THE APPLE DOLL
Written
and Illustrated by Elisa Kleven
(Farrar Straus Giroux, July '07)
Lizzy loves the big apple tree in her yard. So
when the first day of school comes, she picks a beautiful apple,
turns it into a makeshift doll she names Susanna, and takes it
along to keep her company. But her teacher tells her that dolls
aren’t allowed at school. Even worse, her
sister says that Susanna won’t last forever. Then Lizzy’s
mom shows her a way to turn Susanna into a real apple doll. And
with the help of Susanna the Apple Doll, Lizzy overcomes her
shyness at school and makes plenty of new friends to bring home
to play in her beloved apple tree.
Instructions for making an apple doll just like Susanna are included!
"...A plot summary does little to recreate the
charm of this delightfully well-written picture book. Like the first illustration
of the apple tree, where Lizzy lies happily on a branch surrounded
by birds, cats, and squirrels, the pictures teem with life and
intriguing details, but have at their heart the clear expression
of the character's emotions..."
-- Booklist, starred review
"Kleven's lovely mixed-media collage illustrations, especially
those that depect the four seasons and Lizzy's neighborhood and
school, are filled with eye-catching detail and activity. A sweet story
about accepting change, working together, and forming new friendships."
-- School Library Journal
Winner, 27th annual Northern California Book Award, Children's Literature category.
SUN BREAD
Written
and illustrated by Elisa Kleven
(Dutton, '01)
A baker brightens a
bleak winter by baking a
golden, glowing sun bread, which lifts the spirits (and bodies) of all
who taste it, while it lures the real sun out of hiding!
"With rhyming text, brilliantly colored illustrations, and her
trademark collages, Kleven depicts a world teeming with animals who
celebrate the joy of baking bread and the return of the sun. With a sun
bread recipe on the back cover, this is the cheeriest book of the
season. A perfect read-aloud for home or school." -- American Bookseller
American Bookseller Pick of the List
New York Times Best Illustrated Book, 2001
Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Award
THE LION AND THE LITTLE RED BIRD
Written and illustrated by Elisa
Kleven (Dutton, '92)
A little bird discovers
why the
lion's tail changes color each day, as the lion and the bird become
good friends.
"A sweet and captivating book with gorgeous illustrations." -- School
Library Journal, starred review.
A PBS Storytime selection
ABA/CBC Best Book
THE PAPER PRINCESS
Written and illustrated by Elisa
Kleven
(Dutton '94)
A little girl
makes a paper princess, who is swept away by the wind and goes on to
have many adventures. "The best book yet from this talented
author/illustrator, and one that children will love." --School Library
Journal, starred review
A PBS Storytime Book
A Book-of-the-Month Club Selection
THE PAPER PRINCESS FINDS HER WAY
Written and illustrated by Elisa Kleven
(Dutton, '03)
"Will strike a chord with
velveteen rabbit fans. Kleven takes a paper doll introduced in Paper Princess through further
adventures and changes. When her young maker grows past the point
of being able to hear her, a kindly dog carries the faded princess
outside. Off she's carried by the wind, to hazardous encounters
with a cat and a toddler, to a brief stay with a shelf of store-bought
toys who are awed by her ability to "fly" without batteries, and to the
top of a Christmas tree. Later she flutters along with zillions of
monarch butterflies to a distant, warm country where a new child gives
her fresh layers of love and clothing.
The princess faces each up and down with open arms
and a subtly changing smile, to go along with her welcoming
spirit. Younger readers will gladly go along on her odyssey, and
thoughtful older ones may glimpse the metaphorical journey underlying
it."
--The Kirkus Reviews
"Kleven's sequel to The Paper
Princess (Dutton, 1994) is every bit as
charming as the original...as in the first book, the mixed-media,
folklike illustrations (paint, paper and fabric collage, ink, etc.) are
gloriously colored and filled with tiny details. The simple story will
delight young children, who also find adventure and pleasure in the
simplest things. "I've traveled so far," says the princess, "and I've
changed again and again." --School Library Journal
"Kleven knows exactly what kids like: a book where things happen! Every
page is alive with collaged detail, a real miniature world...The writing
is eloquent without being pretentious, and when you read it aloud your
own voice will quaver with the abundant joy that permeates the
narrative. Besides being full of little, lovely truths ("It's a hard
word for small, fragile things"), there is a larger, hopeful message
that change is always possible, and it is a message that is sure to
help a new generation find their way to happiness. (5 and up)
Attention, science teachers: use this book in combination with Gotta
Go, Gotta Go by Sam Swope and Song
of the Swallows by Leo Politi for a very nice literature-based
introduction to winged migration. (5 and up)"
-- Planetesme.com Best Picture Books of 2003
THE PAPER PRINCESS FLIES AGAIN
Written and Illustrated by Elisa Kleven
(Tricycle Press, '05)
The third book in the beloved Paper Princess series.
The Paper Princess has found a new home. Lucy has even made the
Princess a paper dog to keep her company. One day, as Lucy's family
prepares for a fiesta, the Princess and her dog catch a passing breeze
and set out to find a gift for the friend who has been so good to
them. But when a bright paper flag turns into a flying carpet,
the two are whisked away on a memorable adventure, and the gift they
ultimately bring Lucy is richer than either could have imagined.
Children will recognize both the desire to venture out and discover the
world, and the joy of having a warm and loving home to return to.
"Kleven's lively, colorful, mixed-media illustrations breezily carry
the characters from one detailed scene to the next in this original bit
of make-believe that speaks to both a child's creativity and sense of
belonging. Fans of the first two books will delight in the princess'
latest fun flight." --Booklist
"The third book in the Paper Princess series by Elisa Kleven finds the
heroine and her pooch in a search of a gift for their owner in The
Paper Princess Flies Again (With Her Dog). In their travels, they adapt
a paper flag as a magic carpet, hitch a ride on a kite, and undergo more
adventures against the fiesta-bright Mexico backdrop."
Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
--Publishers Weekly
"This joyous book, with its exquisitely detailed illustrations, is
crammed full of delights, just like the pinata that serves as the key
to the climax of this wonderful sequel to The Paper Princess Flies
Finds Her Way. This title is just as appealing and satisfying as Kleven's
previous books, as she tells the story of the Paper Princess' quest
for a special gift for her human friend, Lucy. ...Reunited with their
beloved friend, the story ends with great celebration. The Paper Princess
and her dog had set out to find a gift for Lucy and returned with a paper
flag that did not seem adequate to serve as a present; but, the story of
their adventures is the very sort of present that Lucy loves best of all.
Children will love pouring over the illustrations and in doing so will
learn a good deal about Mexican culture in the process." --Children's
Literature
ERNST
Written and illustrated by
Elisa Kleven
Re-issued by Tricycle Press, Spring " '02
An imaginative
young crocodile who loves to wonder "what -if" moves from daydream
to daydream.
"Imaginative children will love this book."
-- School Library Journal
"What child
or poet or artist could resist a story that begins 'Once apon a
time, in a world full of light, trees, bugs, seashells, birds...?'
Young Ernst is a crocodile who loves to think 'What if?' Busy little
pictures that sparkle with dots, splotches, and specks exactly
reflect his luminous inner world. 'What if
the honking school bus could sing?' he wishes one day. His questions seem never to stop. On Ernst's birthday
his loving family makes him so happy that his real world and his
imagined one come together. This fills him with such joy and delight
that he can think of no better world to inhabit. The small-scaled
illustrations in collage paper effectively let readers into Ernst's
imagination. They produce the same kind of enchanted satisfaction
one gets from peeping into a Venetian glass paperweight with all
its small, brilliant flowers. Older preschoolers, particularly imaginative
children, and fans of M. B. Goffstein will love this book."
-- School Library Journal
"Kleven imagines an entire universe filled with sparkling animation and affection.
This small and beautiful book neatly reconciles the child's wishes with dreams fulfilled."
-- Los Angeles Times Book Review
THE PUDDLE PAIL
Written and illustrated by Elisa
Kleven
(Dutton, '97)
Reissued by Tricycle Press
in March '07
Ernst the crocodile wants to collect stars, clouds, and puddles in his pail. His big brother, Sol, wants to collect "real" things.
"Kleven once
again proves herself to be an outstanding storyteller...The collages
are almost mesmerizing."-- School Library Journal
School Library Journal Best Book
Child Magazine Best Book
Crayola. Kids Best Book
1998 Children's Literature Choice List
THE WISHING BALL
Written
and Illustrated by Elisa Kleven
(Farrar Straus Giroux, February
'06)
Nellie,
a lonely stray cat, wishes for a warm house filled with good
things to eat. Ernst, a gentle young crocodile, wishes for
the lion he drew in chalk on the sidewalk to come alive. Luckily
for them both, a bored crow plays a trick on Nellie, setting
off a chain of events that make their wishes come true in unexpected
-- and wonderful -- ways.
"Immensely satisfying, the story is brought visually to life by Kleven's
naïf artwork, which employs watercolors and bits of collage to make
crowded, cozy pictures--with a needy, determined, darling kitty right in
the middle of it all." --Booklist
Kleven's colors
are bright and cheerful, her characters are charmingly expressive and
her brushstrokes are lively and energetic." --Kirkus Reviews
HOORAY, A PINATA!
Written and illustrated by Elisa
Kleven
(Dutton,'96)
When Clara can't bear breaking her beautiful
birthday pinata, her good friend Samson comes up with a thoughtful
solution. "There is not a wrong note in this wonderful, upbeat picture
book."-- Booklist, starred review
ABA Pick of the Lists
Booklinks Lasting Connections
Booklist Editors' Choice
CLASP Latin American Studies Award
Featured book at San Ramon CA Public Library's second annual KidsReads event, 2008. Thanks to a generous grant, 2,000 free copies of the book were made available to the community. Hooray for children's librarian Amy Mockoski for inviting children to submit their writing on real and imaginary friends, for organizing a pinata making project, and for allowing me and all the young writers to share our work at a library presentation.
THE DANCING DEER AND THE FOOLISH HUNTER
Written and illustrated by Elisa Kleven
(Dutton, '02)
A dancing deer teaches a
silly hunter a lesson about the interconnectedness of all living
things.
"Kleven's signature kaleidoscopic blend of color and texture and her respect-for-nature theme never disappoint." -- Publishers Weekly
"A wonderful, wonder tale about connections in nature." --Esme Raji Codell, author of How to Get Your Child to Love Reading.
"The Dancing Deer and the Foolish Hunter is a clever, cumulative tale filled with lively collage art and great humorous touches. Just right for storytime, this original tale introduces an important environmental message. But perhaps more importantly, it will leave young readers with the urge to get up and dance for joy." --Debrah Hopkinson, The Book Page
A MONSTER IN THE HOUSE
Written and illustrated by Elisa Kleven (Dutton '98)
Now out of print, but available through Elisa Kleven
A little
girl impresses her new neighbor with tales of the messy, noisy,
slobbery monster who lives in her home. Later we find out who the
monster really is.
"A wondrously silly tall tale ...expect laughter as readers grasp the
truth of the monster's identity."-- Kirkus
ABA Pick of the Lists.
Bank Street College Best Book
ABA/CBC Best Book 1999
