Higher! Higher!

by Leslie Patricelli, Leslie Patricelli (Illustrator)

Overview

The sky’s no limit in a witty board book about a child on a swing and the wonders of the imagination.

One child. One swing. An obliging dad. The inevitable plea to go Higher! Higher! Add Leslie Patricelli's wildly expressive illustrations, and an everyday pasttime reaches new heights of humor and whimsy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763644338
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	04/27/2010
Series:	Leslie Patricelli Board Books Series
Pages:	30
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Leslie Patricelli is the creator of seven board books starring the adorable bald Baby, as well as the picture book THE BIRTHDAY BOX. She lives in Ketchum, Idaho.

Editorial Reviews

Imagination is what takes this young girl on a fabulous journey as she swings higher and higher. We see her reaching the height of a giraffe, then the top of a building, until she is soaring into outer space. Whom does she meet there but an alien child also enjoying his swing. They give a high five and then she works her way back down to the ground. It was such a great adventure that she wants to do it all over again (poor Dad—one wonders if his arms will hold out). The illustrations are simple and uncluttered; they look like a kid drew them and that should increase their appeal. Patricelli has created an excellent board book for preschool children because of its entertaining illustrations and minimal text. It should stimulate conversations about what is real, what is fun, and what is imagined. Note: the original picture book was a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor winner. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

A sense of adventure plays out well in this bright, inviting picture book of very few words. By combining the words, "Higher!" and "Higher!" with a few other words and perfect illustrations, the author creates a world of fun in which all that the main character does is swing in a playground swing. During the course of her swinging time, as her kind dad pushes her, she swings high enough to see into the zoo, to see some kids on top of a building, to see an explorer at the North Pole, to see passengers in an airplane, to see the whole earth, a rocket with a monkey and a Martian! When her swinging subsides, she injects one more word—"Again"—which prompts the listeners to smile and get ready for the repeat adventure. This is an excellent book for preschool children because of its entertaining illustrations and minimal text. It will stimulate conversations about what is real, what is fun, and what is imagined. Reviewer: Nancy Garhan Attebury

Children's Literature - Nancy Garhan Attebury

PreS-Gr 1

Well-known for her captivating board books, Patricelli brings her simple text and crayon colors to the next age level. As an adult pushes a pigtailed girl in a striped sweater and socks on a swing, the child calls out: "Higher! Higher!" The ride gradually takes her from a giraffe's-eye view, to a mountaintop, to an airplane, and finally high enough to trade high fives with a one-eyed, green alien who floats on her own swing among the stars. The pictures then regress to a vantage point that allows readers to review the stages of her upward climb all at once, then return to the playground for a hug and the final word: "Again!" The repetitive text is ideal for new readers, and the cartoon paintings, though spare, provide plenty of room for imagination. An excellent choice to share at storytime.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

School Library Journal

Patricelli once again proves she is a master of demonstrating for very young children the wonders of a good imagination (The Birthday Box, 2007). In her latest, a father pushes his daughter on a swing to her gleeful shouts of "Higher! Higher!" The imaginative toddler's swing goes so high that she passes a giraffe, a high-rise building, a mountain climber, an airplane full of people and a rocket ship in outer space. When she finally reaches the apex of her arc, she exchanges a "High five!" with an alien child who is on a swing of its own. Her descent brings her past them all again and back to her father's waiting embrace. "Again!" The text uses only six different words, allowing the acrylic illustrations to speak enthusiastic volumes. The simple design, minimalist details and bright colors will appeal to the youngest listeners. Throughout, facial expressions and body language reflect surprise, curiosity, wonder and joy-never fear. Certain to rise higher and higher in popularity. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews