Wednesday, January 2, 2013

"Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind" by Gary Ross & illustrated by Matthew Myers (Review & Giveaway)

ISBN: 9780763649203
Hardcover $17.99
About the book:   Bartholomew Biddle’s life has always been pretty ordinary, but when a huge wind blows past his window one night, he feels the call of adventure -- and he can’t resist the urge to grab his bedsheet and catch a ride. Soon he’s soaring far above his little town, heading wherever the wind takes him! After spending time on an island full of pleasure-seeking pirates and at a prep school that boasts a hundred shades of gray, Bart finds himself in a mysterious cove where the wind doesn’t blow. Stuck, Bart is forced to face the fact that his flying days might be over. Will he ever get home again?

A soaring bedsheet carries a young boy on three incredible adventures in this compelling debut by acclaimed film director Gary Ross.


My thoughts:  This is a magical book of adventure filled with bold, boy-loving pictures by artist Matthew Myers who wields his oil filled brush boldly on canvas to create images to bring the most adventurous boy's fancy to life.

I love the poetic story format and while lengthy it will capture the imagination and interest of readers and listeners alike. Example: After he lands in pirate paradise...

"So, you thought we were all
just some nasty marauders,
larcenous thieves, 
and petty defrauders?

"But nothing, you see,
could be further from true.
I mean, why do we all
do the things that we do?

"The rings in our noses,
the parrots, the rum--
we just do that stuff
because it is fun!"

Children will  build learning and listening skills by engaging in a story written in rhyme and this one is lengthy which will aid in their development of a learning attention span.  Their vocabulary will be challenged and increased and it will stick because it comes to them in the poetic format.
The book is about imagination and the worlds of adventure our imaginations can take us on.  It is also about parents realizing that their child will eventually take off on his/her own adventures as the child grows into maturity.

My concerns:  In the book are the use of "Oh, my gosh! Oh, my God!" which I find offensive and entirely uncalled for - especially in children's literature.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Just enter via the Rafflecopter links below.  (Please be patient as Rafflecopter is sometimes a bit slow to load.) This giveaway only open to USA addresses. Begins Jan. 2, 2013 - ENDS January 19 at 12:01 a.m. EST
a Rafflecopter giveaway  
DISCLOSURE:  I was provided a complimentary copy of Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind by Candlewick Press on behalf of the author for the purpose of my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own.  Another copy is being provided by Candlewick Press for the purpose of the giveaway and will be shipped directly to the winner by Candlewick Press. 

20 comments:

  1. I lived on my own planet called planet z where every word started with the letter z

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  2. My daughter, Katie, has a childhood fantasy of being able to fly. She loves capes and holds her hands up high and runs around with them as if they are wings. She is fascinated by kites.

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  3. Be sure you visit Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Bartholomew-Biddle-Very-Big-Wind/dp/0763649201/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357255561&sr=8-1&keywords=bartholomew+biddle+and+the+very+big+wind#reader_0763649201 (copy and paste in URL bar) to see some of the inside of the book.

    I think she'll enjoy this.

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  4. My childhood fantasy was living on a tropical island a la Swiss Family Robinson. We did not have any trees in our yard so I put some boards on top of sawhorses & climbed up to my 'treehouse'.

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  5. My fantasy was always riding bareback on a beautiful horse with long flowing blonde hair haha

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  6. michelle gilliland mcafeeJanuary 9, 2013 at 10:18 PM

    I was a detective I loved to read Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys.

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  7. My son wants to be a scientist when he grows up.

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    Replies
    1. Wonderful! You must do all you can to help guide him and provide opportunities to explore this wonderful field.

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  8. I always dreamed I could fly.
    paulajomyers@yahoo.com

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  9. To fly- I actually jumped down a flight of stairs once from the very top convinced I could fly.
    To be a wizard like Harry Potter

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  10. I just float in the air above the trees, so not too high to be scary just fun. terri.moore30 at yahoo dot com

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  11. I wanted to be like Pippi Longstocking and be independent and have adventures and live in a giant tree house.

    april yedinak

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  12. I sometimes fantasized I could dig to china... :-)

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  13. Oh, this book sounds so great. The inside page you have in the post is just gorgeous and I am a big, big, big fan of rhyming verse in children's books. It looks lovely. Unfortunately, I'm in Canada so I can't enter, but I'll share the giveaway with my followers. Thanks for linking in the Kid Lit Blog Hop Vera! Nice to see you there as always! :)

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  14. I wanted to be an artist. lol That didn't happen.

    Deborah on Rafflecopter

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  15. My youngest sister and I were 8 years apart. She was very attached to me so I would play with her and pretend she was a princess and she was being hunted for her golden hair. It was so much fun and we had to play it over and over again.

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  16. I travel the world (and will some day!).

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  17. I used to want to be an astronaut!

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