How Would It Feel?

By Mary Beth Goddard

Book Overview

Takes children on an imaginative journey, inviting their personal exploration of all aspects of nature

- Presents a series of fantastic hypothetical questions that encourages children to imagine an intimate and playful relationship with the natural world

- Contains vivid and intricate full-color illustrations to spark the imagination

- For children ages 4 to 6

In How Would It Feel? Mary Beth Goddard takes children on a journey of fantastic proportions, inviting them to imagine a playful interaction with the natural world. How would it feel to ride on a breeze . . . splash down with the rain . . . play tag with the sun . . . or wake up in a flower? Children and parents alike will have an opportunity to view the world from widely varying perspectives, such as high in the sky or deep under the sea. But the final stanza provides reassuring closure, returning children to the safety of home: It's time to go back / to your own bed and rest, / back to the family / who loves you the best.

The repeated poetic phrasing beginning each passage provides early reading skill development, and the vivid and intricate details in the watercolor artwork successfully extend and amplify the text, inviting many hours of exploration.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 159143050X
• ISBN13: 9781591430506
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Bear Cub Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.9" x 8.7"
• Age Range: 4 to 6 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 1

Customer Reviews

A wonderful experience for parent and child

I always am surprised when I receive something from a publisher, in this case Bear & Company as Bear Cub Books, and at first glance it may be "off topic" but it turns out to be a sparkling gem that fits perfectly. In this case the book appeared to be a children's fantasy book. I was curious, however, because of the illustrations on the front cover. They appeared almost "magical" and, of course, I was hooked. The book is a journey, an adventure. And the theme of the book - very magical and very natural. From the first page that introduces the reader to the first steps of the journey, there are exciting aspects of the artwork for the child and adult to explore together. From the boat flying on a breeze, to dancing on raindrops, or traveling on rainbows, each verse suggests an adventure, each illustration offers exploration for a young mind's eye, and each concept explores an aspect of nature that is only limited by the boundaries of the parent and child's imagination. The verses question the child, challenging them to fill the story with their own ideas. While the book seems short, the possible conversations between parent and child can make this an entire afternoon's activity, encouraging conversation and quality time between parent and child. This would be a perfect book for a rainy afternoon spent in a comfy chair, where the parent and child share a seat, a book and many stories. The book maintains a steady theme of exploration in a positive manner. The images are friendly, even when they are exploring something that might be considered scary. There is always a friendly face that could be associated with a parental figure, the child is always represented as having a good time and being kept safe and protected, yet the child is allowed to explore beyond the limits of his own living room. It is freedom yet it is secure. The themes are from nature. It explores seasonal changes, goes from the depths of the ocean to the furthest reaches of the sky. It explores the natural world, yet it pictures everyday life such as buildings and neighborhoods, reminds the child of home, yet it also explores their home is part of an even larger place called the world. Run out and get this book for your little ones. Run out and get this book for yourself! Treat yourself to some quality time with your child, or with yourself, as you explore the never ending limits of your own imagination. See if you don't agree with me this is a wonderful concept in children's reading material that will delight again and again. boudica

Great stuff for kids AND adults :-)

Reading this book was a very enjoyable experience for me, and I'm an adult! I can only imagine what it must be like for a kid to read it, or have it read to them. But the book helps with that. It really made me remember what it was like to be a child, and it elicited memories of how much I enjoyed other wonderful books, which were read to me when I was a youngster (and which I later read to myself). And not just vague memories; it brought back sights, and sounds, and smells, and sensations I might otherwise have never again recollected. Mmmmm... I would have loved this book then, and I love it today. One of the best things about this book is how it stimulates the imagination. The author, and the illustrator are obviously very imaginative, and through this book, they help readers to exercise their own mind`s eye. The questions posed throughout the poem are ones which would seem absurd, and meaningless to an unimaginative person. Yet if you suspend disbelief, and allow your imagination to take you wherever it might, you will enjoy yourself greatly; I guarantee it. Even the most unimaginative "mature grownup" will remember what it was like to daydream in their youth, and to be wowed by things which they did not yet understand; to imaging what things are like, instead of knowing. This book is remarkable, and I highly recommend it for children of any age (including the grownups ;-).

The Power of the Imagination

What a pleasure to have such a well written, well illustrated book to read to a child as "How Would It Feel?" Both the poetry and the artwork stimulate a child to use their own imagination; to answer the questions in the text; to interpret the images. The power in playfully exercising their imagination is that it leads to connections to their own feelings, to other people's feelings and to discussion with the person sitting with them as they actively read together. What a joy to look in a child's eyes and see their mind at work, ticking away, one precious imaginative moment after another.

Lovely Children's Book

"How would it feel If cold were a place Where ice had a voice And snow had a face?" - From the book How Would It Feel? is a delightful story intended for children ages 4-6, although older children will likely derive great pleasure from this book. Author Mary Beth Goddard wrote this fantastical tale for her son, Alex, who has been challenged by ill health since his birth. Anna Mycek-Wodecki's whimsical watercolor illustrations-reminiscent of the art of Flavia Weedn-is a beautiful pairing for Goddard's gentle prose. Encouraging children to enter the realm of possibility, How Would It Feel? invites children to imagine the embrace of the moon and the kiss of the sun. What would it be like to swing from the arms of a shooting star, shake hands with lightning, or wake up inside of a flower? Goddard asks these playful questions while Mycek-Wodecki's breathtaking artwork accentuates a realm beyond limitation Not only is How Would It Feel? great for beginning readers and as a bedtime story, but also for young and old alike who are nourished by tales of wonder, nature, and whimsy.

Fantastic Journey

Incredible illustrations and a poem that deliver inspiration to the imagination. Without boundaries, "How Would it Feel?" creates a place to wander, and always returns the reader home. Bravo to both author and illustrator.