Tedd grew up with three brothers. His family lived on a farm in Pennsylvania for several years then returned to Elmira until Tedd was ten years old. His father's work then required that they move to Gainesville, Florida. There, Tedd's first art lessons in an abandoned dentist's office over the Happy Hour pool hall eventually led to a fine arts degree from the University of Florida.
He and his wife, Carol, started their family in Tallahassee where Tedd worked as a commercial illustrator. Carol, a kindergarten teacher, drew Tedd's attention to children's books. Their first son, Walter, inspired his breakthrough picture book, NO JUMPING ON THE BED!.
He and his family now live in Elmira. His second son, William, now stars in NO MORE WATER IN THE TUB!, a sequel to his first book. He has now published over 50 books as author and illustrator.
I read so many books to my children. This one still stands out in their memories. I brought up the other day and my youngest, now 20, said, “Best book ever.” They live its realities now and understand their own responsibility to find their way out of life’s complexities.
Node was a creative fellow who liked to make things with sticks, but one day others saw his creations and took them over as their own. As they constantly added to the creations they ended up building a wall and ended up getting so lost in the process they no longer associate any purpose behind their labor. Thankfully Node help on to the simple life they once lead and never forgot that to create things it requires passion and purpose and is able to show this to everyone else by reminding them of how good life was when it was simple and fruitful. I very much so enjoyed this book and how profound the message is in today's society. Especially being in college and having to make major life decisions, it is hard sometimes to avoid doing what everyone else tells you to do and truly pursuing a life void of hurry and expectations that will fulfill myself. I think lessons like these can be just as real to young kids as people our age, making it a great read for both children and parents. I loved the simple yet entertaining illustration style that almost reminded me of characters a child would draw. There were no diverse characters - they all quite literally looked like copies of one another. The diversity came through the in counter cultural character of Node. I would recommend this book to any child from 4-10. Other than the setting being predominantly out doors, this book has no specific appeal to a certain group - it is simply a good life lesson for children of all backgrounds to hear. Though it may apply to children with a higher socioeconomic status who may get carried away in the business of life and too many opportunities or distractions in their lives.
This was published in 1992, when I was still a child. Before my life got crazy and smartphones came around, and my ADHD symptoms got so bad that I couldn't function. I have been seeking simplicity for a long time, and this feels like a lovely analogy to guide me on my life. Thank you, Tedd.
While my son loves the fly guy books by Tedd Arnold, this book was a complete bore to him. It has an okay moral - that we shouldn't work ourselves to death and enjoy life and the outdoors, but it was not well written and neither of us were fans.
I found the moral of this story a strange choice for children. Generally, I don't think children have a problem with working too hard and forgetting to enjoy life. They usually see things as they are and don't easily get caught up in pointless work.
I liked this one. I haven`t read it for years (my library purged it - why do they purge so many) but of the hundreds I read to my 16-year-old when he was young, this one still stands out.