Using nature as a backdrop for this timeless story, Landman crafts a picturesque forest setting. . . Carlin’s pictures convey soft, watercolor images and childlike handmade drawings that enhance the story perfectly. The colorful hues bring the narrative to life, and the use of black, gray, and white give a creative balance to the story’s plot. . . the imaginative writing and use of color in Landman’s tale will fuel lively discussions.
—School Library Journal

Landman’s witty, fluent prose befits the painter’s skill as the creator starts by “dabbing dots on ladybugs and spots on butterflies,” and works up to larger animals. . . Carlin’s loopy lines and painterly creatures give her images a freshness that suits a newly created world. And when the nightingale finally appears, and all the paint is gone, one small, final miracle occurs, giving the fable an enduring feel.


—Publishers Weekly

[Author and illustrator] create a world of colorful creatures and draw upon rich vocabulary to tell the tale.
—School Library Connection

Carlin’s colors sparkle, and her velvety, atmospheric illustrations — rendered in watercolor, acrylic, and pencil — are like entering a dreamscape. She strikes a tone of mystery and wonder and plays with scale, perspective, and composition in exciting ways.
—Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast