Follett Early Learning

Booklist (June 1, 2009 (Vol. 105, No. 19))

Preschool-Grade 1. The humble workhorse of the art world gets its proper due in this clever picture book that celebrates the line in all its permutations—wavy, winding, or plain old straight. Whitman’s rhyming text catalogs the panoply of lines around us in a concise, appealing fashion (“lines that curve / lines that curl / underwater lines that swirl”), but it’s Wilson’s bright, graphic illustrations that take center stage. Exuberant scenes, many of which are populated by adorably shaggy monsters, are brimming with topsy-turvy humor, from a cat walking a pack of pink dachshunds to an overheated mummy removing his bandages under the hot desert sun. Throughout the book, a glittery blue raised line cleverly highlights the illustrations’ squiggles, dashes, and curves and the words that describe them, making this title ideal for close-up sharing and tactile exploration. A lively introduction to poetry, art, or a simple game of pretend.

Publishers Weekly (June 29, 2009)

Zany creatures-from furry monsters to more recognizable animals-celebrate different kinds of glittery lines that offer plenty of eye candy. The textural lines seem to have minds of their own as they shimmy across the pages, creating patterns and informing the simple, rhyming verse. On one spread, a mummy's bandages are unwrapped ("lines that curve/ lines that curl"), while on the following page a pink whale's blowhole makes "underwater lines that swirl." Later, a red cat's paw loops through "lines with doggies at the end" (the accompanying image shows nine pink dachshunds on leashes). The creatures-and even a mean-looking thundercloud-brim with personality and create a sense of playful irreverence. Ages 4-8. (July) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal (August 1, 2009)

K-Gr 4-Through bouncy verse and lively artwork, this creative collaboration explores the many different ways that lines are used. Readers will immediately be drawn to the glittery textured line that appears across the cover and continues throughout the book. Whitman's descriptions employ a great range of adjectives and verbs, and Wilson's graphic-style art captures the actions of the lines with a host of colorful animal and monsterlike creatures engaged in various activities. For example, "Lines that twist" (the illustration shows a school bus navigating along a serpentine road), "lines that sway" (blades of grass bend gracefully in the wind), "lines that swish the flies way" (a cowboy-boot-wearing horse dispatches insects with its tail). Lines can also "curve" and "curl" (as in a mummy's unwinding bandages), "swirl" (from a whale's spout), and "zigzag" (across a rainstorm sky). The book's design showcases specific descriptors in a cursive font that uses the textured glitter to maximum effect. This emphasis makes the connection between word and art even more striking. Children will enjoy this book on many levels. It can be read independently for pleasure or used in a variety of ways in the classroom. Art teachers in particular will find this a wonderful addition to their curriculum.-Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

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