Where Have You Been? - Hardcover

Margaret Wise Brown, cherished for her unique ability to convey a child’s experience and perspective of the world, transformed the landscape of children’s literature with such beloved classics as Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Other perennial favorites by Ms. Brown include My World; Christmas in the Barn; The Dead Bird; North, South, East, West; and Good Day, Good Night.

Two-time Caldecott-winning illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon have illustrated over 25 books for children, and have received many honors, including two Coretta Scott King Awards and the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. They live in Brooklyn, NY.

PreSchool-Grade 1–Children fond of call-and-response will enjoy this humorous nursery rhyme. A scholarly looking owl in pearls peers from behind her green-rimmed glasses to ask her animal acquaintances what they've been up to and records their responses in a big book. Brown's slight verses are brought to life by the humor and verve of the Dillons' richly shaded watercolor paintings. On the left-hand side of each spread, the inquisitive owl interrogates an animal–a race-winning bunny, a saxophonist lion, a motorist frog, and so on–and on the right, readers are treated to a full-page, visual recounting of the creature's adventure. The simple, rhythmic text starts out strong but unravels toward the end, as its tight rhyme scheme grows irregular and sloppy. Still, the illustrations are as lively as they are charming, and have enough detail to keep children interested. This book could supplement titles such as Bill Martin, Jr.'s BrownBear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1983) and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (1991, both Holt).–Sophie R. Brookover, Camden County Library, Voorhees, NJ
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