Outside

by Deirdre Gill

In this gentle picture book fantasy, a child’s world transforms through his hard work, imagination, and persistence when he opens the door and steps outside, into to the brave new world of his imagination.
 

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Storytime, Dragons, Nature, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Deirdre Gill's debut book Outside (2014) was inspired by her own experiences of playing outside as a child. The outdoors is still a source of wonder and excitement for Deirdre — the place she goes to "see the possibilities" as well as to ski, hike, and bike with her family. She lives in snowy Vermont with her husband, Jason Chin, also a children’s book author and artist, and their son.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy, bored indoors one winter day, emerges into a snowy world and experiences the pleasure of solitary imaginative play in this lovely picture-book from author/artist Deirdre Gill. Unable to convince his brother to join him at first, the boy creates a wondrous snow creature to play with, and together they construct the most marvelous snow castle. When a red dragon appears, the boy enjoys a magical flight over the snow-encrusted world, until he must return to earth. The story concludes as the boy's brother finally joins him outside, and together the two continue the dance of imagination and play.

As someone who lived in her own imaginative world as a girl - I had my own made-up country, with its own language and writing system - a girl who spent every moment not reading outdoors, Outside is a book that speaks quite strongly to me. I loved its messages about the pleasures of both solitary and group play, and the importance of imagination. The text is spare but effective, and the artwork, done in oil, just beautiful, capturing the enchantment of a wintry world. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about the imaginative lives of children, about the joy of playing outside, and about the beauties of winter.

[Jason Chin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, and not just because I'm married to its author (and why I am able to review it 2 months before its publication date). The story is simple, heartwarming and poignant, and the illustrations are luminous. It starts with a boy who has "nothing to do" inside, so he goes outside to play. He makes a snow angel. Then rolls a snowball. The snowball becomes a snow creature, and from there the adventure really takes off. I'm afraid that I'll give away too much if I describe what happens next, so I'll leave it at this: elements of fantasy follow and the ending is perfect. The book is a celebration of imaginative play, and will hopefully encourage readers to find adventures of their own.

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures!

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little boy is playing at the window and seeing all the fresh snow outside decides to suit up and play outdoors. He ends up making a huge snowman who in turn helps the boy build a castle. (At this point a dragon enters the story, so I stopped before that happens because my story time was about WINDOWS and SNOW but not about dragons).

I had the children stand up and put actions to a snowman building song.
Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman (stand taller with each repetition of the word "snowman" until you're on your tippy toes)
... tall, TALL, T A L L!
In the sun he melted, melted, melted (put hands over head in a "sun shape" and begin shrinking back down with each repetition of the word "small" until you're hunched over on the floor or in a squat position, if you prefer)
...S M A L L, SMALL, small.
http://laptimesongs.com/once-there-wa...

[Karyn The Pirate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations set off a wonderfully simple yet poignant story about a young boy's ventures into the wonders of imagination. I really enjoyed the fact the little boy went outside to seek his adventure rather than being fed someone else's ideas via the television or computer.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gentle illustrations make the snowy world outside look like a wonderland.

What will the boy do? (And will he ever have a name?)

After he goes outside, he asks his brother to play with him. When that brother refuses, the main character boy plays alone. Soon he's entering into a fantasy.

With this book, as with quite a few other picture books I've reviewed so far for Goodreads, I'm left struggling with questions like these:

* Where are the child's parents: Is it okay there is no parental oversight of this young child?
* Does this book help readers to learn better how to have a good life in society?
* Does this book empower readers to tell the difference between reality and fantasy?
* Could this book lead young readers into an unproductive way of life?

Sadly, to me, this book flunks-flunks-flunks-flunks. Though the illustrations (also by Deirdre Gill) are beautiful.

[Leanne C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my two kindergarten classes and it ignited some wonderful conversations about, "real," "make-believe," and "imagination." Lots of connections and they delighted in the clever illustrations. A great read that I look forward to sharing with more students.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illustrations alone made this book exceptional. Really impressive companion to a wonderfully sparing text. Nicely done.

[Emily Carlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet story to take your time with. The imagination of the little boy is wonderful and I love the illustrations.

[_ teafunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you go outside, in the winter, your imagination is free to run wild.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Des dessins enchanteurs qui laissent place à l'imagination et au bonheur de s'amuser dehors l hiver :") on aime! (Henry 4 ans)

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is lovely! Illustrations are great and I love the imagination involved.

[Kelly Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic.

[Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute. I like the illustrations.

[Christine Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite liked it. Fun and wintry!

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous. The illustrations are genius. A quieter Where the Wild Things Are -- and somehow sadder. I wish for snow like this, and life like this.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book about the wonder of playing outside in winter as a child. Feels like imagination.

[Emmaline MacBeath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snow is falling and a little boy is stuck inside with nothing to do. His big brother will not play with him, preferring the television and computer instead. When the sun comes out, the little boy wraps up and goes outside. He makes snow angels and a bigger than life snow man who comes to life and helps the boy to make a huge snow castle. Then a dragon comes and takes the boy over the trees. When they return home, the dragon looks like he is made of snow. Finally, the big brother comes out to play.

The illustrations are done in oil and are stunning. The story is quite simplistic with few words--sometimes only four words on a page. The majority of the story can be classified as fantasy.

The only thing missing for me was sound. I felt like I was watching television with the sound off. Other than the visual, I felt that all of the senses were missing. I could not feel the cold. I did not hear the crunching of the snow. I could not feel any of what the little boy was feeling. It was rather an other-world experience for me. I did not feel inspired to go outside and play. However, I did feel like revving up my imagination.

Overall a beautiful book that may take a little imagination to gain the full experience. Advertized for ages 4-8 which is about right.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think this book sends a positive message about how to handle being “on the outside”: those times of being alone with no one to play with.

The boy could have problem-solved and asked someone else to play with him. One of the neighbors, maybe.

Or he could have done something to help others and take his mind off his loneliness. Shovel a bit of snow off the neighbor’s porch?

But instead, when his brother wouldn’t play with him when he wanted to, the boy starts building scary things in his imagination. I actually felt fear when I turned the page and saw the dragon he had imagined.

Some imagining is a positive thing. I’m just not sure that this was.

I guess I was lucky that when I was young and bored, my mother directed me to pick flowers and take them to an elderly neighbor who couldn't leave her house much.

Whether this meant something to her to be brought flowers by a little girl, who knows? But it was something productive for me to do.

[Jtimko · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young boy spends time out in the snow himself when his older brother refuses to play with him. He invents an imaginary world outside until finally his brother joins him. This beautiful fantasy story will enthrall the young audience with its simple story and soft illustrations. Sparse text relates a beautiful story while the illustrations lend a mystical feeling to the narrative. This would be a great wintertime story for the elementary audience. Recommended for pre-school through grade 2.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Do you wanna build a snowman?" rings in my ears as I read this book. If I had read it before I saw the movie, I would love the book. I am really curious how children will react and if they will make the connection, and if they will get the two confused. It might be a great compare and contrast activity.
Snowy, soft illustrations hold just the right hues of winter days that slide into blues and purples as the sun slides down to the horizon. The boys' colorful clothes and the dragon provide contrast.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was visiting my favorite indie book shop, McLean & Eakin Booksellers on Saturday, I found it waiting for me. As I opened the cover of Outside (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 21, 2014) written and illustrated by Deirdre Gill, the quiet talk of the other customers and shopkeepers faded away, replaced by the quiet of a snow covered landscape. I was caught inside the Outside.

My full recommendation: http://bit.ly/1y1UqQV

[Christine Ridout · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Massachusetts suffers the aftermath of the Great Blizzard of 2015--followed by subsequent storms--I thought a snow book would be appropriate to read to my preschoolers. "Outside" worked pretty well although I was disappointed with the children's response. A little boy plays outside in the snow making all kinds of fantastical creatures including an amazing castle. His older brother, who is inside playing on the computer, finally comes outside and plays. Cute but a bit flat.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy, with nothing to do, discovers that it's snowed outside. He goes to play, begs at the window for his older brother to come out too, but the brother won't, is watching TV. The boy ventures further, into a marvelous imaginary and snowy land, with trees as creatures leaning over him while he trudges through the forest. It's a land of make-believe, where many children travel. The pictures are gorgeously painted, makes me want to try to "see" those tree creatures on our next snow.

[Renate]

The illustrations are great. It would be easy to talk to children about playing in the snow and imagination with this book. A little boy goes outside and starts building a snowman which becomes a giant snow creature in a big castle and a dragon along and they fly off together. Then he realizes its time to come home and he finds his brother is finally ready to play outside too! His reality turns out to be pretty good too.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little boy wants to go play in the snow so he asks his brother to join him. His brother doesn't, but the little boy goes outside anyway. He rolls a ball of snow that grows into an enormous snowman- more human like and a friend. Then there are many other snow figures to play with until a dragon comes along and the boy takes to the skies. Beautifully illustrated.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I think of snow I envision shoveling and wet, cold toes. Outside, however, is a stunning book that reminds adults and celebrates with children the magic of snow. A young boy heads out into a winter wonderland and is soon creating imaginary creatures, building castles, and having adventures. At its climax, Outside is a dramatic visual exclamation of the joy in imaginative play.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young boy ventures outside into the magical winter and creates an imaginary playmate when his brother doesn't want to play with him. This book combines simple but beautiful language with fabulous illustrations to tell the story of sibling relationship, imagination, wonder and winter play.

[South Country Library Children's Department · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, but not much of a story. You could argue that it was supposed to be a story of imagination and you could tell your own story from the pictures, but for me, it was missing something.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Visually stunning, which provides for imagination to take flight.