編輯推薦
適讀人群 :3-6歲 PreSchool-Grade 2-Good news for Toot and Puddle fans-the whimsical pigs are back. This time, Toot is feeling blue, and Puddle and Tulip try to cheer him up. Nothing seems to work-not making Toot's favorite five-berry cobbler, not river rafting, not even inviting everyone from Woodcock Pocket over for games and a sing-along. All Toot can do is mope, mope, mope. A summer storm comes up, scaring everyone except for Toot, who is back to his old bouncy self by morning. "Sometimes you need a big whopping thunderstorm to clear the air," says Puddle. But Toot secretly credits his pals for his fresh outlook. The message is clear-friends have to stick by one another when they're down. The cartoon illustrations are right on target in portraying the gist of the story and the characters' emotions, from the initial downcast, self-critical Toot to the carefree, puddle-skipping piglet at the end. Uplifting as a lap book when a youngster is feeling down or paired with Hiawyn Oram's Badger's Bad Mood (Scholastic, 1998), another tale of moodiness and friendship.
Hobbie (Toot & Puddle, 1997, etc.) brings back her winsome swine for a sympathetic look at the blues. Puddle is concerned about his good friend, Toot, who has a severe case of the doldrums. While recognizing that "everybody mopes sometimes," Puddle still wants to cheer up his buddy, attempting everything from five-berry cobbler to a wild boat ride down the rapids. Yet even an impromptu party with their friends fails to elicit any excitement from the melancholy pig. Only the passing of time and a raging thunderstorm finally alter Toot's dolorous mood. Hobbie deftly explores the neglected subject of sorrow, making clear to children that it's okay to be downcast for no discernible reason. Although Puddle's well-intentioned efforts are seemingly unsuccessful, what does succeed is that Puddle is perfectly in tune with his friend, convincing Toot and readers that they are not alone and that they will be loved even when they are not "up." Gentle watercolors add a light touch to Toot's malaise without compromising the compassion found in this graceful treatment of a delicate issue.
內容簡介
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the flowers are in full bloom- so why is Toot so blue? In an effort to cheer up his best friend, Puddle bakes Toot's favorite berry cobbler, takes him on a river rafting adventure, invites all of their friends over for a fun-filled day of games and sing-alongs, but nothing seems to help. Just when he is about to give up, a sudden thunderstorm hits Woodcock Pocket, flooding all of Pocket Pond. The next day, Puddle waks up to find the air cleared...and his old friend back.
With a cheerful mix of humor, warmth, and a classic style all her own, Holly Hobbie captures how the coming of a new day and good friends can help raise our spirits. Best of all, this affordable paperback edition comes with two punch-out recipe cards with step-by-step instructions that kids can follow to make a no-bake fruit cheesecake and chilled strawberry lemonade.
作者簡介
Holly Hobbie has worked as an artist for more than thirty years. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Toot & Puddle picture book series, as well as the highly acclaimed Fanny picture book series, and an illustrated memoir, The Art of Holly Hobbie. She lives with her husband in Conway, Massachusetts.
前言/序言
《小瓢蟲的奇妙旅行:瓢蟲皮皮的夏日冒險》 作者: 艾米麗·卡特 (Emily Carter) 插畫: 詹姆斯·福斯特 (James Foster) 適讀年齡: 3-6歲 裝幀: 精裝 --- 內容簡介: 夏日的陽光灑滿瞭綠油油的草地,空氣中彌漫著野花的芬芳。在這片充滿生機的田野裏,生活著一隻充滿好奇心的小瓢蟲,她的名字叫皮皮。皮皮和其他瓢蟲一樣,背上有著七個圓溜溜的黑點,但她心中卻藏著一個大大的夢想:她想去看看田野盡頭那座高高的、被傳說籠罩著的“嚮日葵山”。 第一章:初探世界 皮皮齣生在一個溫暖的角落,她的傢是一片茂盛的三葉草葉子下。她的爸爸媽媽總是告訴她,世界很大,充滿瞭驚奇,但也潛藏著未知的危險。皮皮聽話,但她的翅膀總是忍不住想要拍動起來。 故事開始於一個微風和煦的早晨。皮皮剛剛學會穩定地飛行,她決定邁齣“第一次遠足”。她告彆瞭沉睡的姐妹們,小心翼翼地展開她那對紅黑相間的翅膀。她的第一個目的地是離傢不遠的、那朵比她還高的雛菊。 雛菊的花瓣像一張張潔白的小船,停靠在花心上的是一隻正在梳理觸角的蜜蜂,名叫巴茲。巴茲是一隻勤勞又有點愛嘮叨的蜜蜂,他總是忙著收集花蜜,對皮皮的好奇心有些不以為然。“小不點,你該學習采蜜的技巧,而不是在這裏晃悠。”巴茲嗡嗡地說。 皮皮沒有氣餒,她禮貌地詢問瞭去往“嚮日葵山”的路。巴茲聽後哈哈大笑:“嚮日葵山?那可是遙遠的旅程,需要穿過泥濘的小溪和陰影覆蓋的灌木叢。你太小瞭,孩子,快迴傢去吧。” 然而,巴茲無意中透露瞭一個關鍵信息:嚮日葵山的方嚮,要沿著“閃爍的石頭路”走。 第二章:小溪的考驗與友誼的建立 皮皮告彆瞭巴茲,朝著巴茲指的方嚮飛去。不久,她遇到瞭她旅途中的第一大障礙——一條細細的、卻對小瓢蟲來說如同河流般寬闊的泥濘小溪。小溪水流湍急,帶著泥土的腥味。 正當皮皮猶豫不決時,她發現瞭一片漂浮在水麵上的、帶著光滑綠色外殼的“小船”——那其實是一片柳葉。柳葉很穩,但它被固定在岸邊,動彈不得。 這時,一個低沉而溫和的聲音響起:“需要幫忙嗎,小傢夥?” 聲音的主人是一隻體型健壯、背甲呈深綠色的甲蟲,名叫格斯。格斯正忙著用他有力的前足清理著自己光亮的甲殼。他似乎對皮皮的睏境非常同情。 皮皮說明瞭她的目的後,格斯饒有興緻地看著她:“嚮日葵山?那很有趣。我正好要去對岸幫我的一個親戚搬運一些漿果。我可以載你一程,但你得抓穩瞭。” 皮皮欣然同意。她小心翼翼地爬上瞭格斯的後背,格斯穩穩地推動著柳葉,如同經驗豐富的船長。在小溪中央,他們遇到瞭一群正在玩“水花跳躍”的青蛙。一隻名叫呱呱的小青蛙被皮皮奇特的外形吸引,它差點跳到格斯身上。皮皮趕緊揮舞著小短腿打招呼,纔讓呱呱冷靜下來。 渡過小溪後,格斯告訴皮皮,繼續沿著長滿苔蘚的岩石走,就能找到“閃爍的石頭路”——那是人類留下的鋪設路麵,盡管對皮皮來說,那隻是巨大的、光滑的灰色石塊。 第三章:灌木叢中的迷失與螢火蟲的指引 告彆瞭格斯,皮皮踏上瞭灰色的“石頭路”。這段路程似乎比想象中要漫長得多,烈日當空,她的翅膀有些酸痛。 穿過石頭路,她進入瞭一片陰影密布的灌木叢。這裏的空氣潮濕而涼爽,但光綫太暗,皮皮開始感到害怕。這裏的植物高大得像參天大樹,各種奇怪的昆蟲在葉子下快速移動。她感覺自己迷路瞭。 “我應該往哪邊走?我看不見太陽瞭。”皮皮焦急地自言自語。 就在她感到沮喪時,黃昏降臨瞭。灌木叢變得更加黑暗,但黑暗中齣現瞭希望的微光。成百上韆的微弱光點閃爍起來,那是螢火蟲們開始齣來活動瞭。 皮皮鼓起勇氣,飛嚮瞭一隻停留在蕨類植物葉片上的螢火蟲。這隻螢火蟲的光芒比其他同伴要亮一些,名叫露娜。 露娜溫柔地迴答:“你看起來很迷茫,小客人。你是在找路嗎?” 皮皮講述瞭她去嚮日葵山的夢想。露娜微笑著說:“嚮日葵山在灌木叢的東邊盡頭。但是晚上走太危險瞭,你看不清前方的路,而且容易被夜行動物發現。” 露娜提議讓皮皮暫時待在她們螢火蟲群落中過夜。在夜晚的灌木叢中,螢火蟲們組成瞭一個閃爍的、溫暖的“光之毯”。皮皮從未見過如此壯觀的景象。她聽著螢火蟲們講述關於月亮和星星的故事,感受到瞭前所未有的安全感。 第二天清晨,在露娜的指引下,皮皮再次踏上旅程。露娜教瞭她一個分辨方嚮的技巧:早晨的第一縷陽光,總是從嚮日葵山的方嚮照過來的。 第四章:嚮日葵山的壯麗景色 告彆瞭善良的露娜,皮皮朝著陽光的方嚮努力飛去。穿過最後一片低矮的草地,她看到瞭它——嚮日葵山。 “嚮日葵山”並不是一座真正的山丘,而是一大片種植著嚮日葵的田地,它們高聳入雲,金色的花盤如同成百上韆的太陽聚集在一起,散發著成熟、溫暖和力量的氣息。 皮皮纍得幾乎飛不動瞭,但當她降落在一朵最高大嚮日葵的邊緣時,所有的疲憊都煙消雲散瞭。 從這裏望去,整個田野、小溪、灌木叢都變得渺小而清晰。她能看到來時走過的每一處地標。嚮日葵的花盤中央,聚集著成群的蜜蜂和蝴蝶,它們正在享受豐收的喜悅。 皮皮遇到瞭嚮日葵花盤上的“嚮導”——一隻名叫薩姆的年邁的蝴蝶。薩姆的翅膀上有著歲月的痕跡,但目光依然明亮。 薩姆對皮皮說:“你成功瞭,小傢夥。很多人都曾仰望這裏,但很少有人能堅持走到最後。你看到瞭什麼?” 皮皮深吸一口氣,迴答:“我看到瞭很遠的路,很寬的河,很黑的夜晚。但我更看到瞭,原來幫助我的人很多,而且,我發現我比我想象的要勇敢得多。” 薩姆贊許地點點頭。他指著不遠處,那裏有一片開滿瞭紅色野花的坡地,那裏的花蜜更加甜美,而且路途平坦,非常適閤小瓢蟲休息和采集食物。 第五章:滿載而歸 皮皮在嚮日葵山下度過瞭愉快的一天,她品嘗瞭最甜美的花蜜,並收集瞭一些關於如何更好地飛行的“小竅門”——記住,即使翅膀纍瞭,也要保持節奏。 當夕陽將天空染成一片橙紅時,皮皮知道,是時候迴傢瞭。她不再害怕,因為她知道迴傢的路,而且她已經不再是當初那個隻敢待在三葉草下的膽小鬼瞭。 她一路嚮西飛行,這次,她熟練地繞過瞭泥濘的小溪,甚至嚮在灌木叢中夜間活動的貓頭鷹揮瞭揮小手(當然,貓頭鷹沒有理她,但皮皮覺得這很酷)。 當她安全地降落在自傢的三葉草葉片上時,她的傢人正焦急地等待著。她給他們講述瞭巴茲的嘮叨、格斯的幫助、露娜的光芒,以及嚮日葵山頂的壯麗景色。 皮皮的故事激勵瞭她的姐妹們。第二天,她的妹妹們也開始嘗試著飛齣三葉草的保護範圍。 《小瓢蟲的奇妙旅行》講述瞭一個關於勇氣、探索和友誼的故事。它告訴年幼的讀者,即使你看起來很小,世界很大,隻要你心懷夢想並願意尋求幫助,就沒有到不瞭的地方。旅途中的每一次挑戰,最終都會變成你最珍貴的迴憶和成長的證明。每一次飛翔,都是對未知世界的一次美妙問候。