Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* At the playground, a little girl sits on a swing while her father pushes her to greater and greater heights: the treetops, tall buildings, a mountaintop, the clouds, and outer space. At each level, someone looks at her in a friendly way as she calls out, Higher! Higher! Finally, she sees an alien child on a swing coming from the opposite direction. The dialogue on the next three double-page spreads reads, Hi! Hi! / High five! / Bye! Bye! Then the girl swings back down to earth, back to the park, back to her father's arms. The story ends with one word: Again! Young children hearing the ending will be echoing Again! again and again because this elemental picture book is so satisfying. What starts out as a pleasant everyday experience quickly ramps up playfully and imaginatively, taking the child out of this world to another realm, but bringing her back so quickly and safely she can't wait to venture out again. The acrylic paintings, in which heavy black outlines boldly define shapes and intensify the colors within them, pare down the scenes to focus attention on what is essential to the story. A wonderfully simple book that's simply wonderful for reading aloud.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Well-known for her captivating board books, Patricelli brings her simple text and crayon colors to the next age level. As an adult pushes a pigtailed girl in a striped sweater and socks on a swing, the child calls out: "Higher! Higher!" The ride gradually takes her from a giraffe's-eye view, to a mountaintop, to an airplane, and finally high enough to trade high fives with a one-eyed, green alien who floats on her own swing among the stars. The pictures then regress to a vantage point that allows readers to review the stages of her upward climb all at once, then return to the playground for a hug and the final word: "Again!" The repetitive text is ideal for new readers, and the cartoon paintings, though spare, provide plenty of room for imagination. An excellent choice to share at storytime.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (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
(Preschool) Kids love to swing -- it's the closest thing to flying. Patricelli, author of successful board books (Baby Happy Baby Sad; Yummy Yucky), captures that common childhood experience with a minimum of words (a mere half-dozen) and a maximum of kid-knowledge and ingenuity. A smiling dad pushes a little girl on a swing; with each push, she says, "Higher! Higher!" And higher she goes, still tethered to the swingset but flying up to greet a giraffe, kids playing on a high-rise rooftop, a summiting mountain climber, and passengers on an airplane. Finally, she heads up into space, where she meets her counterpart, a little green alien at the apex of his own flying swing ("High five!"). Two wordless spreads show the little girl swinging back down to earth and to the welcoming arms of her father, to whom she says (what else?), "Again!" Hand-lettering and cheerful cartoonlike acrylics reinforce the childlike feel of the book, while the sensibilities are preschooler-perfect, from the mix of security and adventure to that ubiquitous high five. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Patricelli once again proves she is a master of demonstrating for very young children the wonders of a good imagination (The Birthday Box, 2007). In her latest, a father pushes his daughter on a swing to her gleeful shouts of "Higher! Higher!" The imaginative toddler's swing goes so high that she passes a giraffe, a high-rise building, a mountain climber, an airplane full of people and a rocket ship in outer space. When she finally reaches the apex of her arc, she exchanges a "High five!" with an alien child who is on a swing of its own. Her descent brings her past them all again and back to her father's waiting embrace. "Again!" The text uses only six different words, allowing the acrylic illustrations to speak enthusiastic volumes. The simple design, minimalist details and bright colors will appeal to the youngest listeners. Throughout, facial expressions and body language reflect surprise, curiosity, wonder and joynever fear. Certain to rise higher and higher in popularity. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
