Gabrielle Vincent (1928–2000)

Maybe these two aren't the best role models for money management, but they are certainly good friends. And I'd rather have a warm heart and a leaky roof than a miserly attitude, anyway. And besides are a scarf and slippers really frivolous?

I love how the book is told entirely in dialogue. That is to say, no narration. Of course the charming pictures help, but I'm not sure they're absolutely necessary.

This is a sort of magical book that isn't quite like any other, more of a *L*iterary fable show more that will resonant with some, and be dismissed by others. I loved it, and want even more badly to find a copy of the first.

(I wonder if the reviewer, below, who falsely reported her library's copy as missing so she could buy it with fines, instead of buying from a regular bookstore, is one of many people who make library books unavailable to the rest of us. What awfully selfish behavior.) show less

Such a tender book! This is one of those books that pinches your heart. I'm not sure if it was the delicate watercolor illustrations, the expressive faces of Celestine and Ernest, or the sparsity of words that touched me the most, but this story of friendship is so lovingly told.

My 4 year old really empathized with the characters, however he didn't understand why Ernest didn't rescue the frozen little stuffed bird when he found him in the snow, rather than go search for a new one. But he show more loved the solution they eventually came up with. And he got extra satisfaction out of reading himself a book that didn't have enlarged letters or "early reader" written all over it. We'll definitely try to find more books in this series, so sweet.

And funny how just recently we discovered another story about a "lost bird" in the wonderful [b:Home for Bird|12567892|A Home for Bird|Philip C. Stead|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348636313s/12567892.jpg|17576044]. show less

I think as a mother I can particularly relate to this book. Most children lose a favorite toy at some point and has to deal with the loss. This book makes the transition from accepting a new Gideon a bit too easy. My own son grieved for weeks after a similar event but eventually found a new favorite on his own. He had a bear which he named flying bear and threw it out of the window on a busy street. As much as I wanted to go and retrieve it, it was just too dangerous. Replacing him was not show more an option, instead we decided that he flew off to a new home to make another child happy. Each child will handle things differently and for some this story offers the best solution. This book may be great for some children while it will totally miss the mark with others. show less

The drawings are absolutely amazing--so much information and emotion are conveyed with just a few pencil (charcoal?) marks! A regrettably accurate portrait of our society's view of disposable pets and how one particular disposable pet reacts to being disposed of.