内容简介
Best known for the ever popular Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and the Caldecott Medal winner The Little House, Virginia Lee Burton wrote and illustrated stories that have been entertaining children, parents, and grandparents for more than sixty years. Many of her books—with themes that honor a simple way of life and celebrate heroes who endure through determination and by adapting to change—have become classic American tales. With an introduction by Barbara Elleman, author of Virginia Lee Burton: A Life in Art,this handsome collection commemorates four of Burton’s most popular stories, each featured complete and unabridged. Their appeal today, as strong as when the books were first published, is a tribute to one of America’s most innovative illustrators, designers, and writers of stories for children. A collection of four books by Caldecott Medal winner Virginia Lee Burton which feature characters who become heroes through determination and the ability to adapt to change.
作者简介
Virginia Lee Burton (1909-1968) was the talented author and illustrator of some of the most enduring books ever written for children. The winner of the 1942 Caldecott Medal for THE LITTLE HOUSE, Burton's books include heroes and happy endings, lively illustrations, and a dash of nostalgia. She lived with her two sons, Aristides and Michael, and her husband George Demetrios, the sculptor, in a section of Gloucester, Massachusetts, called Folly Cove. Here she taught a class in design and from it emerged the Folly Cove designers, a group of internationally known professional artisans. She is the author of many classic children's picture books, including MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL and KATY AND THE BIG SNOW.
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精彩书评
From Barnes & Noble The Barnes & Noble Review Lovers of classic picture books, is this the treasury for you! Four of Virginia Lee Burton's timeless tales are now combined into one wonderful anthology, with all the charm and simplicity of years gone by. The author's most famous story, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, leads the way and stars Mike and Mary Anne, who dig themselves into a pit and wind up warming town hall meetings. The Little House -- Burton's tale about a country house that gets an unwanted taste of the big city -- follows, with Katy and the Big Snow and Maybelle the Cable Car rounding it all out. Noted children's lit scholar and author Barbara Elleman also provides an insightful introduction to the treasury, describing the history behind Burton's books along with the impact they've made on so many young readers. Just right for Burton fans looking to teach a new generation of readers about stick-to-itiveness and accepting changes, Mike Mulligan and More is a steam-powered good time. Matt Warner Publishers Weekly A handsome, weighty volume preserves the pace and feel of the above title plus three more of the author's best-loved works-Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939); Katy and the Big Snow (1943); and Maybelle the Cable Car (1952)-Mike Mulligan and More: A Virginia Lee Burton Treasury. Barbara Elleman's introduction precedes the quartet of tales. Fewer Reviews Children's Literature In this collection of four short stories by Virginia Lee Burton, the main characters are all inanimate objects such as a house and a cable car. Virginia Lee Burton wrote these stories from 1939 to 1952. This collection brings together her classics, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, The Little House, Katy and the Big Snow, and Maybelle the Cable Car, in a current edition that children can enjoy today. These objects go through a "life" journey that shows how objects can be forgotten or tossed aside by some people, while others continue to consider them valuable. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel is a wonderful story that shows how Mike finds another use for his steam shovel once it becomes outdated. In Maybelle the Cable Car, the people of San Francisco are able to save Maybelle from "extinction." She is allowed to continue to work even though technology provides other options for transportation. Virginia Lee Burton brings these inanimate objects to life by giving them feelings of usefulness. These stories are interesting but also beautifully illustrated. Burton surrounds the text with illustrations—a technique that helps bring the objects to life. Children will see how things can continue to be used even when they seem old and out-dated. 2002, Houghton Mifflin Company, Ages 5 to 8. — Shannon Jacobs
前言/序言
丛林深处的秘密:卡莱布的奇妙冒险 在广袤无垠的亚马逊雨林深处,生活着一群与世隔绝的居民。他们世代守护着一片被浓密藤蔓和参天巨木环绕的神秘河湾。故事的主人公,卡莱布,是一个精力旺盛、好奇心极强的十一岁男孩,他继承了家族世代相传的“聆听自然”的能力——他能分辨出每一片叶子的低语,理解每一条河流的节奏。 卡莱布的家,是一座用巨大巴西坚果树干搭建而成的三层木屋,屋顶覆盖着厚厚的棕榈叶,与周围的绿色融为一体。他的父母是当地著名的植物学家,毕生致力于研究雨林中那些尚未被科学界发现的奇异物种。然而,最近,一种不祥的寂静笼罩了这片生机勃勃的土地。 往常,清晨会被成千上万种鸟类的鸣叫声唤醒,河流里会传来水獭嬉戏的欢快声。但现在,只有一种令人不安的沉寂。最让卡莱布担心的是,村子里最年长的智者,玛雅奶奶,她守护的“生命之树”——一棵据说是雨林脉搏所在地的古老猴面包树——正在缓慢地枯萎。 玛雅奶奶告诉卡莱布,这种变化并非自然现象,而是源于“无声之影”的入侵。传说中,“无声之影”是一种由人类的贪婪和遗忘所滋养的能量体,它会吸走生命之源的活力,让一切变得沉默而灰暗。要阻止它,唯一的办法是找到传说中隐藏在“七彩瀑布”后的“回声之心”。 卡莱布知道,这是一项艰巨的任务。七彩瀑布被认为是雨林中最危险的地方,传说那里布满了迷宫般的地下水系和能够模仿任何声音的幻影蜘蛛。但是,看着玛雅奶奶日渐衰弱的容颜,卡莱布下定了决心。他决定独自踏上这段寻找“回声之心”的旅程。 他准备了简单的行囊:一把家族流传下来的、刀刃由黑曜石制成的多功能小刀;一串由荧光蘑菇串成的“夜光指引”;以及一本空白的、用来记录他所见所闻的皮革日志。 清晨,当第一缕阳光穿透密林,他向家人告别,钻进了那片他从小就无比熟悉的丛林。一开始,旅途似乎并不困难。他利用自己对植物的了解,避开了带刺的藤蔓和有毒的苔藓。他学会了如何从倒下的树木中汲取干净的饮用水,如何用特定的树皮来驱赶蚊虫。 他遇到的第一个挑战是穿过“低语沼泽”。沼泽里的泥浆像有生命一样,不时地发出咕嘟咕嘟的声音,仿佛在嘲笑他的鲁莽。他想起父亲教导他的平衡技巧——在腐烂的植被上行走,重心必须保持在脚跟和脚尖之间,像一只在水面上滑翔的翠鸟。他成功了,但沼泽底下的腐败气味让他感到一阵阵的恶心。 在沼泽的另一端,他遇到了一位非传统的伙伴——一只名叫“奇科”的卷尾猴。奇科并非普通的猴子,它有着异乎寻常的智慧,并且能通过一系列快速的手势与人交流。奇科似乎也感受到了雨林的危机,它用尖锐的叫声和夸张的动作,表示愿意带领卡莱布走捷径。 在奇科的带领下,他们深入了雨林更隐秘的区域。卡莱布开始注意到“无声之影”留下的痕迹:原本色彩斑斓的蝴蝶翅膀变得灰白,发出沙沙声的枯叶堆积如山,河流里的鱼群不再跃出水面。 他们到达了传说中的“巨石迷宫”。这是一片由数千块巨大的花岗岩组成的区域,石头上刻满了古老部落的符号,错综复杂,任何外来者都极易迷失方向。奇科在迷宫中穿梭自如,但卡莱布却发现,这里的石头似乎在移动。他意识到,这不是物理上的移动,而是声波的折射。那些古老的符号,一旦被不恰当的声音触碰,就会引起石头间的回音共振,从而改变前行的路线。 卡莱布想起了玛雅奶奶教导他的“静默之语”——一种通过控制呼吸和心跳来发出的极低频率的震动。他闭上眼睛,深深吸气,然后极其缓慢地呼出,让自己的身体频率与周围的岩石达到和谐。奇科焦急地看着他,但很快,周围的景象稳定了下来。他发现,只有当他完全静心时,正确的道路才会显现出来,那是一条由被阳光照射的特定角度决定的直线。 穿过迷宫后,他们终于听到了七彩瀑布的轰鸣声。然而,这声音充满了欺骗性。瀑布的水流并非如名字所暗示的那样晶莹美丽,而是浑浊不堪,散发着微弱的化学气味。更可怕的是,瀑布周围充斥着巨大的、闪烁着诱人光芒的真菌。这些真菌会释放出迷幻的孢子,引诱旅人靠近,然后将其困住。 奇科急忙用树叶捂住卡莱布的口鼻。卡莱布意识到,他们不能直接穿过瀑布,必须找到瀑布下方隐藏的入口。他注意到,瀑布冲刷下来的一块区域,水流的撞击声总是比其他地方微弱一拍。 他冒险靠近,用他的黑曜石小刀轻轻敲击岩壁,那声音不是坚硬的“锵”声,而是一种空洞的“咚”声。入口找到了。 在水流的掩护下,他们滑入了一个漆黑的洞穴。洞穴内部充满了令人窒息的水汽,头顶上挂着无数发出幽蓝微光的钟乳石。这就是“回声之心”的守护之地。 在洞穴的最深处,卡莱布看到了“回声之心”——它不是一件实物,而是一块悬浮在半空中的、由纯净声波构成的几何体。它正被一股黑色的、蠕动的物质紧紧包裹,这便是“无声之影”的实体形态。它正在试图吸收“回声之心”的能量,一旦成功,整个雨林的自然秩序将彻底崩塌。 卡莱布知道,他无法用蛮力对抗这种能量体。他必须用最纯净、最真实的声音去打破它的束缚。他想到了玛雅奶奶的教诲:“真正的力量,不在于发出的声音有多大,而在于声音所承载的真实情感。” 他深吸一口气,回想着他所珍视的一切:雨林清晨的鸟鸣、河流的奔腾、父母关切的眼神,以及奇科给予他的友谊。他没有喊叫,而是用尽全身心力,发出了他出生以来最真诚、最纯净的“歌声”——那不是歌词,而是源自他灵魂深处对生命的赞美和对家园的眷恋。 他的声音,温柔而坚定,如同涓涓细流渗入干涸的土地。当这股纯粹的生命之音触碰到“无声之影”时,黑色的物质开始剧烈颤抖,发出刺耳的、不和谐的尖啸声。卡莱布没有停下,他将所有的意念都融入到这股声波之中。 最终,“无声之影”无法承受这种纯净的力量,它像被阳光蒸发的雾气一样,迅速消散了。 “回声之心”恢复了它本来的样子,散发出温暖而强大的金色光芒。这光芒穿透了洞穴,向外辐射。 当卡莱布和奇科拖着疲惫的身体回到村子时,他们发现一切都变了。枯萎的生命之树重新焕发出翠绿的生机,空气中再次充满了鸟儿的合唱。玛雅奶奶的脸上也重新焕发了光彩。 卡莱布没有带回任何金银财宝,他带回的,是雨林恢复的生机,以及他对自然界更深一层的理解:和平与平衡,需要每一个生命个体去守护,而最强大的力量,往往来自于内心最真挚的连接与共鸣。从那天起,卡莱布不再只是一个好奇的男孩,他成为了雨林中一位真正的守护者。