Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs

by Ruth Heller

Overview

"Lively...The playfully rhymed text flows effortlessly as it discusses superlatives, irregular adverbs, and double negatives....Informative and fun."— School Library Journal"Using expansive color drawings and catchy rhymes, Heller writes about words frequently and vividly and with an unmistakable flourish....A clever introduction."— Booklist"This eye-catching book explains its perplexing subject well and clearly, and more memorably than could any grammar textbook." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780698116634
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	10/26/1998
Series:	Ruth Heller's Explore Language Series
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	375,893
Product dimensions:	8.75(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.16(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

After receiving a fine arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley and completing two years of graduate work in design at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, Ruth Heller (1923-2004) began her career designing wrapping paper, cocktail napkins, greeting cards, and coloring books. After five years of rejection and one complete revision, Heller's first book, Chickens Aren't the Only Ones, about egg-laying animals, was published in 1981. It was so successful that the sequel, and second book to be published, Animals Born Alive And Well (1982), about mammals, quickly followed. In 1983 and 1984, her third and fourth titles, The Reason For A Flower (about plants that have seeds and flowers) and Plants That Never Ever Bloom (about plants that do not) were published.

She then began work on a collection of six books, the How To Hide series on camouflage and the magic of this phenomenon in nature, which covered the entire animal kingdom — insects, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and sea creatures. The next collection of books became a five-volume series on parts of speech: A Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns; Kites Sail High: A Book About Verbs; Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives; Merry-Go-Round: A Book About Nouns; and Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs. She also wrote and illustrated the unique and fascinating book Color, a charming and instructive guide to how art goes through the four color printing process.

Among the notable people who have had an influence on Heller's writing have been: Ogden Nash, Gilbert and Sullivan, Edward Lear, Hilaire Belloc, and Dr. Seuss. Heller says of her work, "All my books are nonfiction picture books in rhyme. I find writing in rhyme enjoyable and challenging, and I think it is an easy way for children to learn new facts and acquire a sophisticated vocabulary. Children are not intimidated by big words. I try to make my writing succinct and allow the illustrations to convey as much information as possible."

Editorial Reviews

In this latest addition to Heller's expanding collection of parts-of-speech books, the author/artist employs her characteristically vibrant, larger-than-life paintings to examine the many aspects of adverbs. Readers are told--and captivatingly shown--that ``ADVERBS work terrifically when answering specifically . . . `How?' `How often?' `When?' and `Where?' '' A glorious blue-and-white Victorian house, for example, drips gingerbread trim across one spread: it was painted ``RECENTLY.'' The question, ``WHY do pandas eat bamboo?'' is posed against a comparatively spare spread of three beguiling creatures devouring green leaves. If this book is a bit more confusing than the earlier volumes, it is chiefly because of the inherent diversity of the topic--young grammarians may well be puzzled that the words in a bride's vow of ``YES, INDEED, FOREVER'' are equated with the ``how'' of ``HOW do you do?'' Nevertheless, Heller once again offers an informative English lesson that is great fun to read and rife with theatrics. Ages 6-up. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 2-4-- Heller maintains the standards she set in her previous concept books in this lively introduction to adverbs. The playfully rhymed text flows effortlessly as it discusses superlatives, irregular adverbs, and double negatives. The featured words appear in bold print and are used frequently throughout to demonstrate their functions. The jewel-toned illustrations are a visual delight, featuring everything from Persian cats to purple cows. Large double-page spreads provide maximum graphic impact, while the subjects add a whimsical touch. The book ends abruptly, but its many strengths greatly outweigh this quibble. Teachers and children will find the clever presentation informative and fun. --Lori A. Janick, Parkwood Elementary School, Pasadena, TX

School Library Journal