Elisa Kleven

Ernst, the "small blue crocodile" whose adventures began in the eponymous Ernst, and continued in The Puddle Pail, returns in this, his third book - and thank goodness for that! I have not had the pleasure of reading these earlier titles (I was unaware of them, actually), but A Carousel Tale is enough to convince me that I need to rectify that! A sweet story, in which our young crocodilian hero is entrusted with the tail of a wooden carousel dog - his favorite of all the carousel animals - show more when it falls off one winter, it offers a charming depiction of a creative young boy and his imaginative play. Convinced that the tail is lonely, Ernst transforms it into an entirely new plaything, growing very fond of it in the process. But will he be able to give it back, in the spring...?

The story itself is engaging - I particularly liked the dynamic between Ernst and his older brother Sol - but the true pleasure of this book comes from the beautiful collage illustrations, done in watercolor, ink, pastel, and colored pencil. Gorgeous patterns and colors are combined on every page, as Kleven mixes and matches different visual elements in a never-ending visual dance. Beautiful, endearing (but never "cutesy"), and visually stimulating, this artwork invites the reader to look, and then look again. This is my first Elisa Kleven title, but I suspect it won't be my last! show less

Stanley, a clumsy young elephant with a heart of gold, accidentally destroys Mouse's home with his bouncing ball in this adorable picture-book from Elisa Kleven, but convinces his pint-sized victim to let him set things right. Embarking on a shopping trip for Stanley's mother, the duo visit Goat's Grocery, and Fox's Finest Bakery, and Stanley - who has an idea - collects odds and ends as they go. His creative solution to Mouse's homelessness demonstrates that although he is clumsy indeed, he show more is also clever, and very kind...

Prompted by the recommendations of a number of online friends who enjoy her artwork, I have been trying out more of Eliza Kleven's work, and am discovering that her colorful collage technique - making use of watercolor, ink, pastel and colored pencil elements - is immensely appealing. With a gorgeous palette, and any number of magical little details, the painting in Welcome Home, Mouse is simply delightful! When paired with a humorous and heartwarming tale that will have young readers thinking about how important it is to treat others with respect and compassion (regardless of size!), and to try to make restitution for our mistakes, the result is a true picture-book winner! I will definitely be picking up more Kleven... show less

A little red bird, noticing that the lion walking by her tree has a green tail, is intrigued, and inquires as to the cause. She gets no answer, of course - lions can't understand birds, after all! - but she keeps watch, and soon discovers that the lion's tail changes color every day. What can be going on?!? As she continues to investigate, she and the lion become very fond of one another, despite being unable to communicate verbally, and one stormy night, when the lion comes out of his cave show more to rescue her, the little bird discovers the answer she has been looking for...

As with Kleven's A Carousel Tale, the only one of the author's other books that I have read, I really appreciated the gorgeous collage artwork in The Lion and the Little Red Bird. Created using watercolor, pastel, ink, cut paper, and lamb's wool, the illustrations are exuberantly colorful, immediately grabbing the reader's attention, and holding it with their visual energy and pleasing palette. The story itself - and the solution to the puzzle of the lion's tail - is very satisfying, although I don't know that I was as touched, emotionally speaking, as some of my friends. Still, this is an immensely engaging little book, one I would recommend to young artists and animal lovers, as well as to Kleven's fans. show less

An imaginative young crocodile who liked to ask questions, Ernst was constantly wondering "what if...?," and dreaming of a world in which reality looked a little different. What if sand were more like fudge? What if the school-bus could sing? What if grandmothers were young, rather than old? But when he wakes up on the morning of his birthday, having dreamed of a fantastic world where all those 'what-ifs' were given form, he discovers that he couldn't possibly think of a better world, than show more the one in which he is living...

The first of three picture-book adventures to feature Ernst the crocodile - the subsequent two being The Puddle Pail and A Carousel Tale (the latter of which was my introduction to the character, and to the author/artist's work) - this lovely little volume features the endearing characters and gorgeous artwork that I have come to expect from Elisa Kleven. I particularly enjoyed the dream sequence, in which Ernst journeys through the stars, to another world, as the background becomes a little darker, and the beauty of Kleven's collage artwork can really stand out. Recommended to all young dreamers and wishers, and to fans of Kleven's work. show less