Sweep Up the Sun

by Helen Frost, Rick Lieder (Illustrator)

Overview

“A picture-book poem calling for adventure. . . . All-around gorgeous.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Baby robins, open-beaked in their nest. Mallards winging to a new clime. Whether chickadees or cardinals, sparrows or starlings, here are commonly seen birds in their natural settings, captured in photographs of rare beauty and grace. In perfect synchrony, a lyrical narrative evokes images of play and flight, perseverance and trust. At the end, readers will find profiles of the featured species. This stunning book is an ideal gift for bird lovers of all ages, graduates, or anyone embarking on an adventure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763696733
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	02/13/2018
Series:	Step Gently, Look Closely
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

  

Editorial Reviews

…a picture book that brings to children the aesthetic possibilities of photography as it celebrates the miracle of flight and the virtues of common birds. Lieder ventures up close to some elusive creatures in a way that will be heart-stopping for any young—or older—naturalist, but his intent is clearly to be beautiful in an unabashedly artistic way. These photographs are as gorgeous as paintings…Frost's words…aim for everyday uplift. They are written in a kind of exhortational free verse, encouraging the reader or listener to emulate the courage and drive of any bird learning to fly, then mastering the sky.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

Lieder's breathtaking photography carries the book's message of growth. Frost's poem encourages youngsters to leave the nest, "trusting" the sky to "hold you / as you learn to fly." ... All-around gorgeous; Frost and Lieder again showcase the splendor of nature through the happy marriage of literal and figurative images.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Frost and Lieder follow Step Gently Out with another winning combination of sensitive verse and striking photography, this time taking an inspirational approach that makes the book equally well-suited for graduation gift-giving and moments of everyday encouragement.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

With a gentle text and dramatic visuals, this book has much to offer beginning birders, science classes, and storytimes for very young listeners.
—School Library Journal

For bird lovers of all ages, this small book offers a glimpse of feathered friends not otherwise often seen so close-up.
—Booklist

A superb intersection of science, literature, and visual arts, this book can be used to initiate studies of flight, enthuse bird watchers, or inspire creative classroom projects.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 2014-11-11
A picture-book poem calling for adventure that's—thankfully—for the birds.When poet Frost and photographer Lieder last teamed up (Step Gently Out, 2012), their lyric gaze focused on the insect world, magnifying the beauty of wee, crawly creatures to wide critical acclaim. Their latest endeavor, again but one poem set amid riveting close-ups, takes to the air, capturing many common species of North American birds—mostly in flight—and reprising Frost's theme encouraging children to step outside and explore the natural world. From the urgent dependency captured on the front endpapers in the form of baby robins, beaks gaping wide, to the independence of adult birds midflight, arrested in such detail that an attentive child can count the feathers of a downy woodpecker's wing or study the masked face of a male cardinal, Lieder's breathtaking photography carries the book's message of growth. Frost's poem encourages youngsters to leave the nest, "trusting" the sky to "hold you / as you learn to fly." It not only quietly promotes thoughtful risk-taking, but neatly and unwittingly encapsulates the ambitious creative project she and Lieder have embarked on: "Alone in the sky, // or flying with friends, / your wings will carry you far, // stitching earth to sky with invisible thread, // at home wherever you are." All-around gorgeous; Frost and Lieder again showcase the splendor of nature through the happy marriage of literal and figurative images. (Picture book/poetry. 2-8)

Kirkus Reviews