Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book)

Book Description

A bright, science minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam--anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there's no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share... and to keep.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Book.......2007-09-27

This book is a wordless story appropriate for children of many ages. The pages are full of beautiful illustrations that actually tell a story without having to use words. It also gives children the opportunity to use their imaginations to some degree because they are not strictly told what happens. In it, a boy finds a camera washed up on shore and develops the film. The pictures reveal underwater fantasies in large, brightly colored images.

Intriguing and beguiling.......2007-09-20

When my wife first saw this in the bookstore, she called out, nearly shouting, "Look at this." One look wouldn't do - couldn't do! The detail and clever storytelling in this book are amazing. This book belongs on the shelf of every illustrated book lover.

Excellent Product & Prompt Delivery.......2007-09-15

This item was exactly as described in the item description. It was in the original packaging and is in excellent condition. I am very satisfied and I highly recommend this seller and product to everyone. This is an excellent book by an excellent author!

No Words!.......2007-08-27

This is a beautiful book. Great pictures. But, no words. My child was very confused when there were no words to read. It does allow you, however, to expand and make up a story. But, I would have liked to know that this book had no words before I bought it!

Wonderful book, all pictures but beautifully "told" story.......2007-08-16

This book generated much discussion among my kids and myself. Because there is no text, but amazingly detailed pictures telling this story, there is much room for theory and imagination oriented discussions.

Average customer rating:

magic!
Don't read the discription, just enjoy!
Zoom Out
Great for group activity
Zoom Zips

Zoom (Picture Puffin)
Istvan Banyai
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140557741

Customer Reviews:

magic!.......2007-09-25

Thank you Amazon for the book, 'Zoom'. I bought 2 copies 2 years ago and recently 2 more from you, for my little friends and some big friends too. It has brought magic and a sense of wonder to all that look at it - and all done without any words! Brilliant.

Don't read the discription, just enjoy!.......2007-09-05

I found this book at the library and knew nothing about it, so when I opened it up, I got to experience it without the foreknowledge of what I was about to see. As a result I got to experience the enjoyment of each surprising page turn. If you get this book, don't spoil it by reading anything about it, just open to page one and enjoy the ride. Such a fun book for any age. I loved it as much as my six year old did. Mr. Banyai has a wonderfully creative mind, and this is definitely one of my most favorite wordless picture books.

Zoom Out.......2007-05-15

This book was mentioned in another book I was reading and I was curious about it, so I ordered it. Even though the title is "Zoom," it seemed to be a "reverse" zoom to me, i.e., it had already zoomed and was now zooming out. Regardless, I enjoyed the book for what it was and found the idea extremely creative. When we're having a not-so-good day because little things are going wrong, looking at this book would be a good way to help us gain back our perspective.

Great for group activity.......2007-03-23

I purchased this book to use in a group activity. The sequence of the pictures is pretty remarkable. I took a smaller sequence of the pictures matching the size of group I had and had them determine the order of the pictures by discussion and viewing only their one picture. It was a great team builder and communication exercise. However, the book is also a fascinating use of a zooming perspective of a series of items.

Zoom Zips.......2007-03-08

Zoom is a well done book about perspective. The outcome will leave you smiling or scratching your head. It is definitely a book worth having. I bought one for all my children's families and some of my closest friends. It is classic.

Average customer rating:

Great book for a new big brother or sister!
Great discussion book
My New Baby
New sibling book
Great purchase.

My New Baby (New Baby Series)

Manufacturer: Child's Play International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0859539741

Customer Reviews:

Great book for a new big brother or sister!.......2007-10-03

Purchased this book for 2-year old daughter before her brother was born. Would recommend purchasing before baby arrives so can talk about what is going to happen. This book has no words in it, but allows parents to talk about each page and what is happening. It walks the child through a typical day with a new baby...bathing, feeding, and even daddy taking them to the park (I always said so Mommy can sleep!). It shows the toddler helping with the baby and we were able to talk about safety and how things would change when the baby arrives. We purchased a few different books before 2nd child for 2-year old and this was the best one by far. Very simple, but effectivly gets the point across. Would recommend for any soon to be brother or sister!

Great discussion book.......2007-09-20

The lack of text made this book an excellent learning tool for the arrival of our son's baby sister.

It covers nearly all the situations that could happen once a new baby is introduced and puts all the attention of the big brother rather than on the new baby.

After our daughter was born, our son seemed to accept her new role in the family without question and I feel much of that ease was having talked about it using this book.

At one point, her crying was really annoying him and we brought out the book again to show him that this was completely normal. Worked like a charm.

My New Baby.......2007-09-09

My daughter is barely 2 years old and loves this book. She loves looking at the pictures and listening to the words I use to describe what's going on. The pictures are so cute that I don't mind that there aren't any words.

New sibling book.......2007-07-24

I bought this for my grandson to have when his new brother arrived. It was a big hit.

Great purchase........2007-07-21

I am very happy with this book. I love that it is only pictures so I can explain to my [..]about the new baby in my way. He loves it too and I think it is getting him excited for his new brother.

Average customer rating:

Kids love to tell the story
It is What You Make of It
Interesting journey
Red book review
Great Red Book!!!

The Red Book (Caldecott Honor Book)
Barbara Lehman
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0618428585

Book Description

This book is about a book. A magical red book without any words. When you turn the pages you'll experience a new kind of adventure through the power of story. In illustrations of rare detail and surprise, The Red Book crosses oceans and continents to deliver one girl into a new world of possibility, where a friend she's never met is waiting. And as with the best of books, at the conclusion of the story, the journey is not over.

Customer Reviews:

Kids love to tell the story.......2007-06-13

This book is for younger kids than David Weisner's so although it's not as beautiful as Weisner's picture books, my kids (5 & 4) can understand the story better. I have them tell me what's going on as we look at the pictures, and this has become one of their favorites.

It is What You Make of It.......2007-06-11

When I presented this little red book to five-year-old twins, I honestly wasn't sure what their reaction would be. I was pleased to discover they were as immediately enthralled with it as I was. They took it to the couch, looked through the pictures for a few minutes, and be to tell each other stories about the book. Even better, this book as inspired them to make their own wordless books, which they delight in sharing with anyone who shows an interest.

Interesting journey.......2007-04-18

I really like using this picture book with my older readers. They are always suprised and full of questions as they "read" it. Wordless picture books aren't always just for the younger readers. This is a book that kids may return to time and time again. It's a little episode of "The Twilight Zone" between the pages!

Red book review.......2007-01-18

My son enjoyed the book very much, and thought it was very clever.

Great Red Book!!!.......2006-11-22

As a student-teacher I choose this book to write a lesson. There is so much you can teach with this. Comprehension, drama, writing, vocabulary yes, and of course, lets children use their imagination.

Average customer rating:

Great book for toddlers
Wonderful book!
great for toddlers
Good gift
A Picture Book

Waiting for Baby (New Baby Series)

Manufacturer: Child's Play International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0859539733

Customer Reviews:

Great book for toddlers.......2007-10-04

So I was concerned that my 21 month old daughter would get bored with this book. We have had it for almost a week, and she loves it! The bright pictures are wonderful and since it has no words, the parent can make up their own story or point out other things. Since the story is changing each time, I think it is less boring for both the child and the parent reading it. I think it's more interactive and intersting in that sense.

And yes, sometimes the character is not going to completely match each reader's situation, but I think they are general enough to be helpful. I like it that the child can look either like a boy or a girl. I also like it when the child is feeding her/himself while the mother is watching and relaxing.

It is great to show how the older sibling is going to be involved and this book really captures the special time for both parents and child.

GREAT BOOK, highly recommend! Our daughter makes us read it 4 or 5 times every night!

Wonderful book!.......2007-10-02

At first I was dismayed that this book was only illustrations, without a story. Now, however, I absolutely love it. We have named all of the characters pictured after our family members and we also gave the name of the OB in the book the name of my OB. It has really let us personalize the process of mommy being pregnant for our child. Very nice!

great for toddlers.......2007-09-15

My daughter loves this book. She is only 20 months old, so she really doesn't get the idea that mommy is having another baby, but this let's us tell stories with the pictures!

Good gift.......2007-08-27

Gave this to my neice who is expecting a sibling soon. She loves the book

A Picture Book.......2007-07-17

I bought this and "My New Baby" for my son when I was expecting his first sibling. I was unhappily surprised to find they did not have words, just pictures. That definitely should be part of the product description.
It isn't too hard to make up a story, but if I would have known it was lacking words I never would have bought it.

Average customer rating:

Not near as good as "Zoom"
Even Better Than Zoom
Second generation of Zoom
It IS great for kids!
It IS great for kids!

Re-Zoom
Istvan Banyai
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 014055694X

Book Description

Open this wordless book and take off on a mindbending visual journey full of twists, turns, and surprises. Zoom from an Egyptian pyramid to an exotic jungle to a sandy beach. But if you think you know where you are, guess again. For in Istvan Banyai's mysterious landscapes of pictures within pictures, nothing is ever as it seems. "Banyai's artwork...works to perfection."-- Kirkus Reviews

Customer Reviews:

Not near as good as "Zoom".......2006-04-16

If you have never seen any books by this author before then I would recommend purchasing "Zoom". It's amazing which made me slightly disappointed with this one. I was hoping it would be just as good as the first but it was harder to follow and wasn't as fun to look at. I wish I had not bought it.

Even Better Than Zoom.......2005-09-06

Once again Istvan Banyai takes your perception on a roller coaster ride. This amazing sequel is even better than Zoom. Thoroughly enjoyable and could also be used as part of a motivational speech on seeing things as they are and aren't. Perception isn't always reality.

Second generation of Zoom.......2005-08-08

I bought this book at the same time as I bought Zoom. Both are great books for getting people to think outside the box, but for some reason, I still like the original Zoom best. Still a good book though.

It IS great for kids!.......2002-02-16

Our 5 year old got this as a birthday gift...he and his 7 year old brother LOVE this book and love explaining it to adults who don't get it quick enough! A great gift! We have to get Zoom now!

It IS great for kids!.......2002-02-16

Our 5 year old got this as a birthday gift...he and his 7 year old brother LOVE this book and love explaining it to adult who don't get it quick enough! A great gift! We have to get Zoom now!

Average customer rating:

Eric Carle sends a realistic message
OPENS the IMAGINATION
There are better editions of this title
Not a book about friendship or tolerance.
Is it just me....?

Do You Want to Be My Friend?
Eric Carle
Manufacturer: Philomel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399215980

Book Description

Do you want to be my friend? asks the little mouse, and hopefully follows a tail, finding at the end of it a rather unfriendly horse. But there's another tail, and another, and a strange, long, green one, too, that follows the mouse on his quest for a friend.

Each page of this ingenious picture book contains a surprise. Its only text is on the first page, but the exciting pursuit of a friend for the little mouse lends itself to improvisation by both the reader and the young child -- another brilliant idea from Eric Carle, the creator of The Secret Birthday Message and The Mixed-Up Chameleon.

Notable Children's Books of 1971 (ALA)
Children's Books of 1971 (Library of Congress)
Honor Book, Book World Spring Book Festival 1971

Customer Reviews:

Eric Carle sends a realistic message.......2007-07-16

The book seems to present a narrative similar to P.D. Eastman's Are You My Mother?, which presents the very normal process whereby a lost young bird searches out the identity of its as-yet-unseen mother by unsuccessfully speaking to, among other other things, a boat, a plane, and a cow. The difference, as I see it, between the two, is that every attempted friendship sought out by the mouse in Carle's story is with another creature, until he finds the companionship most suited to him, that being with his own species. What a young child might take from this is probably very basic: mice probably find more in common with other mice. However, if applied to human relationships, it may be that the "message," if there is one at this level to deal with, probably favors the notion that of all the possible friends out there for someone, one is more suited to a person than all the rest. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the book condones some kind of rejection, because, after all, in real life it does take some effort for any child to find a special friend. Further, I wouldn't say that the book reinforces the idea that only people like us can be our friends because, once again, it is a good thing to encourage a child to imagine a uniquely suitable friend just for him or her. If they don't seek out the child who is most different from everyone else, it does not mean that child is insensitive, just that finding a friend might be more spontaneous and innocent than we parents and teachers may like to admit-even when the child finds someone who happens to look like him or her.

OPENS the IMAGINATION.......2007-05-05

I loved this book. Because it has hardly any dialogue, it challenges the imagination of the "reader." It can be read over and over with never having the same story. Having read it to my two toddlers, I have always told the story in a positive light where the mouse plays with all of the animals along his way home. At the end of my version of the story, the mouse finds his brother or sister where they run off to their special fort. Each time I've read it, the story and dialogue have been slightly and sometimes widely different from the other times. I think that the book opens up so many possibilities and stretches the imagination. For young toddlers flipping through the book on their own, it also encourages that the pages be turned in order as the mouse follows the tail of his next friend and leaves the child to figure out to which animal each tail belongs. The pictures are colorful and simple and as beautiful as any of pictures of other Eric Carle books. Highly recommended for those who like open-ended stories!

There are better editions of this title.......2007-01-04

We decided to purchase this book for our toddler after she enjoyed the copy we had checked out of our local library. She had loved turning the pages and looking at the large pictures of each animal. Sadly, this copy was smaller than a postcard. When we read the copy from the library, I liked the idea of a book that tells a story with very little text, encouraging the reader to create his or her own. The way each animal's tail appears on the page teaches little readers to turn the pages in a book to reveal the narrative. I was disappointed that this edition has dialogue in which each animal rejects the mouse. I would have prefered the larger, textless edition. When ordering, pay attention to the dimensions!

Not a book about friendship or tolerance. .......2004-09-08

Agree w/ a prior reviewer - this book was VERY disappointing. I was horrified to hear it read, for the first time, by a 'teacher' (who obligingly filled in the dialogue for the non-mouse animals, to say to the mouse: "No I don't want to be your friend. . . your too little (or whatever)."
I think it can be read w/ a more positive spin, e.g., "I'd love to be your friend, but I can't play right now. . . " But the illustrations really convey a negative message to kids, and on its face is about being friends w/ your own kind, since it's only the mouse at the end who says "Yes." Not what I want to teach to my children. This book apparently was written in the 70's. It's way out of date, and I wouldn't buy it. Other Carle books have the same type of animal illustrations, so it's nothing special in that regard either.

Is it just me....?.......2004-07-24

or was anyone else confused by this book? Now don't get me wrong I don't expect War and Peace in a children's book, but a little more dialogue would have been nice. As it is, there are 2 possible conclusions I can draw from this book:

1. The mouse is asking each animal to be his friend and they are all saying 'No', which makes them all very mean and not worth talking about or,
2. The mouse is only asking the other mouse at the end of the book, ignoring all the other animals completely.

Either way, here is the message I walk away with: Mice should only be friends with other mice (people should only be friends with their own kind). Is this what we want to teach our children?

Average customer rating:

Excellent Product & Prompt Delivery
Escher and imagination
Worlds Above the Rest
I'm a big fan.
fun and imaginative!

Sector 7 (Caldecott Honor Book)

Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0395746566

Amazon.com

In another wondrous, wordless picture book by Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner (Tuesday and June 29, 1999), a class visiting the Empire State Building finds complete cloud cover and no visibility. One boy makes friends with a cloud (identifiable in the mists by the red mittens, hat, and scarf and swipes from the boy), and goes AWOL on a wonderful adventure. The cloud whisks him away to the "Sector 7" floating cloud factory, a bizarre sky station that looks like a Victorian design for a submarine.

Hiding behind his new cumulonimbus friend, the boy enters an area resembling Grand Central Station (complete with "Arrivals" and "Departures" boards) and watches officious human types in uniform giving the clouds their weather assignments. When the clouds complain to the boy that their assigned shapes are boring, he, a talented artist, creates new blueprints for them. The stuffy grownups are furious when clouds start emerging in the shape of fantastic fish; they shout at the clouds, tear up the new designs, and escort the boy back to his school group. But the revolt of the clouds is unstoppable now, and in the last few pages the skies over Manhattan suddenly get a lot more interesting. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by David Wiesner. With permission of Clarion Books.) (Ages 2 to 8) --Richard Farr

Book Description

Only the person who gave us Tuesday could have devised this fantastic tale, which begins with a school trip to the Empire State Building. There a boy makes friends with a mischievous little cloud, who whisks him away to the Cloud Dispatch Center for Sector 7 (the region that includes New York City). The clouds are bored with their everyday shapes, so the boy obligingly starts to sketch some new ones. . . . The wordless yet eloquent account of this unparalleled adventure is a funny, touching story about art, friendship, and the weather, as well as a visual tour de force.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Product & Prompt Delivery.......2007-09-15

Escher and imagination.......2007-08-05

Flotsam and Freefall were the first two books I explored by David Wiesner. Sector 7 is not to be missed either. Wiesner's style and creativity are wonderful explorations for all humans(and especially children). M.C. Escher has an honored presence in this book, as he does in Freefall. The theme of flying is present here, as in all of Wiesner's books, and the fanciful creative nature of Wiesner's story and illustrations (paintings?) are not to be missed. Second language learners will immediately have something to say (in their own language) about this book. So will everyone else who reads it. Anyone who has taken the time to sit back and enjoy the show clouds put on will appreciate the ideas within this book. Don't hesitate!

Worlds Above the Rest.......2007-05-07

Wiesner, D. (1999). Sector 7. New York: Clarion Books.

Synopsis: Cloud watching on a lazy day while lying in the grass, is a fun summertime activity for adults and children of all ages. But how are these clouds formed? Who created them? David Wiesner amazes readers once again with another wordless book that tells the incredible adventure of a young boy who goes on a field trip to the Empire State Building. The imaginative and creative young boy yearns to express his creativity meanwhile he is approached by a friendly cloud that takes for a tour of Sector 7 where clouds are created for this portion New York City. Sector 7 resembles an old train station with departure and arrival times posted which provide clouds with their assigned locations. The boy encounters clouds that are bored with their usual shapes. With a wild imagination and skilled artistry, he designs inspiring shapes that excite the clouds. When the staff discovers the changes, they are perturbed by the clouds that stray from their usual and regimented routines. The boy is sent back to his class field trip. However there is no undoing the chaos he has created which begins to spread out across Sector 7.

Evaluation: David Wiesner's Caldecott Honor award winning book allows readers to create the text and interpretations within their minds. Wiesner's wordless tale captures your mind with its full page watercolor illustrations and story board formatted frames. The vivid, yet soft watercolor illustrations provide humor combined with elegance. Readers can create their own individual stories based on their personal experiences. The main character is wildly imaginative with a talent for skilled artistry. Wiesner's tale leaves readers wondering if there are depots like Sector 7 where imaginative clouds are created. Educators will find that this tale allows children to create their own words to this magical adventure. It will encourage struggling writers to utilize their imaginations and picture themselves in the boy's position and be able to write a terrific tale of visiting the place where clouds are made. Children ages 6-10 will love this enchanting journey.

I'm a big fan........2007-02-25

I loved the art in this book. A great story told through pictures.

fun and imaginative!.......2006-11-07

My 5 year old loves this book and wants to read it a couple of times a week. He always asks new questions as he points out things he hadn't discovered last time. Even telling this story (since there are no words) changes each time as you(as the reader) will surely discover more things as well.

Baby Animals Black and White: Black and White

Average customer rating:

Baby loves it
My baby loves this book
Best book for newborns
Great book for very young babies
love it

Baby Animals Black and White: Black and White
Phyllis Limbacher Tildes
Manufacturer: Charlesbridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0881063134

Book Description

A wonderful board book for any new born or infant.

Customer Reviews:

Baby loves it.......2007-09-22

My three month old likes this book a lot. The smiling kitten always makes her smile. I like that the images are pretty realistic and not overly cartoonish and there is a nice variety of animals.

My baby loves this book.......2007-09-11

This was the first book my baby ever paid attention to. We had gotten other children's books at our baby shower and tried to read them to her starting around 2 months, but she would get impatient and upset. Then I found this book (in my Goldbox!) and she paid close attention to it from the beginning. She loves the dog the most. We show it to her and make animal noises to go along with the pictures. She is now 4 months and it is still part of the daily book line-up, but she will probably start getting tired of it soon as now she likes her colorful cloth book the best now. Definitely I would recommend this book for newborns.

Best book for newborns.......2007-08-29

Our son LOVED this book starting when he was just a few weeks old and enjoyed it for many months. It was fun "reading" it with him and was also great to keep his interest during tummy time. The pictures are adorable and it is fun to tell the baby about the different animals, the noises they make, where they live etc. We give this to everyone we know who is having a baby.

Great book for very young babies.......2007-03-18

Cute pics. My baby seems to really study the faces.

love it.......2007-03-08

my new born took great interest in the images. super cute animals!!

Average customer rating:

That's true!
The Flip Side of the Koan (Note: 5* is for Young Teens and Older Readers Only)
Exceptional
The Other Side - Amazing!
The most innovative, imaginative and original children's book in a longest time

The Other Side
Istvan Banyai
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0811846083

Book Description

In The Other Side, artist, designer, provocateur Istvan Banyai takes readers on another exceptional visual journey. In graphically stunning illustrations that feature many clever twists in point of view, familiar scenes turn and turn again to show us the back, the front, the top, the bottom, the opposite, the other side of each perspective. Here's a door. What's on the other side? Here's a shoreline. What's on the other side? Here's a curtain. What's on the other side? The answers may surprise you. Delightful, sly, funny, and challenging, The Other Side will make readers want to look, and think, twice.

Customer Reviews:

That's true!.......2007-01-15

The pages are interesting glimpses of possibilities on "the other side". This is a book of artwork presenting different points of view of an illustration. The book starts with drawings of how to make a paper airplane. The next illustration is a little girl practicing a cello and seeing a paper airplane fly past her window. Turn the page to see the air outside of the apartment building filled with paper airplanes which a little boy has thrown out of the window. I really enjoyed looking at that idea of "the other side". It got strange from there as disconnected scenarios trying to be connected are presented. I couldn't quite figure it all out from front to back; back to front; and middle to outside even with the help of friends. I concluded that it was just different illustrations. I found myself "on the other side" and I didn't get it.

The Flip Side of the Koan (Note: 5* is for Young Teens and Older Readers Only).......2006-11-30

In the spirit of "The Other SIde," I'm going to put the bottom line on top: ALthough this book defies categorization, it's not really a kids' book. I suppose some kids in elementary school might enjoy the graphic style, and "get" the basic premise (which is either "what happens next?" or "what would this look like from a different perspective?"), the verbal and visual references, wit, puns, allusions, and reverals might elude them.

"The Other Side" is an unusual and very creative book consisting of a series of high quality graphic and op art illustrations, presenting a scene and, on the following page, what the scene looks like from "the other side." For clarity, here are some examples: We see a picture of caged tiger at a zoo looking out at a little girl and her cat. Hmmm...what might happen next, or,--as on some pages--what is the reverse of this? Turn the page, and we see the girl and the tiger looking at the caged cat, the bars twisted as if, a la Superman, the lion (or the cat?) had separated the bars. Another simple favorite is two views of boys playing with a football: One page shows the view of the hiker's behind from the quarterback's perspective; the next page shows the (upside-down) quarterback from the between the legs, upside-down perspective of the hiker. However, another scene shows an apparent shooting (with mannequins moving their heads to look around the corner) but it's really a film being shot. This has very little to do with reasoning or perceptual skill; for all the visual puns and surprises; it's really about the possibilities of story telling. The visual question and answers in "Other Side of" work require different kinds of reasoning Some "reversals" make logical or causal sense; others grant some artistic license--author has one notion of what "the other side" might look like--but it's not the only one.

THis is not really a kid's book; I think it's most appropriate fir young teens and up. Unlike "The Red Book," a book that also plays with self-referential visuals and explores point of view, "the other side of has relatively little plot or time sequence, although most of the scenes are linked: Some of the visuals in one scene will be partially replicated or referenced in another. For example, one visual sequence begins with paper airplanes, which are echoed by a picture of small planes near a large jet, inside the jet a passenger reads a travel brochure, next, we see the woman on the brochure's cover looking up at the jet from the island shown on the brochure. However, Banyai basically stops here. (I say basically, because a dog shown on the island is--quite improbably--shown on "the other side" of a tree in a snow covered forest. ) Part of the fun is finding these mini-links between different sequences, especially since some are visual and some symbolic/language-based.

At its best, then, the book occupies the same plane as Zen koans (as in the popularized, "what is the sound of one hand clapping?"), where the answers require imagination, and perhaps even a reconsideration of what constitutes a question and an answer. While Banyai illustrations show remarkable invention and graphic style. I think the book will appeal less to art students than to those with interests in engineering, math, and science, people who like to reader hypothesize, test theories, and observe (some of the classic elements of the scientific method), The imaginative antecedents and aftermaths may also stimulate budding writers and poets, or perhaps photographers. While this is an exciting art book for young teens intrigued by representation (and talent may be a requirement too); others may feel frustrated, or, more likely, bored by it, tossing it aside for manga--or a book about Zen.

Exceptional.......2006-08-31

A great book...I wish there were more like it. My 7-year-old and I could not stop looking at it and discussing the connections between the images. Books that capture both of our imaginations are rare.

The Other Side - Amazing!.......2006-04-27

When I got this book out of the library for my young kids, I'd never heard of Istvan Banyai before. However, after having this book in my possession for nearly 2 weeks now, and faced with the prospect of returning it to the library, I've just gone online and ordered several copies - one to keep, the rest to give away. What a book! I never dreamt that a picture book would hold my interest for so long. When I first got it, I spent a good 2 hours focused on it during a recent car trip (I was a passenger :-). Every time I went through the book, I saw more and more... such detail! Such wonderful ideas! All loosely tied to the idea of "The other side." Of a piece of paper, of a curtain, of a window, of a subway station...

Just when I thought I'd figured out the author's tricks - he would surprise me with something out of left field. It often requires some focused thought to "get" his point. So... while you can enjoy the pictures on one level, if you have a couple of uninterrupted hours to spend with the book, you'll see so much more.

The most innovative, imaginative and original children's book in a longest time .......2006-04-16

The most innovative, imaginative and original children's book I have seen in a longest time. I don't know how many copies I have given to friends, their childrean, and family members for christmas, birthday, baby shower, etc. I guarantee your kids will love this book, but I am certain, you(= adults) will find it fascinating as well. I just gave a copy to my sister who is in her 40s because she got so excited flipping through this book at a show opening at the Society of Illustrators, where the author, Istvan Banyai won Gold Medal in book category this year (2006).

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