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The Story Goes On

Name: The Story Goes On
Author: Aileen Fisher
ISBN: 9781596430372

by Aileen Fisher, Mique Moriuchi

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Overview

In this exquisitely illustrated picture book, one of America's foremost poets for young people describes the ongoing cycle of life. A seed sprouts and is quickly devoured by a bug. Then a bright green frog appears and makes a meal of the bug. And the story goes on...from bug to snake to hawk to hunter...until a seed begins to sprout. This wonderful poem deftly deals with a sensitive subject and is inventively illustrated by a prodigiously talented young artist.

An illustrated poem about the cycle of life--bug eats plant, frog eats bug, snake eats frog, hawk eats snake, and so on.

Synopsis

Publishers Weekly

Newcomer Moriuchi's collages embrace the truths of nature's cycle of predation and prey, as explored in Fisher's (I Heard a Bluebird Sing) matter-of-fact verse. The poet's stylish lines capture nature's small dramas: after a bug nibbles at a tender leaf, "with the stealth of a thief,/ a frog's sticky tongue/ flicks out at the leaf/ and snatches a meal.../ the bug comes to grief." The accompanying collage incorporates bold graphic shapes to startling effect: the frog's bubblegum-pink tongue crosses the gutter of the spread, and the bug lies splayed on its tip, its mouth a dismayed "O." Successive verses describe each creature providing food for the next. Moriuchi's creatures and plants, cut from printed materials and painted so the type is still occasionally visible, appear against green and azure backgrounds. Closer inspection reveals that her images contain fields of color worked with great care. The author and artist make no judgments. A swooping hawk looks earnest rather than fierce, and the snake it captures displays a philosophical resignation. Fisher's poem addresses dicey questions such as what happens to dead animals and describes how the process comes full circle ("And then in the soil/ made rich in this way/ a seed will start sprouting/ and growing some day"). Curious young minds as well as parents and teachers will appreciate this imminently palatable natural history lesson. Ages 4-7. (May) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

About the Author, Aileen Fisher

Aileen Fisher (1907-2002) received many awards and citations during her long and distinguished career, culminating in the 1978 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. She lived in Boulder, Colorado, for many years.

Mique Moriuchi spent much of her childhood in Japan and currently lives in Cornwall, England. This is the first picture book she has illustrated.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3-With bright colors, rhyming text, and collage illustrations, this circular tale points out the interdependence of life. The book begins with a seed that sprouts after being warmed by sun and watered with rain. Framed by sky and soil, the plant and story unfold. A bug spots the leaf and, while making a meal of it, is eaten by a frog. Then, a snake approaches and, with a "slither" and a "snatch," swallows the frog whole. A hawk flies down, grabs the snake, and flies away with it in its claws. But not for long, as a farmer with a gun shoots the hawk, which then provides food for a coyote. What's left is for the crows to peck and the beetles to bury, enriching the soil and allowing the cycle to begin again. The final spread reviews the process visually, showing each animal in order of appearance. The rhyme ends with the words: "-what a procession to ponder upon as over and over the story goes on." The text is wrapped around the earth, which is inhabited by some of the characters. The appealing art is reminiscent of Eric Carle's work and addresses a child's sensibilities and interests. This offering is a visual treat and an engaging opportunity to introduce the cycle of life to young readers.-Marian Creamer, Children's Literature Alive, Portland, OR Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

"Nature red in tooth and claw" receives a disarmingly serene treatment in this posthumously published piece. Fisher adopts a simple verse style to record the cycle of nature: It all starts with a seed, whose sprout is promptly eaten by a bug, which is snatched up by a frog, which in turn is gobbled by a snake, and on up the food chain until busy sexton bugs get to work on the remains of it all. Newcomer Moriuchi's mixed-media collages feature thin layers of bright color over newsprint; the text that shows through the colors gives the blandly smiling critters both energy and edge. She rightly relies on emotion to convey the harsh realities of the food chain, the frog's smug smirk thinning into dismay as the snake cheerfully engulfs it. While it's certainly not the norm to have picture-book characters perishing all over the pages, this offering deals with the realities that underlie so much of the literature for the young: It's a natural extension of old Mr. Rabbit's being put into a pie by Mrs. McGregor. And the stories go on. . . . (Picture book. 4-7)