Just what exactly is the "thing"? It is green—great and gorgeous green, dark and dangerous green, real mean green. And it's got green things—broccoli and praying mantises, watermelons and waves of mountains. It's green, green, green all over . . . except where it's blue.
The Great Big Green is, of course, our earth. Both a riddle and an ode to the earth, this ingenious picture book arrives just in time for Earth Day. Perfect for budding environmentalists and lovers of poetry alike, this irresistible read-aloud by Peggy Gifford is illustrated with an astonishing mix of collage and painting by Lisa Desimini. Readers will revisit the gorgeous world over and over after the riddle's reveal to find the many green things hidden in each piece of art.
★ "An abundantly illustrated puzzle poem provides a spectacular celebration of green in the world. The author of the Moxy Maxwell chapter-book trilogy offers something completely different in this lush tribute. . . Desimini's imaginative illustrations complement and extend the graphically flexible text. . . Two fertile imaginations grow a grand salute." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
" . . . Desimini's mixed-media collages incorporate scanned images of fabrics, photographs, and other objects to create whimsically surreal images that highlight the variety of greenery found on Earth." --Publishers Weekly
"In this creatively illustrated picture book, the color green comes to life in a varied and substantial way through brilliant text and mixed-media artwork . . . As this well-written book ends, the great big green thing is revealed with pomp and circumstance that will delight and encourage a second reading." -- School Library Journal
Peggy Gifford is the author of the Moxy Maxwell series. Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little and Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank-You Notes were both Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year. She graduated from the Iowa Writer's Workshop with an emphasis in poetry. Her poems have appeared in The Antioch Review, The Iowa Review, The Mississippi Review, and Cosmopolitan magazine, among others. She lives in New York City. Visit peggygifford.com.
View titles by Peggy Gifford
Lisa Desimini is an award-winning illustrator of over thirty books for children. She has written nine books including, My House, one of the NY Times Ten Best Illustrated Books of the Year and Dot the Fire Dog, which has sold over 400,000 copies. She lives in Northport, New York. Visit lisadesimini.com.
View titles by Lisa Desimini
Just what exactly is the "thing"? It is green—great and gorgeous green, dark and dangerous green, real mean green. And it's got green things—broccoli and praying mantises, watermelons and waves of mountains. It's green, green, green all over . . . except where it's blue.
The Great Big Green is, of course, our earth. Both a riddle and an ode to the earth, this ingenious picture book arrives just in time for Earth Day. Perfect for budding environmentalists and lovers of poetry alike, this irresistible read-aloud by Peggy Gifford is illustrated with an astonishing mix of collage and painting by Lisa Desimini. Readers will revisit the gorgeous world over and over after the riddle's reveal to find the many green things hidden in each piece of art.
Praise
★ "An abundantly illustrated puzzle poem provides a spectacular celebration of green in the world. The author of the Moxy Maxwell chapter-book trilogy offers something completely different in this lush tribute. . . Desimini's imaginative illustrations complement and extend the graphically flexible text. . . Two fertile imaginations grow a grand salute." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
" . . . Desimini's mixed-media collages incorporate scanned images of fabrics, photographs, and other objects to create whimsically surreal images that highlight the variety of greenery found on Earth." --Publishers Weekly
"In this creatively illustrated picture book, the color green comes to life in a varied and substantial way through brilliant text and mixed-media artwork . . . As this well-written book ends, the great big green thing is revealed with pomp and circumstance that will delight and encourage a second reading." -- School Library Journal
Author
Peggy Gifford is the author of the Moxy Maxwell series. Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little and Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank-You Notes were both Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year. She graduated from the Iowa Writer's Workshop with an emphasis in poetry. Her poems have appeared in The Antioch Review, The Iowa Review, The Mississippi Review, and Cosmopolitan magazine, among others. She lives in New York City. Visit peggygifford.com.
View titles by Peggy Gifford
Lisa Desimini is an award-winning illustrator of over thirty books for children. She has written nine books including, My House, one of the NY Times Ten Best Illustrated Books of the Year and Dot the Fire Dog, which has sold over 400,000 copies. She lives in Northport, New York. Visit lisadesimini.com.
View titles by Lisa Desimini
