The Salamander Room

by Anne Mazer, Steve Johnson (Illustrator)

Overview

A young boy finds a salamander and thinks of the many things he can do to make a perfect home for it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780780739451
Publisher:	Random House Childrens Books
Publication date:	09/01/1994
Series:	Dragonfly HRDerbacks
Pages:	1
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD440L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Steve Johnson was born in White Bear Lake, Minnesota and earned a B.F.A. in illustration from the School of Associated Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota. Steve's stunning illustrations have been seen in many magazines, but it was not until Knopf asked him to illustrate No Star Nights in 1989 that he began his career as a children's book illustrator. Since then, Steve and his wife Lou Fancher has collaborated on the illustrations and design on a number of notable children's books.  They are currently among the most sought after of children's book artists. Steve and Lou fell in love with the My Many Colored Days manuscript at first sight, seeing in it an unusual opportunity to create something that is at once both childlike and sophisticated.  

Steve and Lou currently reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  

Editorial Reviews

PW described this ``atmospherically illustrated'' tale about a boy's plans to accommodate a salamander as a ``fitting tribute to a child's perseverance and imagination,'' Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 2-- Brian's determination to keep a salamander in his room is met with quizzical concern on the part of his mother--``Where will he sleep?. . . where will he play?'' Inquiries are answered with imaginative solutions that will be familiar to all those who have tried to convince a parent to let them have a pet. Johnson's lush, shadowy paintings depict each addition to the cumulative scenario as Brian's cozy bedroom is gradually transformed into a dark green forest that overflows the pages as the fantasy becomes more elaborate. From its rich green endpapers through its handsome typeface, this is a beautifully designed mood piece. The subtle implication that animals require responsible handling is positive, although readers caught up in the fantasy are never brought back to mundane reality. Johnson's salamander is realistically depicted, yet imbued with personality, whether wistfully peering through the bedroom window to see his forest friends or snuggled under leaves sleeping next to Brian. He will have young readers yearning for salamander rooms of their own. --Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ

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