Nicolas, Where Have You Been

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Appearing for the first time in paperback as part of our 100th anniversary of Leo Lionni, here is another classic Lionni fable featuring his beloved mice, one big bad bird, and a nest of good Samaritan birds. The story's moral--"one bad bird doesn't make a flock"--has been hailed by Horn Book as "a fine, cheerful example of an ethical, philosophical idea cast as a delightful picture book." Of it Booklist wrote, "Even preschoolers can have a book discussion about this one." All covers of all 16 Lionni Dragonfly paperbacks are now displayed on the back cover. Caldecott Honor winner Leo Lionni's beloved fable about the benefits of being open minded. When the young mouse Nicolas sets out across the great meadow alone in search of ripe red berries, he is grabbed up by the claws of a huge bird and carried high into the sky. But that is only the beginning of Nicolas's adventure. How he gets the berries he was hoping to find, and learns to trust the very creatures he thought were his enemies, makes this Leo Lionni fable one that young children will want to hear again and again.

Reviews

"A rich story both in appearance and theme. Even preschoolers can have a book discussion about this one." Booklist

"[Lionni] creates a world of adventure and consequence from a wonderously minimal set of objects and words." Publishers Weekly

"A fine, cheerful example of an ethical, philosophical idea cast as a delightful picture book." The Horn Book Magazine

"A delightful story. The book has potential for prompting classroom discussions." School Library Journal

Author Bio

Leo Lionni, an internationally known designer, illustrator, and graphic artist, was born in Holland and lived in Italy until he came to the United States in 1939. He was the recipient of the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was honored posthumously in 2007 with the Society of Illustrators' Lifetime Achievement Award. His picture books are distinguished by their enduring moral themes, graphic simplicity and brilliant use of collage, and include four Caldecott Honor Books- Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Hailed as "a master of the simple fable" by the Chicago Tribune, he died in 1999 at the age of 89.