The Wheel on the School

About the Author

Meindert DeJong is the award-winning author of many classic books for children, including the Newbery Medal-winning The Wheel On The Schooland the Newbery Honor-winning Along Came A Dog, Shadrach,and The House Of Sixty Fathers, all available in Harper Trophy editions and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Among Mr. Sendak's other popular books is his Caldecott Medal-winning Where The Wild Things Are.

In addition to Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak's books include Kenny's Window, Very Far Away, The Sign on Rosie's Door, Nutshell Library (consisting of Chicken Soup with Rice, Alligators All Around, One Was Johnny, and Pierre), Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life, In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy, and Bumble-Ardy.

He received the 1964 Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are; the 1970 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration; the 1983 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, given by the American Library Association in recognition of his entire body of work; and a 1996 National Medal of Arts in recognition of his contribution to the arts in America. In 2003, he received the first Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, an international prize for children's literature established by the Swedish government.

From AudioFile

Lina, the only girl in the one-room school of the Dutch fishing village of Shora, wonders why storks no longer come to nest in her town. Her wondering sets off extraordinary events in the community as the children try to bring back the storks. Flosnik's unvoiced reading skillfully guides the listener through the myriad characters and convoluted events of this 1955 Newbery Award winner. But it is ultimately the story, with its strong portrayal of the power of hope and yearning to shape a community, that makes this listening experience rise above the ordinary. A bold choice for recording is carried off remarkably well. S.G. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine