Bibliography
Sidman, J. (2009). Red sings from treetops. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
ISBN 9780547014944
Plot Summary
Go on a journey through each season…a journey of color! In spring, hear how red “....sings from the treetops” and see how it “squirms on the road after rain”. In summer, watch how “yellow melts everything it touches….smells like butter, tastes like salt”. In fall, witness how “green is tired, dusty” and feel how “crisp around the edges” it is. In winter, sense how “pink prickles: warm fingers against cold cheeks”. Go on a journey through the seasons and observe how each color (red, blue, yellow, orange, green, and many more) ebb and flow with each season change to create an unforgettable experience using the five senses.
Critical Analysis
Bringing color to life, Marilyn Singer takes the reader on a journey through the seasons. Through the masterful use of personification, Singer allows the reader to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch each color as seasons change. From “...Red sings from treetops, cheer-cheer-cheer-, each note dropping like a cherry into my ear” to “Green peeks from buds, trembles in the breeze” in the spring, Singer creatively draws upon each color and shows how it changes with the season, all the while introducing other colors that are more prominent during that interval of time. Illustrator, Paula Zagarenski, beautifully depicts Singers words into masterpieces that allows the reader to feel the colors as they dance through each season of the year. Through the use of vibrant colors and texture, readers are drawn to details used to display each color’s unique characteristics.
Review Excerpt(s)
"It's wonderfully strange to read of colors with sounds, smells and tastes."--New York Times Book Review
"A charming inspiration to notice colors and correlate emotions"--Kirkus Reviews
"Sustaining the playfulness of the text and its sense of awe, mystery, and beauty, the illustrations contribute gracefully to the celebration."--Horn Book
*A 2010 Caldecott Honor Book
Connections
For additional activities related to the book:
Take a picture walk with children and discuss the illustrations prior to reading the book.
Have children create their own poems about the different seasons.
Have children make a list of multiple-meaning words used throughout the book. Discuss the different meanings and how they are dependent on the context of the sentence it is used in.
**Above ideas found from: Junior Library Guild Activity Guide: Red Sings from Treetops
Other recommended books if you liked this one:
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon
First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor
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