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Kleven, Elisa
9 Reviews
(3)
K-3
Vibrant art provides a cheery, detailed setting for the tale of Claire, a Glasswing butterfly with transparent wings. After the wind blows her into the city, Claire lives off nectar from a small garden, where she helps with pollination. In a happy ending, the now-flourishing flowers attract her family when they come looking for her. Information about Glasswings and pollination is included.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
K-3
New to the neighborhood, Farley, a golden-colored dog, is lonely. His attempts at friendship are spurned, but he does take comfort from a dream in which a sparkly angel delights him with pancakes, song, and dance. Inspired, the neighborhood animals re-create Farley's dream experience, suggesting the beginning of lasting friendships. Playful mixed-media illustrations reflect the imaginative tale.
Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty
(3)
K-3
Stanley, an elephant child with a reputation for clumsiness, is dismayed when he accidentally ruins Mouse's house. Satisfyingly, the new house he builds from a cardboard box and other found objects brings Stanley recognition for his cleverness--and for his kindness, too. In the joyful detailed collages, readers get a close-up look at Mouse's new home, with its ingenious mini-accessories.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
K-3
Ernst the crocodile (Ernst, The Puddle Pail) loves the carousel's wooden animals, especially "the honey-colored dog." When the dog's tail falls off, the carousel keeper asks Ernst to care for it over the winter. Ernst does that and more, infusing the tail with a life of its own. Kleven's finely detailed, vibrant mixed-media collages are a good fit for this imagination celebration.
Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay
(4)
K-3
Lizzy, nervous about starting school, makes herself a doll out of an apple from her favorite tree. The doll's lifelike face inspires her teacher and classmates to construct their own apple dolls, allowing Lizzy to overcome her shyness and make friends. Though the text is wordy, Kleven's textured mixed-media illustrations are comfortably homey. Instructions for creating an apple doll are appended.
Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden
(3)
K-3
In this sequel to The Paper Princess, a little girl outgrows the paper doll she made. The doll is carried off by the wind and embarks on a life-changing adventure. Kleven's fantasy world is a place where animals talk to toys and a monarch butterfly can carry a paper doll to Mexico. Her collage illustrations, made with what looks like bits of paper, fabric, paint, and lace, are perfect for a story about a paper doll.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(4)
K-3
A hunter captures a marvelous dancing deer but discovers she cannot dance when separated from the forest. After failing in his silly attempts to re-create the deer's habitat, the hunter returns her to the forest. Readers can't miss the strong ecological message, but Kleven employs playful language and bright, exuberant collages to deliver it.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
PS
In a rain-, snow-, and sleet-bound village of animals, everyone is miserable until the baker makes a loaf of bread shaped like the sun. The loaf brings such joy to the villagers that the actual sun makes an appearance. Gentle rhyming text joins delightful high-energy mixed-media illustrations with plenty of amusing details on each page. A recipe for Sun Bread is included.
Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam
(3)
K-3
When a monster-loving boy moves in, his neighbor tells him all about the monster in her house. The boy's hilarious visions--pictured in the detailed, colorful collage illustrations--carry the story until he finally learns the real monster is her baby brother. Older siblings who have a love-hate relationship with a baby will relish the realistic descriptions.
Reviewer: Suzy Schmidt
9 reviews
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