The Weather's Bet

by Ed Young, Ed Young (Illustrator)

Overview

*"Awe-inspiring artwork as powerful as any force of nature."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

From Caldecott Medalist Ed Young comes a picture book retelling of Aesop's fable The Wind and the Sun.

Once upon the sky, there were three powers--the Wind, the Rain, and the Sun--each claiming to be the mightier than the others. One day, the powers came upon a shepherd girl fast asleep upon a hill, so they made a bet to see who could make her take her cap off. Who will be the strongest of them all?

Rendered in exquisite mixed-media collage, Caldecott Medalist Ed Young's gorgeous and deeply poignant retelling of the well-known Aesop's fable The Wind and the Sun, proves that sometimes gentle persuasion and kindness are the best virtues of all.

Praise for The Weather's Bet:

"Lyrical and profound." --School Library Journal

"A good classroom readaloud."--Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525513834
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/31/2020
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
File size:	98 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Caldecott Medalist ED YOUNG is the illustrator of more than ninety books for children, seventeen of which he has also written. Born in Tientsin, China, Ed Young grew up in Shanghai and later moved to Hong Kong. As a young man, he came to the United States to study architecture but turned instead to his love of art. In 1990, his book Lon Po Po was awarded the Caldecott Medal. He has also received two Caldecott Honors, for The Emperor and the Kite and Seven Blind Mice, and was awarded the Society of Illustrators Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Mr. Young live in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.

Editorial Reviews

*"Young's atmospheric, textured artwork conjures the natural forces vying to mess with a mortal's cap in this loose retelling of an old Aesop's fable....Awe-inspiring artwork as powerful as any force of nature."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)


"Lyrical and profound . . . Elementary school classrooms seeking another approach to Earth Day will appreciate the mysterious beauty within the pages of this book." —School Library Journal

"Large spreads and economical text make this a good classroom readaloud—a parable that leads to a discussion about the advantages of warmth over force." --Publishers Weekly


"In a prefatory note, Young explains that, in troubled times, “our endangered,vulnerable planet must be sustained by respect.” This beautiful book honors that imperative." —Booklist

"Unsurprisingly, it’s the art that really makes an impact here; torn handmade paper and magazine images (with occasional linework) combine in stunning collages that vividly dramatize the impact of the elements . . . . It’s a strongly artistic interpretation that emphasizes the mythic monumentality of the tale, and it may inspire young viewers to take up the scissors for their own projects.  —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books


"Full-bleed double-page spreads invitereaders to linger on the panoramic scenes and dive deeply into the details of the illustrations. The language is lyrical, full ofrhythm and rhyme, and the text is beautifully integrated into the illustrations." --The Horn Book

From the Publisher

★ 2019-12-22
Three heavenly powers look down upon a shepherd girl and bet which one can knock her cap off.

Young's atmospheric, textured artwork conjures the natural forces vying to mess with a mortal's cap in this loose retelling of an old Aesop's fable. Photographs, fabric, and paper (sometimes torn, sometimes cut) cohere in evocative collages that capture both the expansive powers of Wind, Rain, and Sun as well as the young girl's brown skin, cheekbones, eyelashes, and strands of ebony hair. Weather blows, mists, and shines in teeming double-page, full-bleed spreads. Occasional sharp lines and solid color (the red cap serves as a cardinal beacon) give readers sound footing to navigate the complex collages. Distinguishing landmasses, sheep, the girl, and sky from one another sometimes requires squinting, but looking at these challenging compositions feels exhilarating—like standing, happily drenched, in a swirling storm. Cowan's simple, consistent rhyme provides reassuring scaffolding that keeps readers from blowing away. Upon hearing the pleasing verse "For with the passing morning storm, / She laughed her cap off as she got warm," young people will feel warmth spread in their little souls too. Frontmatter explicates the symbols assigned to Wind, Rain, and Sun, which were created using Chinese pictograms and appear throughout.

Awe-inspiring artwork as powerful as any force of nature. (Picture book. 4-10)

Kirkus Reviews