Thursday, December 17, 2009

Starred Review for Lights on Broadway!


School Library Journal gave Lights on Broadway a starred review!

"A love letter to Broadway written with genuine warmth and professional-theater knowledge, this alphabet book features crisp, retro-style cartoon characters confidently racing about onstage and behind the scenes. Pleasantly busy pages capture the excitement of live theater and offer multiple entries for each letter. For example, 'A' is for 'audition,' 'actor,' 'audience,' and 'applause.' 'S' stands for 'stage,' 'scenery,' 'set,' and 'script.' Multiple sidebars offer further kid-friendly definitions. Plenty of star power is lent with quotes from luminaries such as Whoopi Goldberg, Liza Minelli, Steven Sondheim, Bernadette Peters, Carol Channing, and Kevin Kline. A CD single written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty performed by Mitchell is also included. A must for all collections, this book will be treasured by theater aficionados for years to come."

Monday, December 07, 2009

Alphabeasties Wins Silver Parents' Choice Honor


Parents' Choice - "since 1978 the only nonprofit consumer guide to children's books/video/toys/audio/software/magazines" - has just declared Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types "A Parents' Choice 2009 Silver Honor Award Winner." We're honored!

By the Light of the Harvest Moon in PW


We just received a great review in Publishers Weekly for By the Light of the Harvest Moon:

"After their winter-themed Snow Party, Ziefert and Jones return to fete the joys of autumn. The story’s backdrop is Apple Hill Farm, where a wind comes up and 'orange, yellow, and crimson leaves swirl and twirl and dance in the sky' until they coalesce into pumpkin-headed 'leaf people.' During the rambunctious harvest party that ensues, these cheery humanoids introduce young readers to autumn traditions like bobbing for apples, pumpkin stacking and stringing popcorn necklaces, while a leafy grandma succinctly explains the autumnal equinox: 'The hours of daylight and darkness are equal and fall begins. Fruits, vegetables, and grains are harvested, leaves turn the color of jewels.' Luminous pastels capture the vivid colors of the season, from New England–bright foliage to atmospheric details like a cow’s profile softly outlined by harvest moon glow. Eventually the partiers are swept away when 'the wind awakens from its slumber and delivers gusty blasts of air.' But thanks to Ziefert’s apple-crisp descriptions and the high energy of Jones’s jubilant creatures, readers may be tempted outside to make some autumn magic of their own."