Children's Book Reviews
Page One of ThreeAn Egg is Quiet by Dianna Aston and Sylvia Long
Chronicle Books, April, 2006Picture Book, 36 pages
ISBN: 0811844285
Ages 3 and up
Ordering information:
Amazon.com

This beautiful book enlightens on three levels: art, science and language. How can it be that an inspired illustration can identify facts better than a photograph? It obviously takes an illustrator of Ms. Long's caliber to achieve. One illustration shows the many colors of eggs by placing a color scale that runs from turquoise to pink. Another page shows size by placing a ruler at the top. Yet another page discusses texture. The possibilities for adding to vocabulary are rich and varied. At the end is a page of the birds that can be matched up with the eggs at the beginning. An Egg is Quiet is a book that will no doubt be enjoyed again and again.
--Sarah Reaves White
Flyte (Septimus Heap, Book 2) by Angie Sage
HarperCollins, March, 2006Hardcover, 528 pages
ISBN: 0060577347
Ages 9 and up
Ordering information:
Amazon.com

Septimus Heap has grown quite a bit from his first adventure: he's found his name, his profession and his family. But greater maturity merely leads to greater challenges, as Septimus finds out in this entertaining adventure. Angie Heap brings back the lovely flying Dragon Boat and introduces us to the mysterious ice tunnels underlying the Castle which one can navigate by use of sleds. She also gives Septimus an interesting new companion: a dragon hatchling that immediately imprints upon Septimus. Ms. Sage's engaging sense of humor, an appealing protagonist and the scene-stealing Marcia (who is never without her purple python boots) make this a vastly enjoyable read that ends all too soon.
Children's Book Reviews
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Return to the June 2006 issue of The IWJ.
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