Which Would You Rather Be? (Sandy Creek Edition)

by William Steig, Harry Bliss (Illustrator)

Overview

A stick... or a stone?

A cat... or a dog?

Rain... or snow?

Which would YOU rather be?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781435116719
Publisher:	Sterling
Publication date:	10/11/2009
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	307,692
Product dimensions:	8.18(w) x 10.22(h) x 0.35(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

William Steig has written and illustrated more than thirty books for children, including Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, a Caldecott medal winner; The Amazing Bone, a Caldecott Honor Book; and Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto, both Newbery Honor Books. Mr Steig's drawings have appeared regularly in The New Yorker since 1930. His most recent books for children are Pete's a Pizza, Zeke Pippin, and Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa.

Harry Bliss is an award-winning cartoonist and cover artist for the New Yorker magazine. Bliss is also the illustrator of A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech. He lives in North Vermont.

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Shrek creator William Steig collaborates with illustrator Harry Bliss on an amusing, thoughtful book that explores one of life's most penetrating queries. What would you rather be -- a stick or a stone? A snake or a crocodile? A rabbit magician asks these shape-shifting questions while conjuring up some startling surprises.

Sitting in front of a black top hat, a boy and girl gaze in wonderment while a wand-waving hare whips up objects, people, animals, and types of weather -- all exhibits for his pressing inquiry. Other questions include whether you'd choose to be a boy or a girl, a mouse or an elephant, a moon or a sun; and at the end, the kids (who only speak a few times) are asked to think about whether they'd prefer being alone or together.

With cartoonlike illustrations set against a stark white background, Steig and Bliss's book is sure to get kids' wheels turning. Steig's comparison game is thought-provoking and inspired, while Bliss's artwork offers a blissful dose of imagination with a hint of surrealism. An excellent springboard for other imaginative games, Which Would You Rather Be? offers a fun respite from bad-weather weekends, lackluster storytimes, or ho-hum car trips. (Matt Warner)

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