The sun greets everyone and everything. It paints the sky with glorious colors. Marzollo's hymn to the sun, rich with vivid images of the natural world, is captured perfectly in the radiant paintings of Regan, who renders the profound effect of the sun with joy and reverence.
Children's Literature Review: Sun Song is a colorful poem that salutes the day. Done in gentle pastels, with large appealing illustrations of nature, this book of verse takes us through a 24-hour period starting at the dawn of a new day. The pictures bring us to various settings; we see a mother bird feeding her young, and a panoramic view of sheep grazing on rolling hills. The verse is sweet. On the page that takes us into the bedroom of a young boy, we read "Sun, kiss the faces / Of a child and a pup / With a gentle touch, tickle, / So they both wake up. A nice book to share with young children. Reviewed by Dia L. Michels.
Excerpt
Sun, rinse the fields
With a golden dye;
Shake out the clouds
In a wind-tossed sky.
Sun, be wild.
Sun, be bold.
Paint skies pink
And purple and gold.
Professional Reviews
Publishers Weekly
Radiant large-scale, exactly detailed paintings light up this often bland poem. Marzollo, the author of the I Spy series, summons the sun to shine down on a host of living things: "Sun, light the woods/ With a soft spring dawn;/ Shine on the spots/ Of a newborn fawn." After the sun awakens a sleeping boy and his puppy, the latter is seen investigating blooming flowers and vegetables from the garden, all nourished by the sun. A new order is issued at sunset ("Sun, be wild./ Sun, be bold./ Paint skies pink/ And purple and gold"), whereupon the sky darkens and the pup and child curl up in bed until "a brand-new dawn" arrives. The gentle rhythm and sing-song quality make this verse a good bedtime book for beginning readers. Regan's (Welcome to the Green House) art features a soothing, pastel-dominated palette-and introduces a downright adorable puppy. In a move likely to intrigue observant readers, none but the cover picture depicts the sun itself. Ages 4-8. (May)
From Dia L. Michels - Children's Literature
Sun Song is a colorful poem that salutes the day. Done in gentle pastels, with large appealing illustrations of nature, this book of verse takes us through a 24-hour period starting at the dawn of a new day. The pictures bring us to various settings; we see a mother bird feeding her young, and a panoramic view of sheep grazing on rolling hills. The verse is sweet. On the page that takes us into the bedroom of a young boy, we read "Sun, kiss the faces / Of a child and a pup / With a gentle touch, tickle, / So they both wake up. A nice book to share with young children.
A reader from San Jose, CA
Captivating illustrations and beautiful story.My two-year old daughter reached to pet the puppy and smell the flowers in the book every time we read it together.
Gary Grasshopper and friends travel to another field to celebrate the birthday of Gary's best friend, Freddie Firefly. While there they encounter a group of cicadas who have been underground for thirteen years.
