Synopses & Reviews
She had visited the Falls as a child and could remember, clearly, the thundering waters and crowds of people drawn to them. She could remember standing in a park near the Falls, hypnotized by the sight and sound, and holding her fathers hand as they took a walk that would lead them closer. Thats what everyone wonders when they see Niagara…How close will their courage let them get to it? Well, sir, you cant get any closer than I got. At the turn of the nineteenth century, Annie Edson Taylor decided to do something no one in the world had ever done before: she would go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. The sixty-two year old woman would perform one of the greatest feats in American history and this is precisely why they called her the Queen of the Falls. Mrs. Taylor, a short, plump, and fussy sixty-two year old widow, finds herself in Bay City, Michigan after her travels around America as a charm schoolteacher, teaching at her very own charm school, right by Niagara Falls. But when her charm school starts to fail, Annie needs a plan to keep from becoming penniless; a way to strike it rich and put her money worries behind her for good. After reading about Niagara Falls in a newspaper, she had an epiphany: shed find fame and fortune in being the first person to ever to go over the thundering waters of Niagara Falls.
Review
"The book is impeccably designed . . . In this unromantic and bittersweet account, Van Allsburg presents the feat as born as much out of need as of courage, with Taylor portrayed as a hardheaded eccentric and an unlikely queen."
Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Taylors gender and age make her as unlikely of a hero as any child protagonist; readers will embrace her resolve."Booklist
Jumanji
Caldecott Medal, 1982
• Caldecott Medal winner 1982
• New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award
• School Library Journal, Best Books of the Year
• ALA Notable Book for Children
• Booklist Editors' Choice
• IRA/CBC Children's Choice
• 1995 blockbuster movie starring Robin Williams
"A beautiful simplicity of design, balance, texture, and a subtle intelligence beyond the call ofillustration." New York Times Book Review
The Polar Express
Caldecott Medal, 1986
• Caldecott Medal winner, 1986
• 5 million copies sold worldwide
• New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year
• New York Times Bestseller
• 2004 blockbuster movie starring Tom Hanks
"The Polar Express is magic indeed." The New York Times
"This is one of Van Allsburgs most treasured visions." Newsweek
Zathura
A New York Times Bestseller
A major motion picture in 2005
"On the twentieth anniversary of Jumanji, Van Allsburg picks up right where his Caldecott Medal book left off, with similarly terrifying adventure set this time in outer space." Booklist, starred
"Van Allsburg illustrates the surreal events in a grainy charcoal-black that seems to shimmer on a rough, cream-colored ground...Zathura, like Jumanji, is a satisfying enigma" Publishers Weekly
"Van Allsburg is a terrific illustrator, and his images here, including one where the boys open their front door and are greeted with a breathtaking views of the cosmos, are memorable." The New York Times Book Review
Review
She could remember standing in a park near the falls, hypnotized by the sight and sound, andholding her fatherand#8217;s hand as they took a walk that would lead them closer.Thatand#8217;s what everyone wonders when they see Niagara . . . How close will their courage letthem get to it? At the turn of the nineteenth century, a retired sixty-two-year-old charm school instructor named Annie Edson Taylor, seeking fame and fortune, decided to do something that no one in the world had ever done beforeand#8212;she would go over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. Come meet the Queen of the Falls and witness with your own eyes her daring ride!
"Van Allsburgand#8217;s foray into nonfiction is filled with the same suspense, surrealism, and menace that have thrilled readers of his fiction."and#8212;School Library Journal,starred review
"In this unromantic and bittersweet account, Van Allsburg presents the feat as born as much out of need as of courage, with Taylor portrayed as a hardheaded eccentric and an unlikely queen."and#8212;Publishers Weekly,starred review
"An odd, unsettling meditation on fame."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
"This illustrated biography climaxes beautifully with a double-page spread of the great falls, a tiny barrel bobbing in the current, and a powerful one-line text: '"Oh, Lord," she whispered, and then she was gone.'"and#8212;The Horn Book
Review
"Van Allsburgand#8217;s foray into nonfiction is filled with the same suspense, surrealism, and menace that have thrilled readers of his fiction."and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review
"In this unromantic and bittersweet account, Van Allsburg presents the feat as born as much out of need as of courage, with Taylor portrayed as a hardheaded eccentric and an unlikely queen."and#8212;Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A daredevil story is an easy sell for almost any kid audience, and a daredevil story by a beloved storyteller is just about as good as it gets."and#8212;The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review "An odd, unsettling meditation on fame."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
"This illustrated biography climaxes beautifully with a double-page spread of the great falls, a tiny barrel bobbing in the current, and a powerful one-line text: '"Oh, Lord," she whispered, and then she was gone.'"and#8212;The Horn Book
Synopsis
A lively text and captivating images tell the story of the ever-curious boy who grew up to make one of the most significant discoveries of our time.From the time Charles Darwin was a boy, he was happiest when he was out alone collecting specimens (especially beetles). And despite his father's efforts to turn young Darwin — a poor student — into a doctor or clergyman, the born naturalist jumped instead at the chance to sail around South America, observing and collecting flora and fauna all the way. In a clear, engaging narration, Kathryn Lasky takes readers along on Darwin's journey, from his discovery of seashells on mountaintops that revealed geological changes to his observations of variations in plants and animals, suggesting that all living things are evolving over time. Matthew Trueman's striking mixed-media illustrations include actual objects found in nature, enhancing this compelling look at the man behind the bold theory that would change the way we think about the world — and ourselves.
Synopsis
With lively text and captivating images, this title tells the story of Charles Darwin as a boy, and is an ideal resource for celebrating the 200th anniversary of his birth on February 12. Full color.
Synopsis
She could remember standing in a park near the falls, hypnotized by the sight and sound, and holding her fatherand#8217;s hand as they took a walk that would lead them closer. Thatand#8217;s what everyone wonders when they see Niagara . . . How close will their courage let them get to it?
At the turn of the nineteenth century, a retired sixty-two-year-old charm school instructor named Annie Edson Taylor, seeking fame and fortune, decided to do something that no one in the world had ever done beforeand#8212;she would go over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel.
Come meet the Queen of the Falls and witness with your own eyes her daring ride!
About the Author
Kathryn Lasky is the award-winning author of more than ninety books for children, including JOHN MUIR: AMERICA'S FIRST ENVIRONMENTALIST; A VOICE OF HER OWN: THE STORY OF PHILLIS WHEATLEY, SLAVE POET; VISION OF BEAUTY: THE STORY OF SARAH BREEDLOVE WALKER; and INTERRUPTED JOURNEY: SAVING ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Matthew Trueman spent his childhood in Italy but returned to the United States to attend art school. He is the illustrator of A PICTURE FOR MARC and NOAH'S MITTENS. He lives in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.
Of ONE BEETLE TOO MANY, he says: "The illustrations in this book started out as drawings created with acrylic inks, watercolor, and graphite pencil. I moved up the food chain to add gouache and colored pencil. After sealing the pictures with acrylic medium, I did my thicker acrylic painting, then fooled around a little more with graphite and colored pencil. Finally, I added the collage elements, including paper, string, and weeds and wildflowers from my yard and nearby ditches and fields."