My Shadow

by Robert Louis Stevenson, Glenna Lang (Illustrator)

Overview

Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic poem now vibrantly illustrated as a read-aloud picture book.

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

The poems in Robert Louis Stevenson’s collection, A Child’s Garden of Verses have been popular ever since the book’s first appearance more than one hundred years ago. None more so than “My Shadow,” a traditional favorite for reading aloud.

Illustrator Glenna Lang has created a visual narrative to accompany the poem as a young girl travels through a dream nightscape with her shadow companion. Beautifully true to the sense and spirit of Stevenson’s work, the illustrations add their own grace and rich atmosphere. The striking art style will captivate and delight readers of all ages.

This edition of My Shadow is a wonderful way to enjoy an old favorite bedtime poem with the youngest child.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781567921083
Publisher:	David R. Godine, Publisher
Publication date:	02/01/1999
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	7.12(w) x 11.06(h) x 0.13(d)
Lexile:	NP (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, musician and travel writer. His most famous works are Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and A Child's Garden of Verses. Stevenson was a literary celebrity during his lifetime, and now ranks as the 26th most translated author in the world

Date of Birth:

November 13, 1850

Date of Death:

December 3, 1894

Place of Birth:

Edinburgh, Scotland

Place of Death:

Vailima, Samoa

Education:

Edinburgh University, 1875

Editorial Reviews

Rand leads the reader through a joyful parade of children from all over the world in his rendition of the poem about a child playing with his shadow. A Chinese youngster plays kickball in front of a stone lion, a boy balances on the edge of a fountain in Italy, an African tyke stares at a puddle of shadow beneath his feet. Unfortunately, the Stevenson text, with its single narrator, is not well synchronized with the subjects of Rand's illustrations, who vary from page to page. For example, a girl in a garden is pictured saying, "One morning . . . I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup.'' The sentence is completed by a group of children playing on an island beach who say, "But my lazy little shadow . . . stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.'' Although Rand's often idyllic locales are gorgeously depicted, his settings may not always be clear to readers, adding further confusion to the artistic device. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 2 --Stevenson's poem plays with the concept of "shadow'' as a physical phenomenon, and even hints at a psychological dimension to the shadow self, who is called a "coward,'' evokes disgrace ("I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!''), and "can only make a fool of'' the speaker. Lang's flat acrylic paintings eliminate natural shadows and reduce volumes to shapes--as shadows do. The problem with the illustrations is conceptual. Although the flap copy asserts that the heroine travels through "a dream nightscape,'' there are no internal cues to differentiate the dream setting from the real one. In her pajamas, the heroine might be having a late stroll, or an early one. A sliver of moon confusingly does all the work of shadow-making, until the last line, when the heroine emerges "very early, before the sun was up'' into a world as bright as midday but mysteriously shadowless (while the noontime shrinkage of shadows cited in the text has occurred at midnight). The book not only does disservice to Stevenson's verse but also badly muddles the principles of shadow casting. --Patricia Dooley, University of Washington, Seattle

School Library Journal

“The soft palette of the illustrations allows the 19th-century poetic language to carry over naturally and without anachronisms. VERDICT This accessible and appealing take on a childhood favorite should be appreciated by a broad audience in schools and public libraries.” –School Library Journal

“The soft palette of the illustrations allows the 19th-century poetic language to carry over naturally and without anachronisms. VERDICT This accessible and appealing take on a childhood favorite should be appreciated by a broad audience in schools and public libraries.” –School Library Journal

From the Publisher