Dragon Scales and Willow Leaves - Hardcover

Givens, Terry L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399226192 ISBN 13: 9780399226199

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile, 1997

Synopsis

Although they are twins, Jonathan and Rachel neither look the same nor do they see things the same way--especially in the forest.

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews:

From two newcomers to children's books, a dreamy glimpse of the way in which children make use of the world around them in imaginative play and wonder. Twins Jonathan and Rachel take the same walk around the land surrounding their farm house, but they see things quite differently. In a perfect illustration that defines them and the day, Jonathan is shown in t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers, peering through thick-lensed glasses and pointing skyward, while Rachel, her back to him, wears a picturesque frock, and is absorbed in collecting wildflowers. In the leaves of a huge willow tree, Jonathan sees a dragon looming, while Rachel looks at sheltering limbs and carpet of leaves. Rachel's quarreling blue jays and noisy squirrels are Jonathan's aggressive forest trolls, and so on. At the page-turning cliffhangers, readers will want to shout along with Jonathan--story hours could get noisy. The summer setting is joyfully delineated in Portwood's watercolors, which capture the fluid movements of the children and gracefully depict realistic and fantastic scenes. About half the size of most contemporary picture books, this one proves how much can be done with small, tidy dimensions. (Picture book. 4-7) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2. Jonathan and Rachel, red-headed twins, embark on an adventure into the woods. Visual details predict their different viewpoints, for the boy carries a toy shield and spear while the girl carries a teddy bear. Thus, a rustling of leaves becomes an oversized and somewhat comical dragon for Jonathan while Rachel listens to a weeping willow. Loud sounds from the trees turn into an attack of forest trolls for Jonathan while Rachel smiles at the blue jays and squirrels. Jonathan returns home to a castle after his great adventure while Rachel is just happy to be welcomed to the farmhouse by her mother. This pleasant story certainly makes the point that twins can be different but it's unfortunate that the author and illustrator use gender stereotypes of daring boys and quiet girls to do it. The soft watercolor illustrations and story line will appeal to parents and teachers who are looking for an old-fashioned sensibility. Most adults, however, may question the premise.?Susan Pine, New York Public Library
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0399226192
• ISBN 13: 9780399226199
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32