Hector the Collector

by Emily Beeny, Stephanie Graegin (Illustrator)

Overview

“A sweet and child-sensitive addition to any picture-book collection.” —Kirkus Reviews

When Hector comes across an acorn, he discovers a love for collecting them in all shapes and sizes.

They were all different.

They were all the same.

They were all beautiful.

One day his teacher finds his desk filled with acorns, and his classmates make fun of poor Hector. But they soon learn that all collections are special—whether coins, stuffed animals, songs, or seashells—and that some collections are also meant for sharing, like the paintings in an art museum or the books at a public library.

Hector the Collector is a charming and evocative story that celebrates the joy of collecting and how collections can grow into the most breathtaking museums in the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250176233
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	07/03/2017
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	261 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Emily Beeny is a curator and art historian specialized in French paintings. She holds a PhD from Columbia University and has worked at museums in New York, Paris, Boston, and Southern California. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their cat and dog.

Stephanie Graegin spent her childhood drawing and collecting fauna in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Houston, Texas. She received her BFA in fine arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and her MFA in printmaking from the Pratt Institute. Stephanie now lives in Brooklyn, is still drawing, and has managed to keep her collection down to one orange cat.

Editorial Reviews

05/29/2017
Hector, an ingenuous, overalls-clad dog, is intrigued by acorns: “They were all different. They were all the same. They were all beautiful.” Walking to and from school, he’s completely focused on finding acorns, which he stuffs into his pockets and desk. Hector’s animal classmates laugh at his stockpile when it’s discovered, but their teacher assuages his embarrassment, explaining that Hector “is a collector,” and the other kids quickly chime in about their own personal collections. Beeny, a curator and art historian making her children’s book debut, then broadens the story’s scope, showcasing collections that “belonged to everyone,” housed in museums and libraries. Graegin (Little Fox Stands Up) gently highlights Hector’s intimate connection with the acorns he treasures (as well as the subtle details and differences among them that have caught his eye) before transitioning to the grand public spaces of the New York Public Library, Museum of Natural History, and Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s less a plot-driven story than a concise introduction to the concept of a collection, which an author’s note explores in greater detail. Ages 3–6. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (July)

Publishers Weekly

A sweet and child-sensitive addition to any picture-book collection.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Best shared one-on-one with budding collectors, who will appreciate Hector’s curatorial eye and fascination with seemingly ordinary objects found in the natural world.” —School Library Journal

“A concise introduction to the concept of a collection.” —Publishers Weekly

“In this sweet story, a young, overalls-clad pup named Hector finds wonder in one of autumn’s most ubiquitous offerings: the acorn . . . By moving from personal to public assemblages, Beeny helps young readers grasp the concept of collecting.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

04/01/2017
PreS-K—Hector loves acorns, and he keeps a huge assortment of them in his desk at school. When his classmates discover his stash, they make fun of him. Hector's kindly teacher invites him to explain why he collects them, and he expounds on his passion, showing off all the different kinds of acorns he has accumulated: "They're all different, and they're all the same, and they're all beautiful." Many of the other students have treasured items of their own—pennies, stuffed animals, baseball cards—and from there the narrative segues into a look at larger collections, such as the Museum of Natural History. Graegin's illustrations depict a group of anthropomorphic animals (Hector is a dog, his teacher is a giraffe, and his classmates include a pig, a skunk, a bear, and a fox), all round heads and soft lines. With references to the book's New York City setting (yellow taxi cabs, the New York Public Library), the visuals give the tale a gentle feel that matches the simple, matter-of-fact text. Curator and art historian Beeny ends with a brief author's note on the wide variety of collections out there (the Louvre, the Frick, the New York Transit Museum). VERDICT Though this slight, sweet story could be used to prepare young children for a visit to a museum or art collection, it is probably best shared one-on-one with budding collectors, who will appreciate Hector's curatorial eye and fascination with seemingly ordinary objects found in the natural world.—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

2017-03-29
Hector and his classmates learn about collecting.Hector admires the acorns he collects over the course of the fall, so much so that he stores his treasures in his desk. He's momentarily embarrassed when his teacher discovers them and his classmates laugh, but his clever teacher turns this into an opportunity, letting him show and tell, asking classmates about their own collections, and making connections to libraries and museums. Graegin's sketched and shaded drawings, digitally manipulated, colored, and combined, work well in support of this friendly fable. Mammals of all sorts populate Hector's world. The protagonist looks something like a grizzly bear cub; his teacher is a giraffe, and his classmates are of many different species. All wear clothes but no shoes; careful readers may identify them by their feet. Hector's collection, pictured on the front endpapers as well as in the text, is nicely varied. As he admires each one, textual similes are supported by the art: he carries a green apple along with the pair that are apple green; he finds another, "golden and smooth like polished stone," in a pot with stones. There are vignettes, full-page images, and spreads in pleasing variety. The final endpapers include other collectibles. The author's note ends with her point: "Every collection is different. Every collection is the same. Just like all of us." A sweet and child-sensitive addition to any picture-book collection. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews