Synopses & Reviews
If you traveled the roads of colonial America, colorful hand-painted signs would greet you when you came across an inn or tavern, and inside, folks would be gathered to eagerly share the news of the day.Wendell Minor invites us on just such a journey through America in the days of its struggle for independence. Each striking illustration, painted on hand-carved replicas of these signs, introduces readers to the people, places and events that gave birth to our nation. Beginning with the Stamp Act that angered the patriots and inspired the "Sons of Liberty" to protest, readers meet George Washington (who gave his farewell speech to his soldiers at Fraunces Tavern), Thomas Jefferson (who penned the first draft of the Declaration of Independence at a Philadelphia tavern) and other historical figures, and learn about the documents and battles that keep the fight for freedom alive.
Review
"An inventive look at Revolutionary America."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
Review
“Quickly takes a turn for the fantastical as Minor imaginatively answers the title question. . . . An appended list of these monuments and attractions gives their states and a brief informative blurb about each one. . . . The autumnal orange of the pumpkins stands out . . . their full-page dimensions well suited for sharing this book with a group.” School Library Journal
Review
“Minor imagines . . . JUMBO pumpkins, placing each in a signature American scene for a bit of geographical literacy and a good deal of juxtapositional fun. The artists proven talent for classic landscapes here gets a wink with the STUPENDOUS jack-o-lanterns plomping their grinning selves down like they owned the place.” The Horn Book
Review
“After introducing giant pumpkins and giant pumpkin festivals, Minor asks, ‘What can you do with an ENORMOUS pumpkin? He offers a number of memorable answers (some factual, others fanciful) based on real sites in America and amplified by his wonderfully visual imagination. . . . Kids will enjoy the increasing absurdity as much as the challenge of guessing the locations pictured. A concluding two-page spread names the 14 sites depicted and gives a little information about each one. Minors watercolor-and-gouache paintings are well composed, richly colored, and (best of all) just plain fun. With a text that asks leading questions, this picture book makes a fine, imaginative read-aloud choice.” Booklist
Review
“Beautifully illustrated book. . . . In addition to enjoying Minors gouache and watercolor illustrations, readers are provided with fun facts about over a dozen places in the United States. . . . Would also provide a useful introduction to synonyms, sprinkling words like ‘enormous, ‘gigantic, ‘jumbo, ‘immense, and ‘colossal throughout the text.” Library Media Connection
Synopsis
Beginning with the Stamp Act that angered the patriots, readers meet George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other historical figures, and learn about the documents and battles that kept the fight for freedom alive. Each striking illustration, painted on hand-carved replicas of colonial signs, introduces readers to the people, places, and events that gave birth to our nation.
Synopsis
Is there anything cuter than a little lamb or playful piglet? Farm animals are fascinating, and they are full of surprises, too. Naturally, cows make milk- but did you know they need to drink a bathtub-full of water every day? And of course turkeys gobble- but sometimes they purr like cats. Wendell Minor's bright, bold artwork and jaunty verse celebrate the wonders of our farm friends, and a list of fun facts gives curious animal-lovers even more to enjoy.
Watch a Video
Synopsis
Every year, giant pumpkin contests take place at fairs across the country—the 2012 record-holder weighed over a ton! The latest craze is to carve the most enormous pumpkins into racing boats. But what’s next? Why not think really big? Award-winning artist Wendell Minor does just that as he imagines larger-than-life pumpkins decorating some of America’s favorite places—as immense as the Capitol dome, Mount Rushmore, the Brooklyn Bridge, even the Grand Canyon! This celebration of famous landmarks and landscapes plays with concepts of size and scale and is full of fun facts.
Synopsis
In amazingly lifelike, luminous paintings, Wendell Minor, one of Americas finest wildlife and landscape painters, reveals the variety of animals that surround us when we are awake and when we are sleeping.
Minors vivid introduction to diurnal (daytime) and nocturnal (nighttime) creatures invites readers to experience the movements, sounds, colors, and textures of nature. By day a red-tailed hawk soars through sky, and by night a barn owl silently swoops through it. In the daylight a family of fluffy cottontail rabbits hops into a field to forage for food, and under starlight a family of pink-nosed opossums does the same. As day turns to night and night to day, amazing critters large and small come and go. Children will enjoy comparing and contrasting the roaming habits of the wonderful wildlife that surrounds us.
About the Author
Wendell Minors mission is to inspire children to go out into the fields, woods, and mountains to see wildlife in its natural habitat and gain a positive perspective on the worlds beauty. He has traveled all over the United States to research the art for his many novel jackets and picture books, which include How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow?, My Farm Friends, The Buffalo Are Back (by Jean Craighead George), Look to the Stars (by Buzz Aldrin), and If You Were a Penguin (by Florence Minor). His paintings are in the permanent collections of the Norman Rockwell Museum, the Museum of American Illustration, the US Air Force, the US Coast Guard, and NASA, and he had a major retrospective, Wendell Minors America, at the Norman Rockwell Museum in 2014. He lives in Washington, Connecticut. Visit him at www.minorart.com.