Country Road - Hardcover

San Souci, Daniel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385308671 ISBN 13: 9780385308670

Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 1993

Synopsis

As a boy and his father walk down an old country road one morning, the boy is fascinated by the sounds and smells of nature as he spots a red-tailed hawk, moles, horses, and other creatures.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 1-4-A young boy and his father follow a country road from an old-fashioned, pastoral setting (Grandpa's farm) to a modern housing development. They encounter wildlife along the way, including a spectacular hawk swooping from a tree and a funny covey of quail scooting along the ground. Grandpa's German shepherd follows them, and horses cavort in a pasture. The abrupt appearance of the construction site signals the end of the hike as well as the end of the road; it's time to turn back. The text is a bit uneven, and although the story is written from the boy's point of view, his father's thoughts and feelings emerge more strongly through his reminiscences and instructional comments during the walk. Illustrations are lavish double-page spreads done in realistic watercolors that highlight the animals and successfully portray the early spring season. The paintings have interesting perspectives, such as views from above and face-to-face animal shots. Overall, this is a quiet story in which the message about the encroachment of progress is delivered gently. Its greatest merits lie in the attractive renderings of the animals, the portrayal of father and son, and as a useful introduction to an environmental theme.
Valerie Lennox, Jacksonville Public Library, FL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Ages 4-8. The rolling hills and valleys of northern California are the subject of San Souci's double-page-spread watercolor paintings in this handsome picture book. There's not much story, but, then, that may be San Souci's point. At first the young narrator thinks there's nothing going on; he's reluctant to leave his grandfather's cozy farmhouse to go on a walk with his dad. Then as they see a woodpecker up close, a family of quail, a group of horses running free, some faint scratches made by a bear long ago on a thick tree trunk, the boy discovers "this old road is sure full of surprises." Alone together, father and son find a universe. Hazel Rochman

About this edition

• Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0385308671
• ISBN 13: 9780385308670
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1