Salt Hands (Picture Puffins)

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful!
Review: ...because they know nothing about real deer. Let's get it straight, OK? A deer is a large animal with potentially dangerous antlers and hooves. A deer is a WILD animal. While I wouldn't say no-one has ever tried this stunt (getting a deer to eat salt from a human's hands), it is neither safe nor fair to the deer. Deer have been known to injure and, rarely, to kill, humans who have moved in on their space. They are not aggressive animals, but they have spent most of their existence learning to defend themselves. It is tempting to wish for a more "human" relationship with wild animals, but it almost never does them any good, no matter how satisfying it may be to the selfishness of humans.

This book is beautifully written and has very pretty illustrations, but it trades the magic of reality for the "magic" of sentiment. It IS magical to watch a deer in the moonlight; to be close enough to hear its breathing and watch it eat. Why add the dangerous (and rather insulting) get-the-deer-to-eat-out-of-your-hand motif? Compare this book, for example, to Jane Yolen's "Owl Moon." Yolen confines her sentiment to the interaction among humans, and lets the magic of seeing owls in the wild speak for itself. By comparison, "Salt Hands" is way down the scale, moving toward "Bambi."

If you do feel you like this book enough to read it to a child, PLEASE explain how incredibly dangerous it is to try to get this close to a deer, and talk about safe ways to enjoy the wild animals around us.

Rating:
Summary: Urbanites love this kind of idiocy...
Review: ...because they know nothing about real deer. Let's get it straight, OK? A deer is a large animal with potentially dangerous antlers and hooves. A deer is a WILD animal. While I wouldn't say no-one has ever tried this stunt (getting a deer to eat salt from a human's hands), it is neither safe nor fair to the deer. Deer have been known to injure and, rarely, to kill, humans who have moved in on their space. They are not aggressive animals, but they have spent most of their existence learning to defend themselves. It is tempting to wish for a more "human" relationship with wild animals, but it almost never does them any good, no matter how satisfying it may be to the selfishness of humans.

This book is beautifully written and has very pretty illustrations, but it trades the magic of reality for the "magic" of sentiment. It IS magical to watch a deer in the moonlight; to be close enough to hear its breathing and watch it eat. Why add the dangerous (and rather insulting) get-the-deer-to-eat-out-of-your-hand motif? Compare this book, for example, to Jane Yolen's "Owl Moon." Yolen confines her sentiment to the interaction among humans, and lets the magic of seeing owls in the wild speak for itself. By comparison, "Salt Hands" is way down the scale, moving toward "Bambi."

If you do feel you like this book enough to read it to a child, PLEASE explain how incredibly dangerous it is to try to get this close to a deer, and talk about safe ways to enjoy the wild animals around us.

Rating:
Summary: This is a story about a girl who woke up in the night
Review: A little girl wakes up and hears a noise. She goes downstairs and pours salt on her hands. When she goes outside she sees a deer. She does not want to scare the deer. If you like night stories, read this book.

Rating:
Summary: From a child to an adult...
Review: I was read this book as a child in an elementary school classroom. As anyone knows, in an elementary school classroom, a teacher may read up to three books a day to her students. Out of all the books I was read through my elementary school "career", I am still amazed at this book. Although it is unrealistic, it is magical and the illustrations are fantastic. Just seeing the pictures again makes me feel like a little kid. Out of hundreds of books that were read to me, I remember this book. If you have an imagination and are able to let go of reality and enjoy a good book, this is an excellent read.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful!
Review: Yeah, you can say that the story is unrealistic, but so what! This a beautiful dream story. It is enchanting and I am sure I will share it with my students. It will be so fun! What a great fantasy, Enjoy!