts like what they eat. The text is supported with intriguing/ fun pictures.

crying tree ... is really an owl½

When Albert wakes from his long winter hibernation, he is eager to greet his favorite tree, and enjoy the springtime under its branches. Unfortunately, the bear begins to hear a wailing coming from the tree, and isn't able to figure out what is causing it. Aided by Rabbit and Caribou, he attempts to find a solution, all to no avail. It is only when he climbs up into the tree that he discovers the nature of the problem - the wailing is really coming from a little owl living in the tree, who is scared of Albert - and how to fix it...

The third picture-book I have read from British author/artist Jenni Desmond, and the second that she both wrote and illustrated, Albert's Tree is a sweet, warmhearted tale of a bear, the tree he loves, and the surprise discovery he makes - a surprise discovery that brings him another friend. The artwork is quite expressive, capturing Albert's changing moods, as well as the droll humor of his interactions with Rabbit and Caribou. Recommended to anyone looking for entertaining new picture-books in general, or for children's stories about spring and/or friendship and first impressions in particular.

This book will remind you just how beautiful and majestic polar bears are. We picked it up thinking it would just be a simple picture book. It's so much more than that.

The Polar Bear discusses how vulnerable and threatened the species is and how the largest threat is global warming. Children will also learn many other facts about polar bears and why they're important. Some of the questions covered are: what do they eat? how long do they live? how do they hunt? and do they hibernate?

Another element we loved was how the author incorporated a child into the story as if she were reading and experiencing everything in the book as the story is being read. Also, the illustrations are so artistic and appealing.

5*****

The Polar Bear by Jenni Desmond

The Polar Bear is a beautifully illustrated accurate account of the Polar Bear. It gives accurate information on the polar bears, and also talks about how the species is endangered, and the global warming issues that affect polar bears.

Personal Reaction:
Not only was it a beautiful picture book, it was very interesting and always a good read about wild animals and how different they all are.

Classroom Extension Ideas:

1) Have class decorate a Polar Bear template with cotton balls.
2) Have class list 5 facts they learned from the book about Polar Bears.

Using entertaining and informative comparisons - the blue whale's heart is the size of a small car, it weighs as much as fifty-five hippopotami, and can fit up to fifty people in its massive mouth - author/artist Jenni Desmond spins an engrossing and educational 'story' in The Blue Whale. Much like Jason Chin, an American author/artist who often uses fictional framing devices in his picture-books, in order to introduce non-fictional information, this talented British picture-book creator begins her book with a young boy reading about blue whales, and presents her subsequent facts in a kid-friendly way. The result is a title that is every bit as fun as it is educational.

As a huge admirer of Jason Chin, mentioned above - my favorites of his are his debut, Redwoods, and his most recent, Grand Canyon - the fact that Desmond's book reminded me so strongly of his work is a huge point in its favor. I really enjoy picture-books that find a way to make non-fiction interesting and entertaining for young readers and listeners, and Desmond definitely does that here. The artwork in The Blue Whale is just as appealing as the text, with adept use of colorful and quirky figures and objects combined in amusing ways. The pile of hippos, on the page where the text is discussing the blue whale's weight, was particularly droll. Recommended to anyone looking for engaging works of natural history and non-fiction for the picture-book set. For my part, I now intend to track down Desmond's The Polar Bear!

informational book

The illustrations in this children's book are awesome and the accompanying text is really informative, although I could see needing to define terms and discuss it further if you're reading with actual children instead of, say, your dog. Not that I'd know..

I liked the art, the cats themselves were quite appealing. Red cat wants to be like Blue cat, and vise versa. First they fight, then the try to copy one another, eventually the become friends and appreciate their differences. It's fine, just nothing unexpected.

Library copy.

Did you know that a blue whale weighs as much as 55 hippos, that 50 people can fit in its mouth, but that its eyes are only six inches wide? If you didn't, The Blue Whale will set you straight, and if you did then this is your dream book. A wonderful picture book about the world's largest animal, it has everything you ever wanted to know about blue whales and maybe some things you didn't. But the facts never overwhelm the reader or the whales, because you're having too much fun. Where else could you learn that blue whale poop is orange, or that they can blow air through their blowholes to the height of 9 seven-year-olds? The answer: nowhere.

To top it off, the excellent text is backed up by some remarkable illustrations that help put the facts in perspective. The perfect book for whale-lovers, both young and young-at-heart, it's also a great starting point for getting children excited about biology and natural science.

This story is great at uncovering the emotions of jealousy and bitterness that people may feel towards certain individuals, due to a character trait or personality trait that the other party may posses. Towards the middle of the book, both of the cats learn to acknowledge each others strengths and weaknesses, and learn to teach each other about the individual qualities that they both hold. They learn team work and sharing interest as opposed to feeling of covetousness and strife. The genre is fiction. The media displayed pencils and water colors.

3.5 stars

What a wonderful non-fiction book. The illustrations so wonderfully support the text, giving context to height, weight, size, and eating habits in a way that directly speaks to children. There is loads of wonderful scientific information that make this book a great launch to science studies.

This is a very unusual nonfiction book and an amazing one. Desmond's first book, Red Cat, Blue Cat was a delight and she doesn't disappoint in her second title.

The story begins with the deep blue endpapers, showing the faint outlines of whales drifting across them and a small, strange green submarine perhaps? The opening pages are stark white, with an author's note about the history of blue whale endangered status. The title page shows a small child reading the book and we turn the page and the story begins....a child is lying on their bed reading a book about whales. As he reads, he is transported into the book. When the book talks about how much the whales weigh, the little boy skips up a giant pile of hippos, demonstrating just how heavy the whale gets. The spread talking about the whale's eye shows a giant, dark blue background and, slowly coming into focus, the deep black of the eye at the center. Another spread shows a colorful swarm of krill, the whale's food. The little boy hefts gallons of milk as the book explains how much milk a whale calf drinks. The story ends as the little boy drifts into sleep over his book and into the deep blue sea as he dreams of whales.

The art and text are smoothly integrated into one lyrical whole with the collage and watercolor illustrations making the simple facts of the text memorable for the reader. It's dreamy and simple, but powerful.

Verdict: You absolutely have to get this for all your whale fans. It would make a great book for parents and librarians who are a little nervous about introducing nonfiction to storytime and also to spark children's imagination. Teachers will find it an inspiration for helping kids understand large numbers and creating similar projects on favorite animals. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781592701650; Published 2015 by Enchanted Lion; Borrowed from the library

With the rain keeping them indoors, Eric and Alice play inside, but Alice wants to play with Eric, and his toys. Ultimately, "ruining" his creations, and "disturbing" his environment, making him very, very angry. Mother sends him to his room, but he is so angry, that he floats right off the floor. Running, and running, he escapes though an open window, finally free of his sister. But he didn't like being alone, and soon the gravity came back, and lands him in a tree, lonely. His family rushes to get him out, Alice forgetting her bunny in the process, and when her gravity begins to leave, Eric know exactly what to do, finding bunny just in time.

I loved the informational picture book The Blue Whale. I think that it serves as a great informational text for younger students. After writing my own informational text last semester, I was able to notice some of the pertinent features. The first thing that I liked about the book was how Desmond regularly referred to ordinary objects in order to show a comparison. For example, she describes the whale’s length by saying, “It is the largest living creature on our planet…That is the same length as a truck, a digger, a boat, a car, a bicycle, a motorcycle, a van, and a tractor – all lined up.” Not only does give us relatable items to describe the whale, she also includes a picture of what the vehicles would look like. She could have just said a length measurement, but instead, she decides to give the audience a better picture.

I also like Desmond’s use of new vocabulary and academic language. When Desmond brings up new vocabulary, she italicizes the words and includes labels to represent the word. In the text, she says, “This happens when microorganisms called diatoms attach themselves to it.” She then proceeds to label a diatom in the illustration. She does this several times, and this helps the students gain new knowledge.

The main idea of the story was to give students some interesting, new knowledge on blue whales. She gives this knowledge through a boy that is reading a book about whales, which definitely helps students relate better. Also, the information that is given is described in vivid detail and through the use of academic language in order to keep students’ attention.

I wanted to like this book more. I loved the mixed media, particularly the pencil-drawn, emotive faces. But distracting were 1. the book's similarities to Oliver Jeffers' in font choice and general style, and 2. in my copy the mother's skin tone seemed to change through the book. I look for diversity in children's books, so I noted diversity within the family on the first page and thought "great!", but then mom changed throughout the story. Bad print run? It was distracting. The story itself felt almost complete, but not quite. It was a great idea that was muddled by ink? By design? By time constraints??

I received a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes from Edelweiss. This in no way influenced my review.

This book was not my favorite picture book. The illustrations were not very pleasing. I did love how the illustrations took up the whole page. The story did not have much of a plot. It was very simple. I think that this book had potential, but I do not think it would be very memorable for a child.

I received a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes from Edelweiss. This in no way influenced my review.

This book was not my favorite picture book. The illustrations were not very pleasing. I did love how the illustrations took up the whole page. The story did not have much of a plot. It was very simple. I think that this book had potential, but I do not think it would be very memorable for a child.