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I Am Smoke

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( 355 ratings, 114 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
I Am Smoke by Henry Herz is a unique children's book that delves into the life of smoke as a character. It explores smoke’s journey through history and its role in different contexts, from rituals to practical uses, intertwining cultural and environmental themes. The narrative, paired with captivating illustrations, invites young readers to ponder smoke’s multifaceted nature.
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Format: Hardback
$3599
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're interested in introducing young readers to unique perspectives and imaginative narratives. It beautifully combines a poetic storytelling style with engaging illustrations to explore fascinating concepts, making it a delightful choice for children who appreciate both art and science.

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I Am Smoke

Smoke itself acts as narrator, telling us how it has served humankind since prehistoric times in signaling, beekeeping, curing and flavouring food, religious rites, fumigating insects and myriad other ways.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Smoke speaks in mesmerizing riddles: "I lack a mouth, but I can speak…. I lack hands, but I can push out unwanted guests…. I'm gentler than a feather, but I can cause harm…"

This rhythmically powerful narration is complemented by illustrations in which swirling smoke was captured on art paper held over smoky candle flames. The dancing smoke textures were then deepened and elaborated with watercolours and Photoshop finishes.

With this unique method, Mercè López "let the smoke decide how the idea I had in mind would dance with it, giving freedom to the images."

The resulting illustrations are astounding, and they resonate with the otherworldly text of I Am Smoke.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Reviews highlight I Am Smoke as a beautifully crafted children's book that combines science with poetry, offering a fresh perspective on smoke as a character narrating its own story. The illustrations, created using unconventional techniques, enhance the lyrical and meditative text that explores smoke's positive attributes, contrasting with common negative perceptions. This picture book is praised for its aesthetic beauty and educational value, appealing to a wide audience.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780884487883

Publisher: Tilbury House,U.S.

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 09 November 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: Tilbury House,U.S.

Illustration: full color

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Mercè López

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 226.0mm

Height: 290.0mm

Weight: 477g

Pages: 36

About the Author

Henry Herz has authored more than ten picture books. His children's short stories have been published in Highlights for Children, Ladybug Magazine, and in anthologies for Albert Whitman & Co. and Blackstone Publishing. Henry also writes adult science fiction and fantasy short stories. He holds a BS in Engineering from Cornell, an MS in Engineering from George Washington University, and an MA in Political Science from Georgetown. Merce López graduated from Llotja Art School in Barcelona and has illustrated for design, theater, and film as well as twenty children's books for Spanish and international book publishers. Her 2019 title Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas received multiple starred reviews and was named a Center for Children's Books Gryphon Honor Book, an NCTE Notable Poetry Book, a Kirkus Best Picture Book, and a Parents Magazine Best Kids' Book, among other accolades. In a starred review of I Am Smoke (Tilbury House, 2021), Kirkus called her illustrations "Lustrous" and "Exquisitely beautiful." In his 100 Scope Notes column for School Library Journal, Travis Jonker called I Am Smoke "One of the most astonishingly unconventional children's books of 2021. Here's to children's books that expand our assumptions of what a children's book can be."

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