Outside, Inside

by Carolyn Crimi, Linnea Asplind Riley (Illustrator)

A gentle text and bold cut-paper artwork build an evocative mood as they compare and contrast a dramatic thunderstorm outside with a warm and cozy day spent inside.

Genres: Picture Books

Hardcover

First published April 1, 1995

About the author

Carolyn Crimi, AKA the Pirate Queen, is the author of numerous books for young readers, including BORIS AND BELLA, illustrated by Gris Grimly. Of HENRY AND THE BUCCANEER BUNNIES, she says, "While I don't have long floppy ears or a pro-nounced overbite, Henry and I are kindred spirits, who love books and carrots!"

Reviews

[Ursula · Rating 5 out of 5]

 
Great for a rainy day inside. :)
 

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ended up reading this book and Inside Outside simultaneously, since they came up next to each other in my book search. They really work well together and my children loved reading them with me. It was a wonderful experience and I rated both books 5 stars.

This one won me over because each page has an outside picture and an inside picture, with poetic descriptions of what is happening in each scene. (For example, "Outside, black clouds sink down to the bottom of the sky."; opposite: "Inside, Molly stretches and yawns in her red flannel robe." The pages continue to alternate, and the scenes develop a rhythm, sometimes echoing each other, sometimes acting in counterpoint, until a final triumphant merger occurs, which is really quite delightful. I loved the artwork; it was made with layers of colored paper that are then photographed so you get a kind of visual texture even thought the pages are smooth.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linnea Asplind Riley's cut-paper illustrations are wonderful. See Mouse Mess for another example of her work.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

comparison story about what was happening inside and outside during a thunderstorm.