A stand-alone sequel to A Nest for Celeste (2010), this chapter book has everything that made its predecessor so enjoyable: an inviting format, good storytelling, and at least one large, beautifully drawn shaded pencil illustration on each double-page spread. An inviting entry into historical fiction.” — Booklist
Praise for A NEST FOR CELESTE: “With a twist of a pencil nub and a turn of a phrase, Henry Cole brings Audubon to life on the page; the story of tender Celeste will charm the naturalist and fantasist alike.” — Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and Matchless
“Evocative illustrations, compelling characters, and thoughtful reflections on the nature of home combine to powerful effect.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A rare gift: a novel with artwork as whole and vital as a picture book’s.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“The softly shaded pencil drawings bring the story to life through Cole’s exceptional ability to imbue animals with personality.” — ALA Booklist
PRAISE FOR BRAMBLEHEART: “Cole’s black-and-white pencil drawings are earnest yet emotionally sharp. Nestled in a small trim size, this is an appealing and accessible genre blend.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Fantasies wrapped around the secret, almost human world of woodland animals are eaten up by young readers. Throw another fantastical animal into the mix-a dragon-and there are sure to be plenty more kids who will buy in.” — ALA Booklist
“Twig is what all heroes - large and small - should be: charming, courageous, and kind. Delightful!” — Lisa Fiedler, Author of The Mouseheart Trilogy and Stage-Struck
Twig is what all heroes - large and small - should be: charming, courageous, and kind. Delightful!
The softly shaded pencil drawings bring the story to life through Cole’s exceptional ability to imbue animals with personality.
Praise for A NEST FOR CELESTE: “With a twist of a pencil nub and a turn of a phrase, Henry Cole brings Audubon to life on the page; the story of tender Celeste will charm the naturalist and fantasist alike.
A stand-alone sequel to A Nest for Celeste (2010), this chapter book has everything that made its predecessor so enjoyable: an inviting format, good storytelling, and at least one large, beautifully drawn shaded pencil illustration on each double-page spread. An inviting entry into historical fiction.
A stand-alone sequel to A Nest for Celeste (2010), this chapter book has everything that made its predecessor so enjoyable: an inviting format, good storytelling, and at least one large, beautifully drawn shaded pencil illustration on each double-page spread. An inviting entry into historical fiction.
2017-11-13
A timid mouse goes on an inadvertent journey.Cornered by a house cat, Celeste (A Nest for Celeste, 2010) spends the night nestled in a wagon laden with cotton. In the morning, the wagon departs with Celeste aboard, and her home disappears behind her. Her voyage is episodic, featuring new friends, myriad hiding places (a sewing box; a barrel of cornmeal), and dangers (a steamboat that sinks, fur trappers, a season that gets cold). The shy little rodent travels up the Mississippi River from "a long way south," landing someplace with "brilliant fall colors and icicles and snowdrifts." Other animals protect her, and then she's adopted by a white boy named Abe (Lincoln, the author's note confirms), who's portrayed almost romantically as particularly kind, thoughtful, and hungry for education. Descriptions of nature are lush; Cole's black-and-white pencil drawings touch almost every spread, soft and gentle, evocative, sometimes covering entire pages. Unfortunately, the piece ignores an underlying ugliness: in the early 1800s in Mississippi, Celeste's cozy, "safe" original home—a plantation—almost certainly would have been a site of slavery, and the story's only obviously black human—a friendly cook on the steamboat—might have been enslaved.Earnest animal fantasy with exceptionally designed illustrations but uncomfortably set in a time and place undeserving of a rosy glow. (author's note) (Animal fantasy. 6-10)
