Review by Booklist Review
Radiant pastel artwork and simple, stirring poetry celebrate nature, from the great oceans that enfold and encircle all the earth to a single exquisite butterfly. The poetic lines raise questions about where the sunrise begins, drawing in global geography and cultural history: does the sun rise in Africa, where life first arose and later walked on two legs ? The Middle East, where the light of many great religions first shone ? In the Far East? The text's final switch to a metaphor feels heavy-handed: The sunrise begins in you. But the messages of hope will resonate with many readers, and even those who know the basic fact that the earth turns will feel freshly inspired by the book's reminder that every moment brings the sunrise to someone somewhere in the world.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The swooping font, sunrise hues, and idyllic scene of a boy and his toy boat on the cover of this book signal the inspirational message found within. "Where does the sunrise begin?" asks Wood (Old Turtle), answering the question in prose poetry ("Some say it starts upon the great, rolling sea,/ over waters deeper than the highest mountains"; "Some say it begins in Africa,/ where life first arose and walked on two legs/ and spoke its own name"). Popp (One Candle) drafts closeups of natural wonders (a nestful of bird's eggs, a prehistoric jawbone), then pulls back for striking portraits of children observing the objects (a dark-haired girl aims her camera at the nest, an African girl in native dress contemplates the skull). "Wherever there is a heart that loves the light," Wood concludes, "...and feels gratitude for each new day,/ in that heart the sun is always rising/ and helping to fill the world with light.... The sunrise begins in you." It's a noble sentiment, and Wood's prayerlike prose is the sort that even less spiritually oriented gift givers will be drawn to. Ages 3-7. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-This soothing exploration of sunrise asks readers to consider the exact origin of the daily event. The text suggests many locations as the spot where the sunrise first appears (mountain, lake, the Middle East), but concludes, "The sunrise begins in you." The pacing evokes the early-morning glow of first light, alternating between poetic blocks of text and repetitive prompts ("But Africa is not where the sunrise begins."). The collaboration of author and illustrator is near perfection as the text and artwork build on one another. The alternating pattern of the narrative is reflected in images that often show a close perspective and then draw back on the following page. Colors go beyond the expected rose hues, and each misty scene is like a jewel. Clever details such as the similarity of a rooster's eye to a planet in space and the silhouette of a family shown in a butterfly's wing add to the continuity. Like a treasure for those with the patience to find it, this beautiful story will capture the attention of thoughtful children.-Lisa Glasscock, Columbine Public Library, Littleton, CO (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Soft-focus pastel-colored illustrations are a good match for Wood's airy text, which poses the question, "Where does the sunrise begin?" The resulting tour leads readers to the mountains, the treetops, marshes and lakes, the ocean, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and "our native land." The New-Agey answer--"The sunrise begins in you"--is trite and predictable. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
It may be that knowing this is another offering from the author of Old Turtle (1992, illustrated by Cheng-Khee Chee) is all one needs for a decision to buy. Married to Popp's soft and luminous pastel-andconte crayon images are equally soft and occasionally luminous wisps of prose. The world is always "turning toward dawn," but the mountaintops are not where sunrise begins. Nor is it the treetops, the sea, the Far East or "our own native land." The answer will be familiar in its sentimentality: "[T]he sunrise begins in you." Some who find this unbearably saccharine may be somewhat mollified by the prettiness of the pictures: A barefoot girl feeds chickens, a boy builds a sand mountain and so on, all against great washes of sky, land and water in the pearly colors of dawn. Others may find it just too difficult to accept prose with such phrases as "in a land known as Holy" or "drowsy ducks / ... speak in soft, murmuring tones about / the things that ducks know." Readers probably already know if they will love this or not. (Picture book. 5-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
