Sandra DieckmannCritiques

Great illustrations!

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

Wenn man einen Waldspaziergang macht, bleibt einem doch vieles verborgen. In diesem Kinderbuch begleiten wird das kleine Damhirschkalb mit der Mutter durch den Wald und können dabei so viel entdecken, was sonst meist verborgen bleibt. Einige Tiere werden morgens wach und sind dann ganz emsig, andere werden erst abends in der Dämmerung aktiv.
Dieses Buch ist einfach nur schön und lehrreich. Man erfährt ganz viel über die unterschiedlichsten Tiere des Waldes. Die Illustrationen sind passend und wundervoll und sie laden zum Entdecken ein.
Am Ende des Buches gibt es nur Sachinformationen über die verschiedenen Tiere.
Es ist ein Buch, das man immer wieder gerne zur Hand nimmt und das nicht nur die Kinder begeistert. Ich kann es nur empfehlen.

When a strange white bear comes ashore and takes up residence in the local cave, all of the woodland residents thereabouts are disturbed. Frightened of this solitary newcomer, at first they see only the danger he represents, and are blind to the distress he is clearly demonstrating, through his odd behavior. It falls to the crows, who had been advocating talking to the stranger, to bring the polar bear and the woodland residents together, leading to better understanding and compassion, when the latter discover that their ursine guest was transplanted unwillingly from his home, and is missing his family...

The first book I have read from author/illustrator Sandra Dieckmann, Leaf is a title that I picked up at my public library, drawn in by its beautifully distinctive cover art. This makes sense, as it is published by the London-based Flying Eye Books, whose picture-book catalog invariably features titles with appealing artwork. The story itself is inspired by issues of climate change, and highlights the importance of communication, when attempting to resolve communal problems, as well as the deleterious effects of being displaced. Although I do sometimes wonder about the wisdom of using polar bears as the poster children for climate change concern - yes, polar ice is shrinking, but at the same time, polar bear populations are booming, so make of that what you will - I do think these are important things to think about. Dieckmann's story is engaging, and I was rooting for the animals to get together (however unnatural this scenario might be, in the real world) and come up with a solution. The artwork itself is, as promised by the cover, simply gorgeous. The color palette itself is lovely, and the composition of each page just magical. I would definitely seek out other books from this artist! Recommended to picture-book readers who appreciate beautiful artwork, or who are seeking stories about welcoming newcomers, and avoiding jumping to conclusions about them.½

what a beautiful story. with stunning illustrations

This book discusses global warming through telling the story of a polar bear who has drifted across the sea because of the melting ice. At first, the other animals wont accept him because he is different. After hearing his story, that changes. This book has an underlying theme of accepting those who are different.
1 book

Library Exploration assignment

The old saying of 'Don't judge a book by the cover' holds true in beautifully drawn picture book. As well as the tale.

Within 'Leaf' you learn that just because someone looks different from you that doesn't mean that they are monsters.

When a strange creature arrives, the other animals are scared and won't go near him. Instead they watch from a safe distance as the creature gathers leaves together and then jumps off a cliff. Eventually the crows pick up enough courage to talk to the strange creature and so they learn the polar bear's sad story of melting ice and drifting away from home and family.
Sandra Dieckmann's background as an artist is obvious from the quality of the illustrations. They are the highlight of this book with their rich colours and intricate patterns and textures - I could quite happily hang any of them on my wall. The story is fable-like with its message of helping outsiders and also serves to highlight the plight of polar bears. The animals are realistically portrayed and their thought/speech is represented by the use of text boxes. This story is well-told and stunning illustrated but the text on the last page is a disappointment with its promise of a happily ever after ending that just doesn't make sense.½