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Wheel on the Chimney
First there is one stork, then there are two. They build their nest on a wheel that a Hungarian farmer has tied to his chimney. The farmer is glad. Storks bring great honor and good luck to the house where they choose to build their nest.
All summer long the storks raise their family of two small white silent storks in the nest on the wheel on the chimney. Then autumn comes and joined by thousands of other storks they silently fly south, always south, heading for the deep warm wilderness of Africa, their winter home. And when springtime returns, the storks fly north, build new nests on wheels on chimneys, and their story begins all over again.
Wheel on the Chimney is the result of a wonderful collaboration between artist and author. Tibor Gergely had always wanted to do a picture book about the beautiful storks of Hungary, his native land. And when Margaret Wise Brown saw his lovely paintings, she was eager to write the story of the marvelous, brave birds whose cycle of migration brings them back each spring to build their nests on farmers' chimneys.
All summer long the storks raise their family of two small white silent storks in the nest on the wheel on the chimney. Then autumn comes and joined by thousands of other storks they silently fly south, always south, heading for the deep warm wilderness of Africa, their winter home. And when springtime returns, the storks fly north, build new nests on wheels on chimneys, and their story begins all over again.
Wheel on the Chimney is the result of a wonderful collaboration between artist and author. Tibor Gergely had always wanted to do a picture book about the beautiful storks of Hungary, his native land. And when Margaret Wise Brown saw his lovely paintings, she was eager to write the story of the marvelous, brave birds whose cycle of migration brings them back each spring to build their nests on farmers' chimneys.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1954
2 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Wise Brown
397 books1,226 followersMargaret Wise Brown wrote hundreds of books and stories during her life, but she is best known for Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Even though she died nearly 70 years ago, her books still sell very well.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 13, 2019
This year in the life of a stork and a little town in Hungary is a neat little story. If you had a stork living on your home, it was considered very great luck indeed. People in the town would put a wagon wheel on their chimney in hopes a stork would make their nest there. The book is about the journey the storks take down to Africa and back each year.
I thought the artwork was very beautiful and to see a page full of pink flamingos is quite awesome. I enjoyed the story, but it is not the most exciting of stories I suppose. The kids thought this was alright. They did like the art, but they ‘have read better’. They both ended up giving it 3 stars and I did try and convince them, so the niece might have given a lower star rating without that.
I thought the artwork was very beautiful and to see a page full of pink flamingos is quite awesome. I enjoyed the story, but it is not the most exciting of stories I suppose. The kids thought this was alright. They did like the art, but they ‘have read better’. They both ended up giving it 3 stars and I did try and convince them, so the niece might have given a lower star rating without that.
November 8, 2016
If your child is a nature/animal lover he/she might enjoy this. The story details a year in the life of storks from spring to spring, starting on a pair of storks' flight from Africa to Hungary; their habit of making nests on chimneys there, and the return to Africa and return flight to Hungary. Granddaughter and I like the story and pictures-- original and unique.
April 9, 2024
This was one of the pleasant surprises of the #nerdcott. The illustrations are amazingly brilliant, with truly vibrant colors. This is especially noticeable when you compare it to the other books of this era, which are often very dull/simple in their coloring. I especially loved the page with the pink flamingos flying. Truly stunning. Not the greatest story every, although it was educational. But the illustrations make this well worth finding a copy.
October 4, 2017
The text in this book, which is all about the lives and flight patterns of storks, is a bit on the dry side, but the illustrations more than make up for that. I have never seen a better visual representation of the way birds move - not just as individuals, but in flocks. Most of the illustrations are great, but my favorite is the one where the flock of white storks lands on the green field where the woman in pink sits painting them. I also love the pinkness of all the flamingos as the storks land by the side of the water in Africa.Tibor Gergeley knows how to capture nature in a visceral way that leaves the viewer breathless.
January 31, 2012
With this story opening in Hungary, I have a special bias toward liking it. It teaches us about the unique aspects of storks: how they nest, how they behave, how they migrate. There are dramatic moments when we come to wordless double-page spreads in vibrant colors that illustrate the previous section of text. I can imagine a collective gasp from children in a story time at these points. I certainly have a new appreciation for storks after this fine story.
April 15, 2014
This was a very unexpected book for me. I knew nothing about it, other than it was written by Margaret Wise Brown, whose work I’ve come to admire through the Caldecott Challenge. It won a 1955 Caldecott Honor and rightly so. I was pleasantly surprised with not only the story but also the illustrations.
The book is a story about storks, who like to nest on the unused chimneys of houses in Eastern Europe in the spring. The locals believe it is good luck for them to nest on their house and so they will tie wagon wheels to their chimneys to act as a base for the stork’s nests. The stork families built their nests, have babies and then in the winter, they all fly down to Southern Africa. The book also told the story of one stork that got lost and ended up staying on a boat heading for Egypt for a bit, then rejoining his stork brethren later on. I loved the happy detailed illustrations from Tibor Gergely, of the storks and the environments that they inhabit through the different seasons, which makes me want to check out more work of his. Recommended for ages 4-7, 5 stars.
The book is a story about storks, who like to nest on the unused chimneys of houses in Eastern Europe in the spring. The locals believe it is good luck for them to nest on their house and so they will tie wagon wheels to their chimneys to act as a base for the stork’s nests. The stork families built their nests, have babies and then in the winter, they all fly down to Southern Africa. The book also told the story of one stork that got lost and ended up staying on a boat heading for Egypt for a bit, then rejoining his stork brethren later on. I loved the happy detailed illustrations from Tibor Gergely, of the storks and the environments that they inhabit through the different seasons, which makes me want to check out more work of his. Recommended for ages 4-7, 5 stars.
June 29, 2015
The best part of this book are the pages without words at all. The beautiful vibrant illustrations are so engaging and interesting I would frame them as prints and put them on a child's bedroom wall. Just beautiful!
This is more informative than story. We have a brief divergence into a stork who gets lost, but then that story fades and we're back into the flock and the whole year-long cycle of migration begins all over again. I almost think that bit was added in at some point after some editor said, "it's too short, what can you do to add some pages."
Still, it's a beautiful story and one that's interesting to read. I enjoyed reading the book and went back to look at the pictures all over again when I had finished.
This is more informative than story. We have a brief divergence into a stork who gets lost, but then that story fades and we're back into the flock and the whole year-long cycle of migration begins all over again. I almost think that bit was added in at some point after some editor said, "it's too short, what can you do to add some pages."
Still, it's a beautiful story and one that's interesting to read. I enjoyed reading the book and went back to look at the pictures all over again when I had finished.
July 3, 2012
A stork on the roof brings good luck. The farmer tries to lure good luck his way by tying a wheel to his chimney and lucky for him it works. Pictures are amaaaaaaaazing. Wordless full page spreads show storks in flight and present the birds in all their glory. I loved the spread with the hundreds of flamingoes, some in flight, some on land. The artist paints the birds in flight so well that when I look at the pictures I experience them with more than one sense. My brain fills in the blanks and I hear the sound of wings and I smell the fresh air. Text is okay, at parts it even verged on poetic, but it wasn't as consistently good as the artwork for me. Must see.
December 31, 2012
The simple illustrations, story and typeface remind me of books when I was very young, which I was when this book was published. The story revolves around the yearly cycle of storks migrating north to Hungary for the warm season and then returning to Africa for the winter months. The resting place for these storks is at a Hungarian farm, where a wheel rim was attached to a chimney by the farmer who "considered a great honor to have a stork settle on your house - great honor and great good luck." The primitive style of illustration is very expressive and colorful - look especially for the two-page spread of flamingos and storks at the water's edge - it almost hums with energy.
November 28, 2012
This book tells an educational story of stork migration between Hungary and Africa. When spring comes and the storks fly north to Hungary, they make nests on a wheel on a farmer’s chimney which is good luck. The words are semi poetic with vibrant pictures.
While this was not my favorite book it was really cool reading a children’s book from such a long time ago. It is interesting to see the illustrations and I enjoyed the writing. As part of curriculum I would read this book during a lesson on migration and birds using the book as an example.
While this was not my favorite book it was really cool reading a children’s book from such a long time ago. It is interesting to see the illustrations and I enjoyed the writing. As part of curriculum I would read this book during a lesson on migration and birds using the book as an example.
January 17, 2017
Wheel on the chimney by Margaret Wise Brown
So happy to find yet another of Margarets book that her estate has released.
This one is about storks that make their nest on top of the wheel at a farmers house.
Interested how the wheel gets there and what happens to the stork over the course of the year...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
So happy to find yet another of Margarets book that her estate has released.
This one is about storks that make their nest on top of the wheel at a farmers house.
Interested how the wheel gets there and what happens to the stork over the course of the year...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
December 21, 2017
• 1955 Caldecott Honor Book •
I really enjoyed the colorful illustrations - especially the one of the flamingos and also the ones with the ship captain! The text was good, but a little dry. Do people really tie wheels to their chimneys to attract birds?! I thought that was interesting.
Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted
I really enjoyed the colorful illustrations - especially the one of the flamingos and also the ones with the ship captain! The text was good, but a little dry. Do people really tie wheels to their chimneys to attract birds?! I thought that was interesting.
Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted
September 19, 2017
This is a neat telling of the seasonal lives of storks, told by a wonderful storyteller. It fills the curiosity of the reader who may not know the migration habits of this silent bird. But it is not a dull story. It tells a factual story, but a side story along with it.
April 5, 2010
I love everything MWB has written and the illustrations are wonderful. My daughter (2 yo) also requested this many times.
September 4, 2010
Always love Tibor Gergely's illustrations; and Margaret Wise Brown's text about stork migration from Hungary to Africa and back is delightful.
November 23, 2011
illustrated by Tibor Gergely; written by Margaret Wise Brown; published by Lippincott; fiction; Caldecott Honor 1955
May 13, 2012
Nothing in the world fascinates me more than bird migration. Nothing.
January 31, 2017
No wonder this book was honor for its pictures. The artwork is stunning
January 12, 2023
While I really enjoyed the concept of Wheel on the Chimney (1954) by Margaret Wise Brown, I felt the execution fell short in the story. The illustrations are bold and beautiful, but in the end, I was thinking this would have been much better being told from the perspective of one stork, rather than every kind of bird. But that's just me. The book did a good job of explaining bird migration with the seasons, which was fun. I just felt that if it had been a little more of a personal story it would have been more interesting and memorable. My rating - 2/5
June 25, 2021
Poetic as well as factual, we meet a pair of white storks as they make their nest in springtime Europe, have children, and eventually return to Africa in the fall. A storm and a lost stork provide drama before the cycle of migration and mating begins all over again. What a perfect book, enlivened by Tibor Gergely's lovely illustrations.
March 31, 2023
Tells the story of a year in the life of a stork from spring to spring as it makes its nest on a wheel on a chimney in Hungary, travels to Africa for the winter and makes its way back to Hungary in the spring. The story is nice but a bit wordy and long. It could be used to teach about animal migration. The illustrations by Margaret Wise Brown are beautiful.
October 15, 2021
I thought the book was okay. I liked the illustrations. I don't fully understand the idea of the stork and the wheel. I get that is supposed to be a good thing, but maybe if I had a little more context or history it would make sense. I liked how the book touched on migration a little bit too.
August 29, 2024
Migrating storks build a nest on a Hungarian farmer's chimney wheel. The farmer is happy the storks are having a family on his chimney wheel. You will find out why when you read this entertaining picture book.
May 23, 2019
Beautiful illustrations
October 8, 2024
I enjoyed reading this book and its illustrations which portray the annual life of storks.
June 13, 2025
Gorgeous illustrations, though the text is a little too straightforward to be truly entertaining.
September 14, 2012
1955 Caldecott Honor
Favorite illustration: The flock of flamingoes
Favorite line: "First there were two/And then/Spring had come/And the story starts all over again."
Kid-appeal: Hands down, the illustrations steal the show on this one. There are lots of lovely pastoral scenes and many amazing illustrations of birds in flight. On more than one occasion, I gasped out loud as I turned the page. An interesting story about migratory storks that I suspect many kids might still like today.
Favorite illustration: The flock of flamingoes
Favorite line: "First there were two/And then/Spring had come/And the story starts all over again."
Kid-appeal: Hands down, the illustrations steal the show on this one. There are lots of lovely pastoral scenes and many amazing illustrations of birds in flight. On more than one occasion, I gasped out loud as I turned the page. An interesting story about migratory storks that I suspect many kids might still like today.
November 18, 2012
This book tells an educational story of stork migration between Hungary and Africa. When spring comes and the storks fly north to Hungary, they make nests on a wheel on a farmer’s chimney. Storks on the roof are supposed to be good luck, which is why the farmer wanted to attract them- he wants good luck. The words are semi-poetic with vibrant pictures that draw in the reader’s attention. I really like the pages without words because they really show the vastness of the birds.
March 11, 2015
Caldecott Honor Award Winning picture book showing its age. The art is just okay. The text is stilted. And though interesting, it was missing something. It was neither especially informative nor emotionally interesting. And the wheel on the chimney didn't end up giving much of a sense of place. Not bad though, just not great.
October 30, 2023
The page with the flamingos is AWESOME!!!!! I love the illustration style in this book. The pictures are so fun and vibrant. I enjoyed the story, as well. Kind of reminded me of DeJong's Wheel on the School. I liked the boat and the captain.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews