5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

". · 11 July 2016

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5.0 out of 5 stars A happy place

M.S.C. · 2 November 2019

As an author, editor and publisher, I am constantly on the look-out for new ideas. I was therefore delighted to come across this little gem in my research. A beautifully illustrated book about an island, which surely has to feature in the dreams of all children at some point in their childhood. It reminded me of a book I read when very young, where a group of children used to row across to this island during the summer and all the adventures they had. The tiny kitten is delightful.

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary collaboration between Leonard Weisgard and Margaret Wise Brown.

S. · 27 July 2019

(Verified purchase on Bolo.de). On vacation, so don't have book to hand. But I do want to tell you this.Leonard Weisgard stands in a class of his own. He was one of the great illustrators of his times. Illustrators have always known that. Wonderful that some of his work is now being rediscovered and reprinted for the rest of us, though not nearly enough. (Where is Weisgard's beautiful Alice in Wonderland, perhaps the loveliest Alice interpretations since Tenniel and Rackham?) The Little Island is a declaration of love to a little island and to the sea and the sky and and the wind and the returning seasons, to the energy and mystery of the earth. The pictures and the stories can be understood and enjoyed by a small child and by every other human being. In the story, even a curious little black kitten comes to understand something of the marvels and mysteries of the infinitely connected universe. Some adults will find themselves wondering as they read whether it is pretentious to drift away from this book's simplicity and towards Donne's"No man is an island,Entire of itself,Every man is a piece of the continent,A part of the main..."Here is the last page of Weisgard's and Wise Brown's Island story:"Nights and days came and passedAnd summer and winterand the sun and the wind and the rain.And it was good to be a little Island.A part of the worldand a world of its ownall surrounded by the bright blue sea."Buy this book and give it to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear, of any age. You will make them happy.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Children's Version of "No Man Is An Island" by John Donne

D.M. · 11 May 2004

You may not recognize the author's name. But do you know that Golden MacDonald was a pen name for Margaret Wise Brown of "Goodnight Moon" fame? The text of this book captures the subtle rhythms of her appreciation for nature, and the connections that all beings and objects in nature have with one another. The book also won a Caldecott Medal for its shimmering and tingling watercolors. The images create a mood of the perpetual essence of nature, and our connections to one another through the blue-green and grey palettes used.Children's books often contain more themes and important messages than 400 page novels. The Little Island is one of the great masterpieces in achieving that remarkable accomplishment.The book covers the four seasons as they affect the little island and the plants and animals that visit the island. To show the on-going nature of the process, the book's time line expands beyond a single year.The island is described as being:"A part of the worldand a world of its ownall surrounded by the bright blue sea."On the island, you will connect with birds, tides, clouds, fish, fogs, spiders, flowers, lobsters, seals, kingfishers, gulls, wild strawberries, butterflies, herring, mackerel, seaweed, pears, a black crow, a little kitten on a boat, trees, bushes, rocks, moths, an owl, a storm, snow, the sun, wind, and rain.The connection to Donne is made in the context of the kitten visitor to the island. "May be I am an island too . . . a little fur Island in the air."The connections run in all directions. The kitten learns from the island that the island is connected to all of the other land. When the kitten doubts the island about this point, the island suggests asking a fish. The kitten gets the answer there, but cannot get firm proof. He just has to take the fish's word for it. This is an obvious allusion to the element of faith in our understanding of the spiritual nature of our connections to one another. Having the kitten fish is also an allusion to the famous Biblical reference of teaching a man to fish, rather than providing him with fish.The book uses other connections to make the point. Many animals need the little island to go through their annual cycle, such as the seals who raise their young on the island. Many of the insects and birds come from the mainland across the sea. The weather affects the sea, the island, and the mainland alike . . . as do the tides.Some of the illustrations are so beautiful that you will want to carry them with you always. My favorite was of the kingfishers.The story will be strengthened by what you choose to share with you child as you read the book out loud. There are opportunities here to share scientific facts, spiritual connections, and to explain the mutual dependency that occurs in nature.I suspect that many people's lives have been enriched by the warm connections this book makes. Shouldn't your children and grandchildren have the same opportunity?See the forest and the trees!

Extraordinary collaboration between the great Leonard Weisgard and Margaret Wise Brown.

S. · 25 July 2019

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } On vacation, so don't have book to hand. But I want to tell you this.Leonard Weisgard stands in a class of his own. He was one of the great illustrators of his times. Illustrators have always known that. Wonderful that some of his work is now being rediscovered and reprinted for the rest of us, though not nearly enough. (Where is Weisgard's beautiful Alice in Wonderland, perhaps the loveliest Alice interpretations since Tenniel and Rackham?) The Little Island is a declaration of love to a little island and to the sea and the sky and and the wind and the returning seasons, to the energy and mystery of the earth. The pictures and the stories can be understood and enjoyed by a small child and by every other human being. In the story, even a curious little black kitten comes to understand something of the marvels and mysteries of the infinitely connected universe. Some adults will find themselves wondering as they read if it is pretentious to drift towards"No man is an island,Entire of itself,Every man is a piece of the continent,A part of the main..."Here is the last page of Weisgard's and Wise's Island story:"Nights and days came and passedAnd summer and winterand the sun and the wind and the rain.And it was good to be a little Island.A part of the worldand a world of its ownall surrounded by the bright blue sea."Buy this book and give it to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear, of any age. You will make them happy.

Was a hit for my Niece's Birthday.

R. · 23 April 2023

Beautiful illustrations and a story that holds up well for children even after 70+ years.

How fun that a cat and an island talk to each other

B.G. · 24 August 2020

Brown’s poetic voice, her perfect rhythm, lures us into a new world, matched perfectly by the apposing black and white and colored illustrations on each spread. Warming up into the book I was caught up in the descriptions and the seasonal changes only to be surprised half-way through with introductions to the island and a cat as actual characters! I was taken aback, but at the same time, it was so refreshing. As a #picturebook author we’re encouraged to introduce our main characters and their dilemma early on in our stories - first sentence or two in fact. It did jog me out of the almost stem-like quality of the book and made me pause as I dived into a whole new angle. And then, within a few pages the cat was gone and the seasons continued and life for the island carried on as it did in the first half of the book. How interesting! So different to the way picture books read today. And yet, the story lingers in my mind and I’m tickled (like the “tickly pear tree” - which I don’t understand at all) at the little “secrets” I have taken away from this story...

Well done!

c. · 24 July 2013

As a Montessori teacher, I really liked the way the story of the Island was presented. It has a good message in the end.The children were really attentive and interested.

Uno dei miei preferiti

G. · 7 March 2024

È un libro particolare, nel senso che ha una storia ma un po' disorganizzata. Comunque mio bimbo è affascinato di questo libro, perciò lo leggiamo spesso. Più lo leggiamo più mi piace, ma posso capire che non è per tutti. Un po' troppo filosofico.