FICTION

Up, Tall and High!

by Ethan LONG
Up, Tall and High! illus. by author. unpaged. CIP. Putnam. Feb. 2012. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25611-0. LC 2011003291.
COPY ISBN
PreS-K—Long borrows from the Mo Willems school of minimalist humor in this early reader about a flock of funny birds trying to outdo one another. The three stories utilize repetition of very few words ("I am tall." "You are not tall." "I may not be tall. But I am not small"), but the accompanying illustrations greatly enrich the spare text with bright colors and charming cartoons, making this a fun first venture into reading alone. The book has one shortcoming: the pages are flimsy and do not lie flat, so the flaps catch when opened or closed, so longevity is definitely a concern. Otherwise, the silly birds and their games of one-upmanship are definitely giggle-worthy.—Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR
Several birds star in three minimal comic tales, all about being the tallest or the highest; the text, via dialogue bubbles, couldn't be simpler. Flat, creamy colors on thick pages (some feature flaps) introduce a flock that's ditzy-looking but endearing: competitive as they are ("I am tall" / "You are not tall!"), the birds' friendship prevails ("We'll help you up!").
Reviewed by Alyson Low , Feb 01, 2012

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BOOKS

Hoot Hoot
by Georgette
BOOKS

My Dinosaur Shoes
by Tassopoulos Wehner, Eleni
BOOKS

The Smushkins: ABC Zoinks
by Rueda, Claudia
BOOKS

Our World: Vietnam
by Tran-Davies, Nhung
BOOKS

Happy Chinese New Year, Little Red Panda
by Wood, Amanda
BOOKS

One Night In Bethlehem
by Lord, Jill Roman
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?