Oh Lord, I Wish I was a Buzzard

By Polly Greenberg

Book Overview

From dawn to dusk, a little girl harvests cotton in the sweltering Mississippi Delta heat. Imagining her way through the endless day, she wishes she could be anyone elsefrom a snake curled up and cool to a buzzard going round and round in the sky. Finally, sunset approaches, and a special treat awaits. Based on a sharecropper's childhood memories, Polly Greenberg's rhythmic text and Aliki's sun-soaked illustrations make an unforgettable tale just right for the youngest reader.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1587172208
• ISBN13: 9781587172205
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: SeaStar Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 0.2" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and under
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 7

Customer Reviews

Simple, beautiful book to read again and again

My 15 month old loves this book, and I think I know why. The illustrations by Aliki depicting a day in a cotton field are simple but bold and full of character. The text is nothing short of poetry, and reminds one of a traditional spiritual song. For older children, there is a lot of content that can be discussed along with enjoying the song-like text: child labor, racism, stereotypes, history. Because of the repetitive text, it is a good book for children learning to read.My daughter asks for this one again and again since the day we came across it by accident, and I think we will continue to enjoy it for many years.