Publishers Weekly
Andrews and Hamilton follow Julie Andrews’ Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies (2009) with a diverse compilation of poems and songs (including some of Andrews and Hamilton’s own) from more than 75 writers, organized by month. Summer sees uplifting poems about discovery and outdoor activity, with works by Billy Collins, Joy Harjo, and E.B. White; fall poems include nature, back-to-school, and Thanksgiving themes, with pieces by Emily Dickinson, Sandra Cisneros, and others. Caldecott Honor artist Priceman plays into the seasonality of the collection with sweeping, brightly colored gouache paintings; her pirouetting ice skaters, puddle-stomping kids, and laid-back fishermen shout celebration, no matter the time of year. All ages. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Praise for The Very Fairy Princess:
"[Geraldine] lets kids know it's not necessary to be prim and proper to be a 'real' princess; princesses who just want to have fun will find plenty of that here." - Booklist
"The mother-daughter team successfully demonstrates an understanding of that magical stage of childhood in which determination, desire and dreams can transform reality." - Kirkus
"Geraldine radiates noblesse oblige, heedless energy, and a sense of destiny-she's Eloise crossed with Hillary Clinton." - PW
Praise for Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies:
New York Times Bestseller
"This is a warmly sentimental collection, leavened with humor and poignancy, ...educators and librarians will also embrace it for its sincere advocacy of reading aloud." - SLJ
"Julie Andrews and her daughter's selection of material for children... is bound to become a favorite." - PW
School Library Journal
K-Gr 5—A collection of poems that celebrates diversity, family, and the moments during a year that make each day special. The introduction sets the tone by explaining that the selections were chosen not only because of their enjoyability but also for their ability to offer readers a new perspective on the celebrations of people who might be different from themselves. The table of contents is divided into the 12 months, with an average of 10 poems for each one. They highlight, in different ways, the holidays, seasonal changes, and other occasions such as birthdays, the arrival of new babies, etc. Featured poets include some of the usual suspects, such as Keats, Hughes, Frost, Dickinson, and Prelutsky, as well as lyrical selections by musicians and entries by the selectors themselves. Priceman's bright, eye-catching, folksy watercolors complement the poems perfectly and seem to lift right off the pages. The holiday/month index in the back of the book makes it easy to find a poem appropriate for any season, holiday, or mood. A light, warm, and cheerful addition to any collection.—Rita Meade, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
OCTOBER 2012 - AudioFile
In their second volume of collected poetry, Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma, share observations and favorite poems about the seasons. Divided seasonally, the collection includes poets from Rudyard Kipling to Billy Collins and includes many familiar poems as well as original ones—the authors’ valentine poems, for example. With their conversational style, Andrews and Hamilton bring listeners into an intimate conversation and poetry reading. Andrews’s distinctive voice with its eloquent elocution is crystal clear; Walton’s deeper voice, warm and welcoming. Poems are given a leisurely pace for maximum listening enjoyment. Double pleasure comes with listening and poring over the illustrations of Caldecott Medal winner Marjorie Priceman. A.R. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
From this well-known mother-and-daughter anthologist duo (Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies, 2009, etc.) comes another rich compendium of occasional poems loosely chronicling the months and holidays. The 100-plus favorite poems and song lyrics expressing more or less seasonal themes are surrounded here by ravishing illustrations from Caldecott honoree Priceman (Hot Air, 2005, etc.). Visually, one couldn't ask for more: The exuberance of color and line in these spirited gouache spreads radiates warmth, vibrancy, and fun. The sophisticated collection espouses a celebration of multicultural diversity and includes gems by the likes of Emily Dickinson, John Updike, E.B. White, Jenny Whitehead, Cole Porter and many others. Andrews and Hamilton ferret out both age-old favorites marking religious and public holidays as well as timeless works simply capturing a change of season, like Sara Teasdale's tense "April." The recurrent themes of cultural awareness and inclusivity especially come across in Andrews' own poems, such as "Flags," in which she rhetorically asks: "Why do we salute a flag, / A vibrant, colorful piece of rag? […] Why not celebrate the globe, / Become a flag, and wear a robe / Of purest crimson? Convey to the world / We are all flags--and fly unfurled." Given this celebration of inclusion, it's a pity that the frontispiece, an abridged version of Longfellow's "The Day Is Done," concludes with a simile that, sadly, draws on 19th-century stereotypes of Arabs. Opening oversight aside, a thoughtful and visually arresting trove of seasonal verse. (Poetry. 6 & up)
