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Wagtail
from the Foreword ...
For those children who are unable to have outdoor adventures, Wagtail will take the place of these adventures; and for those more fortunate children who have observed the actual happenings in and about a country pool, Wagtail will answer all the questions that inevitably result, ...
Wagtail has three distinctive merits. It is scientifically accurate; it is educationally sound; it is a delightful bit of literature. No child who has once read it but will see the little world of the pool in a new and vivid light. ...
by Albert Shiels
Professor Emeritus of Education
at Teachers College, Columbia University
For those children who are unable to have outdoor adventures, Wagtail will take the place of these adventures; and for those more fortunate children who have observed the actual happenings in and about a country pool, Wagtail will answer all the questions that inevitably result, ...
Wagtail has three distinctive merits. It is scientifically accurate; it is educationally sound; it is a delightful bit of literature. No child who has once read it but will see the little world of the pool in a new and vivid light. ...
by Albert Shiels
Professor Emeritus of Education
at Teachers College, Columbia University
131 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1932
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 9, 2020
rating: 3.5 stars
Talking animals. Not usually something I'd choose. This begins with descriptions of the Blue Pool and the thoughts of an old frog, the Patriarch. Quite a few kids (including my younger self) may lose interest in the description of the seasonal changes at the little pond, but fortunately, the Patriarch soon starts sharing his wisdom. (This story is not for those who tense at the thought of animals observing, thinking, posing questions, and exploring, but at least they don't wear clothes or sleep in cozy homes.)
Wagtail appears in Chapter IV. He's a young frog (or an old tadpole), who has all the makings of eventually becoming a patriarch himself. Kids will like Wagtail, and through his eyes, they will learn something about the life of a frog. This example of the writing style captures the tone, description, and Wagtail's perceptions:
p 71. The sultry air was filled with the odor of wild rose growing across the meadow and, along the water's edge, gay little Gnats performed their endless dances to the musical drone of the Locusts in the nearby trees.
And Wagtail was daily doing more and more exploring. He had gone on many journeys through the pickerel weed and lily stems. ... Day by day he was adding to his store of knowledge; but there were still many things he did not know and some of them bothered him a great deal.
The art is nicely done and could illustrate a nature book as effectively as it does this children's story.
Talking animals. Not usually something I'd choose. This begins with descriptions of the Blue Pool and the thoughts of an old frog, the Patriarch. Quite a few kids (including my younger self) may lose interest in the description of the seasonal changes at the little pond, but fortunately, the Patriarch soon starts sharing his wisdom. (This story is not for those who tense at the thought of animals observing, thinking, posing questions, and exploring, but at least they don't wear clothes or sleep in cozy homes.)
Wagtail appears in Chapter IV. He's a young frog (or an old tadpole), who has all the makings of eventually becoming a patriarch himself. Kids will like Wagtail, and through his eyes, they will learn something about the life of a frog. This example of the writing style captures the tone, description, and Wagtail's perceptions:
p 71. The sultry air was filled with the odor of wild rose growing across the meadow and, along the water's edge, gay little Gnats performed their endless dances to the musical drone of the Locusts in the nearby trees.
And Wagtail was daily doing more and more exploring. He had gone on many journeys through the pickerel weed and lily stems. ... Day by day he was adding to his store of knowledge; but there were still many things he did not know and some of them bothered him a great deal.
The art is nicely done and could illustrate a nature book as effectively as it does this children's story.
Displaying 1 of 1 review