Remarkable achievement, though a slow read for young ones (Rating 3 of 5)
» Quickhappy
I think the temptation here is to give "Paddle to the Sea" five stars. After all, the book is a dazzling display of art and narrative, an educational and interesting tale. But five stars is the voice of the adult reviewer, and this book is mostly read by and to young children.
I was excited to stumble across this book in the library: I remembered it from my childhood. But I was surprised to find how little of the book I remembered. Mostly I remembered the general idea--perhaps my parents were not too keen on reading the entire book.
From the perspective of my daughter (nearly 6), the book was well worth reading, though not terribly compelling. She was curious to learn about Paddle's journey, and interested in the geography (we live right on the route). She liked many of the illustrations, though not nearly so much as I. The book is quite lengthy: it took us several bedtimes to finish it. I was drawn back to the book each night, eager for more of the art and story. I liked the altruism of the people who find Paddle, and the solidarity they show with a maker they will never meet. There is a beautiful selflessness in the land and in the people of the land. But I found that it was I who wanted to read the book each night, more so than my daughter. For young ones, the art is less impressive and the story is a bit slow. And since children's books ought to be ranked with children in mind, we'll have to give this book fewer stars than it otherwise deserves.
Paddle to the Sea (Rating 5 of 5)
» Cynthia I. Carpenter
I purchased this as a gift for my daughter. She is delighted. The art work is beautiful. She was so happy I purchased the rest of the set and they are just as beautiful.
Excellent reading material, especially for boys (Rating 5 of 5)
» Dawn M. Goodnough
This is a great book to read. I would highly recommend this book and others by the author for fun reading and at the same time great learning opportunities.
A Childhood Memory (Rating 5 of 5)
» Aging book worm
I read this book 60 years ago as a young boy of 10. It made a tremendous impression on me with regards to the geography of the Great Lakes of the US and Canada. I was thrilled to find that it is still being printed and the pictures are the same as I remember--excellent. A wonderful story.
One of my all time favorites - a true classic (Rating 5 of 5)
» David G. Bellamy
As others here have said, this is a true keeper. A babysitter read it to me when I was 10, and I never forgot it. I bought and read it to my kids when they were around that age, and they wouldn't let me put them to sleep without reading at least one chapter. It's educational, beautifully illustrated, and a touching story. I may have to fight with my kids over who gets to read it first to their kids! A treasure.
(Rating 3 of 5)
(Rating 5 of 5)
