IN
After receiving a fine arts degree from the University of
California at Berkeley and completing two years of graduate work in
design at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland,
Ruth Heller (1923-2004) began her career designing wrapping paper,
cocktail napkins, greeting cards, and coloring books. After five
years of rejection and one complete revision, Heller's first
book,Chickens Aren't the Only Ones, about egg-laying animals, was
published in 1981. It was so successful that the sequel, and second
book to be published,Animals Born Alive And Well(1982), about
mammals, quickly followed. In 1983 and 1984, her third and fourth
titles,The Reason For A Flower(about plants that have seeds and
flowers) andPlants That Never Ever Bloom(about plants that do not)
were published.
She then began work on a collection of six books, theHow To
Hideseries on camouflage and the magic of this phenomenon in
nature, which covered the entire animal kingdom -- insects, birds,
mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and sea creatures. The next
collection of books became a five-volume series on parts of
speech-A Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns; Kites Sail
High- A Book About Verbs; Many Luscious Lollipops- A Book About
Adjectives; Merry-Go-Round- A Book About Nouns;andUp, Up and Away-
A Book About Adverbs. She also wrote and illustrated the unique and
fascinating bookColor, a charming and instructive guide to how art
goes through the four color printing process.
Among the notable people who have had an influence on Heller's
writing have been- Ogden Nash, Gilbert and Sullivan, Edward Lear,
Hilaire Belloc, and Dr. Seuss. Heller says of her work, "All my
books are nonfiction picture books in rhyme. I find writing in
rhyme enjoyable and challenging, and I think it is an easy way for
children to learn new facts and acquire a sophisticated vocabulary.
Children are not intimidated by big words. I try to make my writing
succinct and allow the illustrations to convey as much information
as possible."
Gr 2-4-- Heller maintains the standards she set in her previous concept books in this lively introduction to adverbs. The playfully rhymed text flows effortlessly as it discusses superlatives, irregular adverbs, and double negatives. The featured words appear in bold print and are used frequently throughout to demonstrate their functions. The jewel-toned illustrations are a visual delight, featuring everything from Persian cats to purple cows. Large double-page spreads provide maximum graphic impact, while the subjects add a whimsical touch. The book ends abruptly, but its many strengths greatly outweigh this quibble. Teachers and children will find the clever presentation informative and fun. --Lori A. Janick, Parkwood Elementary School, Pasadena, TX
In this latest addition to Heller's expanding collection of parts-of-speech books, the author/artist employs her characteristically vibrant, larger-than-life paintings to examine the many aspects of adverbs. Readers are told--and captivatingly shown--that ``ADVERBS work terrifically when answering specifically . . . `How?' `How often?' `When?' and `Where?' '' A glorious blue-and-white Victorian house, for example, drips gingerbread trim across one spread: it was painted ``RECENTLY.'' The question, ``WHY do pandas eat bamboo?'' is posed against a comparatively spare spread of three beguiling creatures devouring green leaves. If this book is a bit more confusing than the earlier volumes, it is chiefly because of the inherent diversity of the topic--young grammarians may well be puzzled that the words in a bride's vow of ``YES, INDEED, FOREVER'' are equated with the ``how'' of ``HOW do you do?'' Nevertheless, Heller once again offers an informative English lesson that is great fun to read and rife with theatrics. Ages 6-up. (Nov.)
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