A Quiet Place

I was hoping to really like this book, and I do like the general concept and premise, as well as the illustration style. The protagonist, a white boy with a crew cut, imagines himself in various quiet places and as various other people and animals as a way of checking out of the real world. However, the details of its execution make it out of touch with modern sensibilities. The things he imagine himself as being are a timber wolf in the forest (ok), an explorer discovering a lost continent (not ok re colonization), a Pony Express rider galloping through the Old West (again not ok re colonization), a fisherman reeling in a monster catch (fine by me, others might have their own opinions re fishing/hunting), a cave dweller in the lair of a saber-toothed tiger (complicated - The way it's depicted is as an ice-age European which is also corroborated by the cave painting which is in the style of ones in France, but many people would interpret the imagery as indigenous American or Australian whose cultures white kids shouldn't be playing make-believe with), a mountain climber on top of the world (as an occasional mountain climber myself, I can share that most of the local communities in mountain regions are very frustrated at the opinion of outsiders that they and everyone has the right to access and summit, and often erode and trash, their special places)... I could keep going. There's space explorers, Aztec-style ruins, etc., all seeming to present the idea that for this protagonist kid and the reader, they have the right to all of these places and ways of being in the world. I will look for other books to teach the lovely idea of finding a quiet place within yourself, that doesn't also perpetuate these colonialist ideas.

I purchased this book for my 8 year old granddaughter. It was perfect for her but the best part was she loved the story.

Douglas Wood is a breath a fresh air in our consumeristic world. He offers children a view of life that treasures the simple pleasures, and appreicate each moment life has to offer. A real find for children - AND adults.

A Quiet Place is a wonderful book to help kids realize that it is good for them to be quiet and think. With all the noise they experience during the day and their constant activities (including music, television, computers, electronic toys, etc.), it is so important for them to be able to think in quiet and daydream. This book gives wonderful examples of the different places a boy goes in his thoughts, and it shows him imagining himself to be different people or animals. For example, when walking on the beach he becomes an explorer discovering a lost continent, when laying in the snow he's a sleeping polar bear, when climbing a hill he becomes a mountain climber on top of the world, when visiting a museum he's an artist admiring his own masterpiece. It is extremely well written and captivating, and the illustrations are beautiful. I came upon this book at the library and am now on-line to order it for my 6 and 4 year old boys (who loved it).

This story beautifully balances a child's inner self-esteem with a wonderful sense of adventure. The young boy in the book looks for "a quiet place" to escape from the intesity of the outside world. My son and I have read it every night for the last week, just before bed. Wonderful writing, truly breathtaking illustrations. The author's earlier work, GRANDAD'S PRAYER'S OF THE EARTH, is one of our favorites.