A Celebration of the Seasons: Goodnight Songs: Illustrated by Twelve Award-Winning Picture Book Artists

by Margaret Wise Brown

Overview

Some fine day, just run away
To a long unscheduled day
To where great clouds go sailing by
Above the birds and butterfly.
 
Fluffy clouds, butterflies, furry bunnies, and life from a bug's-eye view: This stunning sequel to the New York Times bestseller Goodnight Songs celebrates the beauty and wonder of nature all year long. Once again, a treasure trove of Margaret Wise Brown's newly uncovered verses receives loving treatment from 12 award-winning artists, including Floyd Cooper, Peter Brown, David Small, Molly Idle, and Bob Staake. From a little bear singing one morning in May to a soft snowfall, mysterious, deep, and glowing, each song is magical. 

An accompanying CD, with lilting songs beautifully composed and sung by Emily Gary and Tom Proutt, makes this the perfect gift for children.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454904472
Publisher:	Sterling Children's Books
Publication date:	08/04/2015
Pages:	36
Sales rank:	180,810
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	NP (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Margaret Wise Brown is one of the most popular children's authors of all time; her classic Goodnight Moon (HarperFestival), illustrated by Clement Hurd, has sold more than 24 million copies and her books—including Big Red Barn (Harper Festival), TheRunaway Bunny (HarperCollins), and The Golden Egg Book (Simon & Schuster)—have been in print for over 50 years. Several generations have grown up with her timeless stories and her influence has been felt around the world.

Date of Birth:

May 23, 1910

Date of Death:

November 13, 1952

Place of Birth:

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Place of Death:

Nice, France

Education:

B.A., Hollins College, 1932; Bank Street College of Education

Website:

http://www.margaretwisebrown.com

Editorial Reviews

07/20/2015
This accompanying volume to Goodnight Songs (2014) features 12 more unpublished poems and songs by Brown, illustrated by as many artists, including Floyd Cooper, Molly Idle, David Small, and Frank Viva. “Winter Adventure” conveys a child’s encounter with a wild rabbit after leaving it a treat (“He shot like a bullet/ From out of that tree/ Leaving tracks in the snow,/ And the apple there for me”), while Mick Wiggins blends chilly and warm colors to emphasize the different worlds occupied by child and rabbit. For Brown’s sillier “The Kitten’s Dream,” Bob Staake creates a dreamscape featuring a castle, locomotive, and cake-melting rainstorm. Though some poems are only lightly tied to the seasons, the spectrum of artistic styles provides a rich accompaniment to Brown’s mix of playfulness and subtle contemplation. A CD with musical performances is included. Ages 3–6. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

“A multimedia tribute to the great picture-book writer in her own words. This sumptuous compilation not only brings together a dozen songs by the late author of Goodnight Moon, here given new visual life in evocative spreads by 12 award-winning illustrators, but also includes a CD of Brown's lyrics set to music and performed by Tom Proutt and Emily Gary. As a whole, these nature-based songs look to animals and the seasons to remind children of the pleasures of the outdoors. Illustrators Peter Brown, Floyd Cooper, Blanca Gómez, Satoe Tone, and eight others capture the essence of bees and birds in flight, leaves adrift on the wind, or light, imagined situations like a kitten's dream or a cat the size of a pussy willow. Musically, a number of the songs, such as the magical "Snowfall," have a soft, lilting quality sure to help young listeners off to dreamland, while a couple of the more memorable settings might have the opposite effect. The sharp baritone-sax honks of ‘Buzz, Buzz, Buzz’ graphically emulate bees at work ‘in the solemn heat,’ for instance. While the collection is no doubt titled to evoke its author's most renowned work, overall these songs prove anything but drowsy. A treat for the eye, ear, and heart.” — Kirkus Reviews (STARRED review)''

“Following 2014’s Goodnight Songs (Sterling), this second volume of previously unpublished poems and songs by the legendary Margaret Wise Brown is just as enchanting and handsomely produced as the first. Twelve poems about the seasons are brought to life through art and music. Heavy hitters like David Small, Peter Brown, Molly Idle, Frank Viva, and Bob Staake join up-and-coming illustrators from around the globe such as Leo Espinoza, Dadu Shin, and Blanca Gomez. The book opens with ‘To a Child,’ the soothingly surreal invitation to ‘…run away/To a long unscheduled day,’ paired with Floyd Cooper’s dreamy oil wash on board illustrations. Subsequent poems inspire young readers to notice the natural world around them and appreciate the wondrous activity inspired by the changing seasons. There’s much whimsy to be found: in ‘The Song of the Tiny Cat,’ readers hear the tale of a jaunty feline ‘no bigger than a puzzy willow’; in ‘Bunny Jig,’ David Small’s energetic line and pitch-perfect visual timing elevates the humor of this toe-tapping ditty; and Molly Idle’s clever interpretation of Brown’s ‘Advice to Bunnies’ is as chuckle-worthy as it is charming. Along with the playfulness and joy, Brown’s verses also offer young listeners opportunities to reflect on the melancholia of change. In ‘Cherry Tree,’ Elly MacKay’s red-suited little girl makes a snow angel while lamenting that her ‘dear tree/Where the cherries were red/Is frozen and gray,/The birds are all fled.’ Parents with a young child on their lap are sure to be moved by ‘Love Song of the Little Bear,’ and the repeated refrain which goes ‘It’s a long time that I’ve loved you. Never, never go away.’ As in the first book, an included CD features Tom Proutt and Emily Gary’s musical renditions of each of Brown’s songs. Their lilting folk harmonies, country- and jazz-infused rhythms, accompanied on various tracks by mandolin, accordion, tympani, bass clarinet, and harmonica, elevate the verses and offer listeners a more complete sensory experience. VERDICT Whether read or sung aloud, this essential collection is made to be shared—and no doubt will be, again and again.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

A forward by editor Amy Gary explains how the songs used for this collection were actually found in Wise’s sister’s attic some forty years after the author’s death in 1952. This collection of twelve songs about seasons and nature showcase two poems that were previously published and ten that have not been shared until now. Each poem is surrounded by a gorgeous and funny illustration created by one of twelve illustrators of children’s picture books; while many readers may be familiar with the pictures of Peter Brown, David Small, and Floyd Cooper, this edition will introduce readers to the fabulous work of nine others who are sure to become more familiar. Then, if that was not enough, the book comes with a CD and songs written by Tom Proutt and Emily Gary that provide yet another illustration of Wise’s words. This is a wonderful compilation of so many fabulous talents; a joyful book to add to any family, school, or public library. Reviewer: Jean Boreen, Ph.D.; Ages 3 to 7.

Children's Literature - Jean Boreen

★ 2015-05-06
A multimedia tribute to the great picture-book writer in her own words. This sumptuous compilation not only brings together a dozen songs by the late author of Goodnight Moon, here given new visual life in evocative spreads by 12 award-winning illustrators, but also includes a CD of Brown's lyrics set to music and performed by Tom Proutt and Emily Gary. As a whole, these nature-based songs look to animals and the seasons to remind children of the pleasures of the outdoors. Illustrators Peter Brown, Floyd Cooper, Blanca Gómez, Satoe Tone, and eight others capture the essence of bees and birds in flight, leaves adrift on the wind, or light, imagined situations like a kitten's dream or a cat the size of a pussy willow. Musically, a number of the songs, such as the magical "Snowfall," have a soft, lilting quality sure to help young listeners off to dreamland, while a couple of the more memorable settings might have the opposite effect. The sharp baritone-sax honks of "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz" graphically emulate bees at work "in the solemn heat," for instance. While the collection is no doubt titled to evoke its author's most renowned work, overall these songs prove anything but drowsy. A treat for the eye, ear, and heart. (Picture book/poetry. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews