Warren Hanson

Lilting, poetic text is paired with luminously beautiful illustrations in this soothing bedtime book from author Warren Hanson and artist Jim LaMarche. As the narrative describes the eponymous sea of sleep, on which dreamers drift until morning, the accompanying artwork depicts a mama and baby otter navigating the deep blue waters at night...

I was not familiar with Warren Hanson before picking up The Sea of Sleep, which I sought out largely because I am an admirer of illustrator Jim show more LaMarche's work, and wanted to see more of it. From a visual perspective, this book is a joy, as the artist skillfully utilizes a palette of deep blue hues, adeptly plays with light, and depicts two utterly charming otter characters. The text was also appealing, with a cadence that was soothing and peaceful, poetic but not overly reliant on rhyme. Recommended to fellow fans of Jim LaMarche, and to picture-book readers looking for beautiful, soothing bedtime books. show less

Heartwarming poem about a young man visiting his aged and infirm aunt. She wants a visit, but he prefers to remember her as she was when she was younger and vigorous. But guilt propels him, and in visiting her, he makes an important discovery. Charmingly told in verse with lovely illustrations, this short poem packs a significant message.

The calming, colorful illustrations and imagination provoking imagery presented in this book give it a very light hearted feel, that is, as light hearted as one can get when talking about grieving a lost loved one. The very deep and dark topic of death is made brighter for children in The Next Place by describing the idea of heaven as a beautiful, carefree place to be. The use of this book could prove beneficial in any age classroom, particularly when a student or the class is dealing with show more grief. It is comforting to know that the death of a loved one can actually result in happiness for them by going to a better place and this is a great lesson for children to understand. show less

While the concept of a Bug dance party is fun, the execution here is only so-so. The rhyming descriptions of the dancers towards the middle of the book are lots of fun, but the early description of the discovery of the dance is not as good. The illustrations as done by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher are really busy which can make it hard to tell what's going on precisely; some of the spreads work better than others. Again, the middle of the book is where the strength lies when we get some show more close-ups on specific bugs. I like the idea of including the bug noises, but when I went to read this to my group I was a little thrown by some of them. What exactly is "freega, freega" supposed to sound like? Is it supposed to be a bug's noise or just nonsense-type words? Perhaps if I knew more about bug noises I would understand that better. As a group read, I thought it was fine, but not a standout. I probably wouldn't use it for grade school children again; I might try it with preschoolers. show less