In the Woods

by Elizabeth Spurr, Manelle Oliphant (Illustrator)

Overview

Simple and evocative language and charming illustrations describe a boy's trip in the woods.

In this gently rhyming board book, a young boy catches a fish, cooks it over a roaring fire, and camps with his father, who plays the banjo as his son falls asleep.

Elizabeth Spurr and Manelle Oliphant together create a perfect sit-in-your-lap reading experience for toddlers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561455829
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	09/04/2012
Pages:	22
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 6.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	1 - 3 Years

About the Author

Elizabeth Spurr began publishing a neighborhood newspaper at age ten and received a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. She was a newspaper editor before she began writing children's books. She died in 2020.

Manelle Oliphant received a degree in illustration from Brigham Young University-Idaho and has created artwork for picture books, chapter books, theater posters, magazine articles, and games. She lives in Utah.

Editorial Reviews

Following the same format as their first book, In the Garden (2012), Spurr and Oliphant continue the story of the same outdoors-loving young boy. This time, he enjoys fishing while on a camping trip with his father. Again, individual words paired on each page make up the rhyming text. Spurr's staccato poetry fits nicely with the rhythms of fishing: "Boy baits. / Boy waits. // Bee buzzes. / Boy dozes. // Pole shakes. / Boy wakes. // Line jiggles. / Fish wiggles." When the young boy catches his fish, he brings it back to his father to cook. The two enjoy roasted marshmallows and some campfire music before hunkering down in their tent. The rounded, colored-pencil lines and soothing watercolors in blues and greens set the scene nicely and soften the clipped verse. As with the first book, the boy accomplishes his outdoor feat solo. Safety-conscious readers may balk at a young child fishing near a brook with no adult supervision, but a close inspection of the illustrations reveals that he is within view of his father. While fishing may not be as common an early-childhood activity as gardening, this is a likable follow-up. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)

Kirkus Reviews