Selected Children's Picture Books

SOMEWHERE IN THE
WORLD RIGHT NOW
Written and Illustrated
by Stacey Schuett
Alfred A. Knopf, 1995
ISBN #0-679-88549-8

"Somewhere in the world right now, it's deepest night..." Elephants sleep in the African darkness. A London baker bakes bread. In Madagascar, a little girl dreams of tomorrow. 'But somewhere else, tomorrow is already here." A rooster crows in India, while an Australian kangaroo takes a nap. And in Chicago, commuters speed toward home as the day draws to a close. How can all these things happen at once? This book--filled with lush paintings, a gentle text and a multitude of maps--takes the mystery out of time zones, while showing children the varied richness of the world they live in. Reading Rainbow Selection

"An experienced illustrator...Schuett proves as nimble with words as with a paintbrush. Intimate prose and atmospheric images blend the mundane, the exotic, the mysterious, and the humorous. So soothingly written and structured that it can double as a bedtime book, this unique work affords an extraordinarily compelling, clear approach to a complex topic."--Publishers Weekly, starred review.

PURPLE MOUNTAIN
MAJESTIES
Written by Barbara Younger
Illustrated by Stacey Schuett
Published by Dutton, 1998
ISBN #0-525-45653-8

Junior Library Guild selection. In 1893, Katherine Lee Bates, a young professor of English at the newly established Wellesley College, took a train out west to teach summer school in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The extraordinary beauty of the nation's landscape affected her deeply, and she was moved to write a poem of praise--AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL--which has inspired generations ever since.

"...using original sources, Younger makes a living character out of Bates, whose quirks and full-bodied charm gracefully flow from the letters and diary excerpts. Schuett's illustrations, with their slightly exaggerated forms and saturated colors capture not only the "fruited plains" and "alabaster cities', but vistas of Bates' hometown of Falmouth, and intimate scenes of her cozy bedside table, and parlor where she welcomed guests...."--Kirkus, pointer review.

FOREST

Written by Laura Godwin
Illustrated by Stacey Schuett
Published by HarperCollins
1998. ISBN #0-06-026664-3.

Jeanie and her family live on a farm next to a forest. One day, Jeanie hears a cry coming from the trees: “Maa, maa”. Dad thinks it’s a baby goat calling for its mother, but when Mom and Jeanie search through the woods, they find a baby deer all alone. Jeanie knows her family cannot keep it, but who will take care of the fawn if the mother does not return?
“...Jeanie’s attachment and concern for the abandoned fawn is palpable, yet the story is not sentimentalized, as the family deals realistically with the care of a wild animal. Schuett’s gently glowing illustrations depict the story’s natural setting as well as the emotional narrative.”--The Horn Book