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ANIMAL DREAMING

Name: ANIMAL DREAMING
Author: Paul Morin
ISBN: 0-15-200054-2

AN ABORIGINAL DREAMTIME STORY

adapted by Paul Morin & illustrated by Paul Morin ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1998

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Within this beautifully illustrated book is the story of the Dreamtime of the Australian Aboriginal people—how the animals of long ago created a world in which they all lived in peace and harmony. Gadurra, an elder, takes a young boy, Mirri, who is also his friend, into the outback and tells him about the time when the earth was first shaped. They look at the rock paintings and Gadurra instructs Mirri: “Sit quietly, my friend, and see what the paintings tell you.” And thus, through oral history, the traditions of Animal Dreaming have been handed down in the land around Kakadu. Mirri learns about his heritage and his place in his land through the stories of the Animal Dreaming; readers learn about ancestral spirits, sacred places, and respect for ceremony. Morin’s bold paintings reflect Aboriginal rock art, the images of the traditional Dreamtime, and vividly realistic portraits of the boy and his elder. (glossary) (Picture book. 6-10)

Pub Date: March 1, 1998

ISBN: 0-15-200054-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1998

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
WHEN GOD MADE THE DAKOTAS
by Tim Kessler & illustrated by Paul Morin

- BOOK REVIEW
CROCODILE
by Jonathan London & illustrated by Paul Morin

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT THE ANIMALS WERE WAITING FOR
by Jonathan London & Paul Morin

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WILD, WILD WOLVES

by Joyce Milton & illustrated by Larry Schwinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1992

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At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)

Pub Date: April 1, 1992

ISBN: 0-679-91052-2

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
DINOSAUR DAYS
by Joyce Milton ; illustrated by Franco Tempesta

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GOONEY BIRD GREENE

by Lois Lowry & illustrated by Middy Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2002

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Gooney Bird Greene (with a silent E) is not your average second grader. She arrives in Mrs. Pidgeon’s class announcing: “I’m your new student and I just moved here from China. I want a desk right smack in the middle of the room, because I like to be right smack in the middle of everything.” Everything about her is unusual and mysterious—her clothes, hairstyles, even her lunches. Since the second graders have never met anyone like Gooney Bird, they want to hear more about her. Mrs. Pidgeon has been talking to the class about what makes a good story, so it stands to reason that Gooney will get her chance. She tells a series of stories that explain her name, how she came from China on a flying carpet, how she got diamond earrings at the prince’s palace, and why she was late for school (because she was directing a symphony orchestra). And her stories are “absolutely true.” Actually, they are explainable and mesh precisely with the teacher’s lesson, more important, they are a clever device that exemplify the elements of good storytelling and writing and also demonstrate how everyone can turn everyday events into stories. Savvy teachers should take note and add this to their shelf of “how a story is made” titles. Gooney Bird’s stories are printed in larger type than the narrative and the black-and-white drawings add the right touch of sauciness (only the cover is in color). A hybrid of Harriet, Blossom, and Anastasia, irrepressible Gooney Bird is that rare bird in children’s fiction: one that instantly becomes an amusing and popular favorite. (Fiction. 6-9)