Red Sings from Treetops (Caldecott Honor Book)

by Joyce Sidman Narrated by Barbara Caruso

Overview

In spring, Red sings from treetops: cheer-cheer-cheer, each note dropping like a cherry into my ear. Sleepy Yellow sticks to summer. Yet ocean Blue stays cool and alive. Green fades in fall, turns to dust, and no longer keeps Brown at bay. In winter, Pink blossoms on chilled cheeks. And Black echoes through the still of winter's night. But spring comes again, and Red returns-flitting and fluttering, bright as a Cardinal bird. Winner of a Caldecott Honor, this delightful book of free verse poems by celebrated poet Joyce Sidman is "a charming inspiration to notice colors and correlate emotions" (Kirkus Reviews). With each verse of Barbara Caruso's spellbinding narration, children and adults alike will appreciate the colors of the seasons. ". as the title implies, the colors that surprise on every page do sing."-Booklist, starred review

Editorial Reviews

Paul O. Zelinsky

…an illustrated poem chronicling the seasonal doings of Red, Yellow and so on, in atmospheric vignettes with a conceptual twist, and with exquisite results…Joyce Sidman's language is vivid and deft…draws mystery and magic around the most familiar scenes.
—The New York Times

Kirkus Reviews

Describing seasons by colors is not an original concept, but this whimsical color calendar sparkles with creativity. Zagarenski's mixed-media paintings on wood and computer illustration have a European folk-art style. The described hues are block-highlighted in the text while the artwork details the imagery in the words. A woman and her white dog, both wearing paper crowns, wander through the four seasons, observing nature's palette: "In summer, / BLUE grows new names: / turquoise, / azure, / cerulean." A red bird flying across the pages becomes a continuity motif. In summer, RED is a delicate hummingbird; in fall, "RED swells / on branches bent low. / RED: crisp, juicy, / crunch!" In winter, "RED hops to treetops / ...begins to sing: / and each note drops / like a cherry / into / my / ear." The seasons flow into each other, bringing readers full circle. Fresh descriptions and inventive artistry are a charming inspiration to notice colors and correlate emotions. Details in the artwork will invite repeated readings and challenge kids to muse about other color icons. (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)

From the Publisher

A 2010 Caldecott Honor Book

"It's wonderfully strange to read of colors with sounds, smells and tastes."—New York Times Book Review

"A charming inspiration to notice colors and correlate emotions"—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This book has a freshness and visual impact all its own, and it will inspire a rainbow of uses."—The Bulletin, starred review

"Sustaining the playfulness of the text and its sense of awe, mystery, and beauty, the illustrations contribute gracefully to the celebration."—Horn Book, starred review

"As the title implies, the colors that surprise on every page, do sing."—Booklist, starred review
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Product Details

BN ID:	2940177942940
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	02/08/2013
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	Up to 4 Years

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