Adventures at Wilder Farm

Emerging

September 21st, 2011
Lita Judge

 

So I am very excited by the fact that Red Sled is soon to be coming out – November 1st to be exact! I was thrilled when my editor sent me the first review – a STARRED REVIEW from Kirkus!

Here it is:

Red Sled

Written by Lita Judge
(Atheneum; ISBN: 9781442420076; November 2011; Fall catalog p. 31)

Judge’s latest may be virtually wordless, but it packs a powerful visual punch that will stick with readers long after the final page is turned. At the end of a winter day, a child props the titular sled outside a cozy cabin. A bear finds it there and sets off to enjoy the ride of all rides, joined in turn by some other forest denizens. As each joins the ride, the animals’ positions change: The bear is on his back with the rabbit perched on his feet, then he is atop the moose’s antlers, a position next occupied by an exhilarated-looking porcupine. By the end of the hill, the tower of animals on top of the sled is quite shaky and collapses, “fluoomp…….ft” in a heap. The entirety is wordless but for the carefully chosen onomatopoeic words that perfectly capture the sounds and bring the adventure to life: the “scrinch scrunch” of footsteps in new snow, the “sssssffft” of the sled on its run and the “whoa” of the animals as they enjoy the ride. When the fun is over, they return the sled to the cabin, where the child puzzles over the footprints in the morning. Though rendered simply, Judge’s pencil-and-watercolor animals are gloriously full of life and infectious joy. Readers will be hard-pressed to finish this without letting their own joy show through. Pure genius.

Tags: 18 Comments

18 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Carol Gordon Ekster Nov 1, 2011 at 6:57 am

    Lita, I hope you continue to heal and produce more beautiful picture books. Thanks for sharing your art and lessons. I wish we could all learn them without having to go through an illness. The review was wonderful and I hope you’ll share the making of this new magical book at a future SCBWI event.

  • 2 Loretta Ellsworth Nov 1, 2011 at 8:35 am

    Congratulations, Lita, on a beautiful new book and a magnificent review. If anything could cheer you up, a Kirkus star certainly should. My prayers are with you as you recover from your illness. I look forward to reading future books and to buying Red Sled for my granddaughter.

  • 3 Sue Heavenrich Nov 2, 2011 at 8:57 am

    Red Sled is so delightful – what a way to start our winter reading. Thank you for sharing your “lessons learned”,your warm and funny watercolor animals piling on the sled, and your imaginative art. My prayers are with you for a speedy recovery – and I’ll be looking for your next book when it hits the shelves.

  • 4 Patty Mynczywor Nov 2, 2011 at 11:17 am

    Congratulations! Wow, what an amazing review. I feel so privileged to have seen your art for this book at last springs SCBWI conference. I cannot wait to get my own copy. Your life lessons and your beautiful art are so inspiring. Thank you for your blog post. I will be praying for you.

  • 5 Jeannine Atkins Nov 2, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    Lita, I’m happy for the wonderful reviews and can’t wait to get my hands on this book. I’m sorry you’ve been so unwell, and hope things get easier for you and Dave.

  • 6 Leslie Bulion Nov 2, 2011 at 6:47 pm

    Lita,
    I am thrilled at the growing snowball of amazing reviews for Red Sled! I look forward to having my own signed copy one of these days, and to reading that you continue to feel better and healthier with each passing day.
    Wishing you all the best,
    Leslie B.

  • 7 Lita Judge Nov 3, 2011 at 8:28 am

    Hi Carol — Thanks so much for your support. I look forward to seeing you at future SCBWI events!

  • 8 Lita Judge Nov 3, 2011 at 8:31 am

    Thanks Loretta! I was definitely cheered up by that Kirkus review! I hope you and your granddaughter enjoy Red Sled!

  • 9 Lita Judge Nov 3, 2011 at 8:34 am

    Thanks for your kind thoughts, Sue!

  • 10 Lita Judge Nov 3, 2011 at 8:38 am

    Thanks Patty! I’m feeling a little better every day!

  • 11 Lita Judge Nov 3, 2011 at 8:41 am

    Thanks Jeannine! Things are getting better but it’s so wonderful to have such supportive friends and colleagues!

  • 12 Lita Judge Nov 3, 2011 at 8:43 am

    Thanks Leslie! It was so wonderful of Mother Nature to provide such ample snow in New England for the release of Red Sled! We had over 24 inches at our house, but at least the power stayed on!

  • 13 Annalisa Nov 14, 2011 at 5:08 pm

    i love the red hat! we’ll be getting this book for our book nook.

  • 14 Tracy Gallagher Dec 5, 2011 at 7:42 pm

    I continue to recommend Red Sled to everyone I know and have given away several copies. Hoping the starred reviews continue to come (up to three now I see) and the reprints arrive soon! Best wishes for a healthy new year . . .

  • 15 Cathy Mealey Dec 6, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    I was browsing picture books today at the Hallmark store, near a grandmother who was also searching for books. I handed her a copy of “Red Sled” with my heartiest recommendations. She was so tickled! She laughed at the beautiful illustrations of the sledding creatures, and walked away with two copies in her basket! ;-)

  • 16 Lita Judge Dec 7, 2011 at 10:21 am

    Hi Tracy! Thanks so much — your support and enthusiasm for RED SLED has been fantastic! Reprints are coming!!

  • 17 Lita Judge Dec 7, 2011 at 10:23 am

    Hi Cathy, I sent my dino images to Greg and he posted them a few weeks ago! It’s amazing to hear that RED SLED is in Hallmark Stores! Thanks for the hearty recommendation!

  • 18 Cathy Mealey Dec 18, 2011 at 9:20 am

    Yes, Red Sled is in the New England Hallmark chain called http://www.thepaperstore.com. And selling well!

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