Michael McCurdyReseñas

This alphabet book, set at Walden Pond, makes Henry David Thoreau and his love for this historic pond accessible to young children. Wood engravings complement each letter. Source Notes.

I began reading this book with high hopes, but after a few pages I became confused as to the target audience. While I wasn't expecting a Disney-type of fluff, I was a little surprised to see some things that were less appropriate for children, such as a predator talking about his previous meals/victims. It just ... seemed ... wrong. Nice illustrations, though.½

I find authors who write about difficult subjects like this to be quite intriguing. Shakleton's story is not for the faint of heart and I thought this author did a nice job of being honest about details like starvation, horrible uncleanliness, and true struggle to survive in unimaginable conditions. McCurdy puts us readers through several rise and falls, mirroring the trauma and uncertainty of the men's situation. There is not a distinct climax though other than these moments of excitement, though 'Shaks' final journey to the whaling island may have been intended to be the climax? I gave this book the rating of 3.5 stars, despite the fact I quite liked how it was written, because first, I wish McCurdy had given us more context on the environment. I do not think understanding the harsh conditions of Antarctica is something an average human really grasps, let alone a child. Second, this book really needed stronger illustrations because of the unimaginable qualities the story has. The fact that these men fought to survive for 2 years to return home while stranded in Antarctica with the technology of 1915 is incredible and I would have liked to see a better visual representation.½

I liked this book for two reasons. First, I liked that since it was nonfiction the author went to great lengths to ensure accuracy and included a bibliography. Of the four books cited, two of them were written by men who were on the voyage. Second, I liked how the book pushed readers to think about what it would be like to be in a dangerous situation where they were trapped and they did not have any resources to get help. They also had to deal with the ice that sometimes would melt and sea lions that threatened to attack them. The main message of the book was to retell some of the interesting events that happened on that adventure in a format that younger children could enjoy.

This book is an illustrated depiction of a famous sea chantey. A sea chantey is a song (from the French word "chanter") sung by English and American sailors in the days of heavy labor aboard frigate boats. The rhythmical dullness of the labor led to the creation of folk songs that would cheer the men during the performance of unpleasant tasks. The illustrator Michael McCurdy provides illustrations for the text of this song, which supplies an appropriate boat term for each letter of the alphabet. Above each image is the verse of the song in the original dialect, and below each image is a definition of the word followed by an elucidation of the meaning of any other words in the song that would cause a modern-day reader confusion.

This is a great book for readers of all ages, who may be curious to know about the many parts of a U.S. Navy frigate. There is a diagram included in the back that labels all the separate parts, in case one is still curious after the detailed and clear illustrations that accompany the song. Certain words like, "gaff", "jib", "mizzen peak", and "grog", which lack explanation in the song, are also elucidated by definitions. A wonderful book for adults and children alike!

This one didn't leave a great impression on me. The story is written as a kind of captain's log with journal entries on each page. It feels like this would make it difficult to read to younger audiences. The illustrations felt more juvenile than the writing. The 2 elements don't work together.

Not an alpahbet book for young children, but the text will serve as a good introduction to Thoreau's life and philosophy. McCurdy's illustrations are stunning as always.

Ernest Shackleton, or Shack as he is dubbed in Michael McCurdy's Trapped by the Ice!, was a dynamic figure in antarctic exploration. Elevated to heroic levels by his great leadership during the hour of his team's greatest need, he provides the perfect subject for a picture book written for younger audiences. Sheckleton's adventure is sure to intrigue even the most disinterested reader.

Featuring one caption for every two page long picture, the work requirement for Trapped by the Ice! is somewhat small. Still, the story does not suffer. McCurdy makes the necessary choices to ensure readers get the full complement. The illustrations, done by McCurdy himself, accompany his words well. The pastel color palette he selected properly conveys the polar lands that Shackleton and company traverse. When the team finally reaches safety, the colors used then greet them warmly.

This book goes through the alphabet with word examples that relate to sailors and their lives at sea. This book is a great supplemental book to English/Language Arts in that it builds vocabulary by introducing children to new terms and definitions using the alphabet and rhyming patterns they may already be familiar with.

This book tells of Sir Ernest Shackleton's adventure in the Antartic from the boat getting stuck to crossing the sea to South Georgia Island to find help. This is quite a good book as it tells the dramatic story and It made me want to research more about Shackleton and what other trips he took.

I appreciated the structure of writing in this short picture book about the treacherous journey of Captain Shackleton and his crew members. Written like a diary, with the date in the top right corner of each sidebar, the book will easily appeal to young children. Although the illustrations are pretty, that is the best I can describe them. Without the text, the pictures appear to show a group of men simply walking on ice or moving boxes. The pastel colors sadly do not reflect the captivating, interesting story. They fail to depict the reality of Shackleton's adventure.

Although I appreciate the style and accuracy of the author, I would not recommend this book because the illustrations are boring.½

Beautifully illustrated picture book detailing the Shackleton expedition after being stuck in the Antarctic ice. The use of cool tones in the watercolor images help create a sense of cold that permeates the entire story. I liked how this book made the expedition accessible to younger students as it provides a basically factual, but less graphic explanation of the adventure than books geared at an older audience could be. This could fit nicely into a 3-4 grade unit on exploration that is looking to give an overview of impressive voyages in history to get students familiar with the idea that we didn't used to know where all of the continents and oceans were or how we would fare while there.

The title pretty much describes the contents of the book. Each letter has a block of text talking about something Thoreau experienced and then how it's changed in the present day. Might be used in a classroom, and the writing flows smoothly, but no child appeal. At all. I've yet to meet a child who liked wood cuts for one thing

McCurdy's first (at least to my knowledge) effort at illustrating a book with full-color acrylic paintings is a wonderful example of the art that conceals art. There is nearly perfect haromonization between the plainspoken text and the, apparently, simple "kid's book" realism of the pictures. But look closer at the pictures; use a magnifying glass if you like. These are extraordinary. Do you suppose 3rd to 5th graders do this? I doubt it. But my guess is that the pictures make an impression that goes deeper than one might, at first, think.

Perfect for sharing at Christmas or any time.

Ben here is Ben Franklin. I love Ben Franklin. He was our first real Renaissance Man, our own homegrown Leonardo da Vinci. Smart, compassionate, witty and full of all the faults and foibles one would expect from a human, and relatively open and honest about himself.

That's Ben, though, not this book. This book, a collection of Franklin's witticisms drawn mostly from his Poor Richard's Almanac days is a remarkably ugly book. Each spread features one of Ben's sayings on the left side in large see-them-from-the-back-of-the-room letters, paragraph at the bottom in sleazy-contract-small-print that either explains or expands on Ben's life or the expression, facing a black and white scratchboard-like illustration that illuminates (sometimes in the most general and puzzling sense) the expression at hand.

"Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise," is opposite an illustration of what looks like Ebenezer Scrooge shocked to find a cat and a chicken staring at him in his bead while some fresh-faced farm hand peers in the open window smiling like he just set a paper bag full of cow pies on fire on Scrooge's front step. There has to be a better way to illustrate this saying than to show an old man being harassed by farm animals -- where's the health, the wealth, where's the wisdom in this picture? Is it that the early bird gets to cruise for old men before they wake up and play pranks on them?

I'm guessing the book is for teachers who want to introduce Ben Franklin to younger audiences; that's how I read the disparity between the large type and illustrations against the small print with background. A teacher would show the spread and explain the situation or give a little history. Still, it's an ugly book and I think if I were back in the classroom I'd scrounge my own pictures and put together a better presentation before considering this book.

"A penny saved is a penny earned," was another of Ben's. No illustration necessary, save your pennies and buy a facsimile edition of Ben's Poor Richard's Almanac instead.

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Or so said Ben. Don't worry, it's not in the book.

Another for my alphabet book collection. The text is a sea chantey from the 1800's, along with explanations of the terms. McCurdy's illustrations are very fine, with some stunning perspectives. At the end of the book is an image of a frigate, with all the parts named in the song labeled. There is great attention to detail, as evidenced by the simple image of a compass rose on the back cover.

Very nice indeed.

Fine condition

1828