Children's Book Monday

The Little Island
by Golden MacDonald
illustrated by Leondard Weisgard





First of all, Golden? How beautiful! (Psst... it is actually a pseudonym for our beloved Margaret Wise Brown! To keep the public from being flooded by books in her name, she used several nom de plumes. It's no secret how much I adore her, and yes, I know I've already reviewed several of her books, but I didn't know this information until I began writing this review!)

But with a bright name like that on the front, who wouldn't want to open the cover and dive right in? Let's...

The Little Island is such a simple, fact-filled, beautiful book. We found it to be Holling-esque in its illustrations, (being as we are reading Seabird and Minn and Pagoo in geography right now) as well as the information it offers. Clever characters such as a cat that comes to the island on a boat, and a half professor, half scientist fish engage in spare dialogue that ends in a marvelous picture of what our world really is, deep down below all the waters... one land.

The artwork of this book is antique, forties-ish; what I mean to say is, the colors seem washed out (in a lovely way!) and the creatures are one dimensional but adorable- reminds me of many a book I grew up reading, pulled from bookshelves that held tomes my parents read as little ones.

Also, cleverly, numbers used in the descriptions keep little minds moving, creating a visual that will stay with them long after the pages are turned and closed...

The Little Island had a little woods on it
with seven big trees in it
and seventeen small bushes
and one big rock.

Oh, what are you waiting for? Add this book to your library list soon and see how all ages in your household find a treasure to keep.

Please pop over to Anna's and read about the wonderful book she has chosen to review this week! (And Beka's, too!)

Happy Reading!