Out and About: A First Book of Poems

by Shirley Hughes, Shirley Hughes (Illustrator)

Overview

The internationally acclaimed Shirley Hughes offers a treasury of seasonal poems that evoke the day-to-day experiences of the very young.

In this joyous collection of poems, Katie and her little brother, Olly, are ready for whatever each day offers—sunshine, wind, rain, mist, or snow. From the happy sights and sounds of the beach to the quiet beauty of leaves in a rain puddle, this exuberant volume captures to perfection the everyday wonder of being out and about.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763676445
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/10/2015
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Shirley Hughes (1927–2022) was the author of more than fifty children’s books and the illustrator of some two hundred more. One of the world’s best-loved writers for children, she received the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and was awarded an OBE for her distinguished service to children’s literature. In 2007, her book Dogger was voted the U.K.’s favorite Kate Greenaway Medal–winning book of all time.

Editorial Reviews

Sweeter and emotionally safer verse for the very young comes from the prolific British writer and illustrator Shirley Hughes. “Out and About: A First Book of Poems” is full of breezes and sunshine.
—The Wall Street Journal

This first book of poems is perfect for reading aloud and for a search through the pictures for lively kids, dogs, squirrels and birds.
—Washington Parent

Hughes’s pen-and-watercolor illustrations, the stars of this show, are deliciously full of motion...her approach is gentle, humorous, old-fashioned, full of human character.
—The Boston Globe

Young readers and listeners will be able to relate to these outings. Cadence, meter, and rhyme long to be read aloud.
—School library Connection

From the Publisher

02/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—Shirley Hughes fans will be excited to see this book back in print. Readers will delight in following Katie and her baby brother Olly through the four seasons. Four to five short, rhythmic poems are grouped together by season. Each season and group of poems is prefaced by a wordless spread that begs for readers to spend time pondering the stories and poems. These busy illustrations are full of community, action, and mystery and appropriately match each season. Strong, descriptive vocabulary is used throughout. For example, the poems "Mudlarks," "Water," "Sand," and "Wind" each follow a similar structure: they all open and close in the same way ("I like mud" and "I do like mud"), but in between those simple lines is juicy, descriptive vocabulary ("the slippy, sloppy, squelchy kind") that paints a picture in readers' minds. An author's note from Hughes also encourages readers to use the illustrations to form their own stories and poems. From the nostalgic watercolor illustrations to the science-themed poems, this is sure to be a favorite read-aloud among educators and a lapsit with families.—Andy Plemmons, David C. Barrow Elementary, Athens, GA

School Library Journal

The British author-artist's new entry in the Nursery Collection will captivate parents and children, as do all her inimitable celebrations of family life. Bright, exuberantly detailed paintings illustrate rhyming lines featuring a small girl and her wobbly baby brother as they experience the special features of the passing seasons. The book begins with the siblings throwing themselves wholeheartedly into glorious mud on the first spring day. Later, the two join in communal activities as neighbors are all ``out and about'': the kids play; grown-ups plant gardens and spruce up their houses. In the same inviting vein, the story continues into summer, fallwith a harvest of fruits, nuts, berries as just ``desserts''and snowy winter, crowned by Christmas. A lovely book. Ages 3-7. (March)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly