Julia Rawlinson grew up in London and graduated from Southampton
University with a degree in geography. She is the author of
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves and Fletcher and the Springtime
Blossoms, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke. She lives in London with
her husband and two sons.
Tiphanie Beeke attended the Royal College of Art, where she earned
a master's degree in communication and design. She is the
illustrator of The Duck Who Played the Kazoo, by Amy E. Sklansky,
and many other books for children. The artist lives in France with
her husband and three children.
"Captivating." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Preschoolers will love being in on the joke, even as they marvel at the bright petals that herald the astonishing beauty of spring." -- ALA Booklist"A great book to share one-on-one or with a class to celebrate the season." -- School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-Sweet little Fletcher the fox is back in a charming, repetitive tale about a spring surprise in this gently animated version of Julia Rawlinson's book (Greenwillow, 2009). As he pulls his cart through a lush, green meadow, Fletcher is alarmed to see snowy flakes falling so late in the season. He rushes off to warn "a pair of birds coo-cooing on a branch," a groggy porcupine, "a squirrel scampering after sunbeams," and some rabbits rolling down a hill. While the birds resolve to fly back south, Porcupine decides to go back to bed, Squirrel hunts for more food, and the carefree rabbits exclaim, "Let's go and play in the snow!" As they all race to the orchard, they discover a snowy blanket of "BLOSSOMS!" The friends scoop up the downy pink and white petals, running and playing until "they all collapsed in a blossomy, soft-white heap." Tiphanie Beeke's chunky pastel illustrations capture the rich greens of the season, with small bursts of colorful flowers and endearing woodland creatures. The screen is awash with yellow sunlight, verdure meadows, and blush blossoms. Observant viewers may notice the pink and purple cast to the "snow," and predict the outcome, though most will probably succumb to Fletcher's misguided concerns. A springtime melody of woodwinds and strings complements the British narrator's telling. An interview with the illustrator shows how she collects ideas and images from photos, the Internet, and YouTube. A lighthearted seasonal tale of friendship and the rites of spring.-Barbara Auerbach, P.S. 217, Brooklyn, NY (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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