tiamatq's review against another edition
2.0
Ooo, I feel badly for reviewing this book this way, but... I really wasn't that impressed with High in the Clouds. I thought it was full of oversimplifications, that the characters weren't well developed, and things happened in the book because it was convenient for them to happen. From the start, I was put off - for example, Wirral's mother is killed when the bulldozers destroy the Woodland. However, amidst the mayhem and carnage, Wirral is able to get his father's old raft, put his mother on it, and then decorate it with piles of flowers? And even as this is going on, the forest is still being destroyed, with branches falling around him and others begging him to leave? Not only is the story muddled, but the artwork doesn't represent this at all.
I felt that the personalities of the characters were very much stereotyped. While the narrative has some fun asides, they often seemed to leave children out of the loop. It seems that no one settled on a particular writing style for the entire story. I really wish that more detail and revision had been put into this story - lots of the characters are very interesting, but we learn so little about them. For example, what are some of the 101 reasons that Alfredo the flea hates Gretsch? Why does Froggo have a wooden leg? And why on earth would the animals leave their children with Gretsch as a babysitter?
I really did want to enjoy this book, but I felt that it was incomplete.
I felt that the personalities of the characters were very much stereotyped. While the narrative has some fun asides, they often seemed to leave children out of the loop. It seems that no one settled on a particular writing style for the entire story. I really wish that more detail and revision had been put into this story - lots of the characters are very interesting, but we learn so little about them. For example, what are some of the 101 reasons that Alfredo the flea hates Gretsch? Why does Froggo have a wooden leg? And why on earth would the animals leave their children with Gretsch as a babysitter?
I really did want to enjoy this book, but I felt that it was incomplete.
mathstalio's review against another edition
3.0
The writing was...not good. Jumpy alternating with run on. The plot was cute though and the illustrations were fun. And it's about squirrels.
sannielee's review
2.0
I bought this book after seeing it in a bargain bin and seeing that it was from Paul McCartney. I'm up for anything from the Beatles, but I have to say, this book wasn't all that fantastic. I don't have any kids, but I wonder how a kid would react to it? There are certainly a lot of words that would be impressive for a child to know at the age of 6 or 7 (incarcerate? serendipity? fortuitous?). Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that the kids are challenged, but if every other word is something that needs explaining, the story gets lost.
As for the story itself, it was ok. It's got the lesson that we shouldn't destroy the forests because it'll hurt the animals, slave labor and pollution is bad, and I guess they might as well just say sprawling metropolises are also bad. Animals are good, whether they are big or small.
It's a bit generic, there are not very many illustrations in comparison to text (though the illustrations have a lovely quality about them), but hey, if kids like it, that's what's more important.
As for the story itself, it was ok. It's got the lesson that we shouldn't destroy the forests because it'll hurt the animals, slave labor and pollution is bad, and I guess they might as well just say sprawling metropolises are also bad. Animals are good, whether they are big or small.
It's a bit generic, there are not very many illustrations in comparison to text (though the illustrations have a lovely quality about them), but hey, if kids like it, that's what's more important.
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