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Emile and the Field
In this lyrical picture book from an award-winning poet, a young boy cherishes a neighborhood field throughout the changing seasons. With stunning illustrations and a charming text, this beautiful story celebrates a child's relationship with nature.
There was a boy
named Emile
who fell
in love with a field.
It was wide
and blue--
and if you could have
seen it
so would've you.
Emile loves the field close to his home--in spring, summer, and fall, when it gives him bees and flowers, blossoms and leaves. But not as much in winter, when he has to share his beautiful, changeable, ever-present field with other children...and their sleds. This relatable and lyrical ode to one boy's love for his neighborhood field celebrates how spending time in nature allows children to dream, to imagine...and even to share.
There was a boy
named Emile
who fell
in love with a field.
It was wide
and blue--
and if you could have
seen it
so would've you.
Emile loves the field close to his home--in spring, summer, and fall, when it gives him bees and flowers, blossoms and leaves. But not as much in winter, when he has to share his beautiful, changeable, ever-present field with other children...and their sleds. This relatable and lyrical ode to one boy's love for his neighborhood field celebrates how spending time in nature allows children to dream, to imagine...and even to share.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published March 15, 2022
3 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Young
86 books366 followersKevin Young is an American poet heavily influenced by the poet Langston Hughes and the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Young graduated from Harvard College in 1992, was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University (1992-1994), and received his MFA from Brown University. While in Boston and Providence, he was part of the African-American poetry group, The Dark Room Collective.
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Young is the author of Most Way Home, To Repel Ghosts, Jelly Roll, Black Maria, For The Confederate Dead, Dear Darkness, and editor of Giant Steps: The New Generation of African American Writers; Blues Poems; Jazz Poems and John Berryman's Selected Poems.
His Black Cat Blues, originally published in The Virginia Quarterly Review, was included in The Best American Poetry 2005. Young's poetry has appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry Magazine, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, and other literary magazines. In 2007, he served as guest editor for an issue of Ploughshares. He has written on art and artists for museums in Los Angeles and Minneapolis.
His 2003 book of poems Jelly Roll was a finalist for the National Book Award.
After stints at the University of Georgia and Indiana University, Young now teaches writing at Emory University, where he is the Atticus Haygood Professor of English and Creative Writing, as well as the curator of the Raymond Danowski Poetry Library, a large collection of first and rare editions of poetry in English.
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Young is the author of Most Way Home, To Repel Ghosts, Jelly Roll, Black Maria, For The Confederate Dead, Dear Darkness, and editor of Giant Steps: The New Generation of African American Writers; Blues Poems; Jazz Poems and John Berryman's Selected Poems.
His Black Cat Blues, originally published in The Virginia Quarterly Review, was included in The Best American Poetry 2005. Young's poetry has appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry Magazine, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, and other literary magazines. In 2007, he served as guest editor for an issue of Ploughshares. He has written on art and artists for museums in Los Angeles and Minneapolis.
His 2003 book of poems Jelly Roll was a finalist for the National Book Award.
After stints at the University of Georgia and Indiana University, Young now teaches writing at Emory University, where he is the Atticus Haygood Professor of English and Creative Writing, as well as the curator of the Raymond Danowski Poetry Library, a large collection of first and rare editions of poetry in English.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
December 22, 2022
Loved the first half; the second, wintery, is less magical, more message-y, pedestrian, and kinda badly written.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVNFV...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVNFV...
May 28, 2022
Spare, poetic text shows us young Emile and the field he loves. We experience the seasons with him, and his dismay at having to share this sacred space with other kids when snow makes the field a perfect spot to sled. Large notions of ownership, the history of place, and the universe are explored through this sentient field and Emile's questioning. An illustrator's dream, watercolorist Chioma Ebinama makes the most of it.
December 15, 2022
This is a lovely book with a lyrical text and watercolor and ink paintings, and with some gorgeous double-page spreads. Emile falls in love with nature in the field that he wants to keep all to himself, until he understands that sharing it is best.
February 29, 2024
Holt-Delhi library PJ story time 02-28-2024
December 13, 2021
Thank you for the digital ARC
The illustrations are beautiful and capture the emotion of the little boy as well as the simple beauty of a field. The text is also simple but shows how a boy who loves nature learns the importance of sharing his love with others. If people love nature and the field it will not be taken and everyone can enjoy it. A great children's book to show seasons changing, outdoor adventure, exploring, and nature.
The illustrations are beautiful and capture the emotion of the little boy as well as the simple beauty of a field. The text is also simple but shows how a boy who loves nature learns the importance of sharing his love with others. If people love nature and the field it will not be taken and everyone can enjoy it. A great children's book to show seasons changing, outdoor adventure, exploring, and nature.
June 24, 2023
A very peaceful read about a little child who falls in love with a 'field'. He loves it as it changes through the seasons. And he learns to value the children he has to share it with in winter. The field contains young trees and is bordered by older trees that share their leaves in the fall. His favorite maple is taller than the other trees that cover the field with shade and breeze. Beautiful wildlife pass through: deer, wolf, fox, rabbit, turtle, birds. I was left with the question, 'Where can I find a field like Emile's to love?'
March 20, 2022
Lovely watercolor and ink illustrations pay tribute to Mother Nature's splendor throughout the seasons while the text follows a young boy as he spends time in the great outdoors. Emile loves a field near his home, and he isn't interested in sharing it with other youngsters when winter's snow makes it a great place for them to sled and build snowmen. His father points out that the more individuals that love the field, the better off it is since others will make sure it remains as it is. And Emile also knows that spring won't be that far away, and he can once again enjoy the field as it changes over the course of the seasons. While it's easy to appreciate Emile's father's words about the field, the notion that the sentiments of youngsters about a place that might eventually be considered prime real estate for building is a tad naive. Even though I might wish it were so, some of those youngsters will grow up to become more interested in the profit margin than leaving the field as it is, despite its beauty and the fun they had on its hills. Some of the line placements over the page turns seemed awkward and broke up the rhythm of reading the book, making me wish they had been handled differently. The beauty of nature is evident on almost every page--the sunny yellow wildflowers of spring and summer and the fiery hues of autumn. The image of Emil in his bright red hoodie making a snow angel in winter brought to mind Ezra Jack Keats' classic The Snowy Day in which Peter ventures out into the snow for similar activities.
November 13, 2022
This is one of those quiet books that can be easily overlooked. Don't! Stop and smell the roses here...
Emile is a young boy that loves the many changes he sees in the field - his learning playground - near his home - daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally - Spring, Summer, and Fall...but what will happen to it in Winter?
What a lovely book about a boy who is at home in nature, enjoying simple pleasures of jonquils, bumblebees, frolicking in masses of leaves in solitude, and does not want to share its winter pleasures with others. When he comes to terms with sharing the space in winter, the following spring he makes a new friend. Told using a spare poetic text, it carries alot of punch.
Chioma Ebinama's debut picture book is delicate and lovely - filled with incredible detail. Her watercolor and ink illustrations satisfies. The four seasons are definitely separated with color.
Useful in units on friendship, seasons, and nature. It has potential as a beginning reader.
Recommended for PreS-grade 2.
Emile is a young boy that loves the many changes he sees in the field - his learning playground - near his home - daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally - Spring, Summer, and Fall...but what will happen to it in Winter?
What a lovely book about a boy who is at home in nature, enjoying simple pleasures of jonquils, bumblebees, frolicking in masses of leaves in solitude, and does not want to share its winter pleasures with others. When he comes to terms with sharing the space in winter, the following spring he makes a new friend. Told using a spare poetic text, it carries alot of punch.
Chioma Ebinama's debut picture book is delicate and lovely - filled with incredible detail. Her watercolor and ink illustrations satisfies. The four seasons are definitely separated with color.
Useful in units on friendship, seasons, and nature. It has potential as a beginning reader.
Recommended for PreS-grade 2.
August 12, 2022
Emile is a young Black child who loves a field. He spends a lot of time there immersing himself in the natural world that surrounds him. He loves the plants, the insects, and all that the seasons bring to his field. He struggles a bit with winter as so much of what he loves is covered and he has to share it with so many children sledding, but his father helps him to understand that sharing the field with others will allow others to care about field and that matters for all who love the field. Simple text by Kevin Young make this story reachable for very young children who may or may not yet care about our natural world. Illustrations by Chioma Ebinama perfectly capture the seasons, Emile's joy and frustration, and the plethora of life in the field. There is also an afterward by Christopher Myers that is worth the time to ponder how access to the fields of our communities may not be available to all children and how we can build a value for our natural world in all children.
March 8, 2022
What a gorgeous book and lovely story to follow a young boy through all the seasons while he appreciates "his" field. The revelation that sharing the field can bring extra joy carries with it a message about preserving nature for all to enjoy. This is a four-season homage to The Snowy Day too, at least it brought to mind that classic book when I hit the scene with Emile making a snow angel. The poetic text by this award-winning poet and the joyful watercolor paintings by fine artist Chioma Ebinama makes me hope we'll see both of these children's book debut artists again!
February 5, 2023
2/5/2023 ~ This is a quiet book that takes multiple readings to truly appreciate. I chose to read it, because it was on many lists of potential Caldecott honorees. Also, I am always looking for books with characters of color.
As we followed Emile and his solitary appreciation of the field, I fully expected the tale to end with developers' backhoes and new construction. Instead, the story ended with the idea of sharing the natural wonder around us.
While I must have come across books from the "Make Me A World" imprint (curated by Christopher Myers) in the past, I happened to read two today. As an adult, it is well worth the time to read Myers' letter to the reader. He conveys deeper connections between the text and readers across the world. For this text especially, I appreciated it more after reading the letter to readers.
As we followed Emile and his solitary appreciation of the field, I fully expected the tale to end with developers' backhoes and new construction. Instead, the story ended with the idea of sharing the natural wonder around us.
While I must have come across books from the "Make Me A World" imprint (curated by Christopher Myers) in the past, I happened to read two today. As an adult, it is well worth the time to read Myers' letter to the reader. He conveys deeper connections between the text and readers across the world. For this text especially, I appreciated it more after reading the letter to readers.
October 15, 2021
I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children’s Books through the Fall Day of Dialogue.
Readers see Emile play in "his" field. He loves being there and learning everything about it. He even asks the field what it does not know. Young weaves knowledge about nature seamlessly through his story about this child exploring nature. Could be used to start dialogue about what a class observes when outside. Families could enjoy it as a quiet story as they explore nature themselves. Excellent book to compare and contrast what Emile sees with what readers see.
The font is a bit small in the electronic version so that may make it more difficult for young readers to read themselves. Lovely illustrations capture the feel of being in the field too.
Readers see Emile play in "his" field. He loves being there and learning everything about it. He even asks the field what it does not know. Young weaves knowledge about nature seamlessly through his story about this child exploring nature. Could be used to start dialogue about what a class observes when outside. Families could enjoy it as a quiet story as they explore nature themselves. Excellent book to compare and contrast what Emile sees with what readers see.
The font is a bit small in the electronic version so that may make it more difficult for young readers to read themselves. Lovely illustrations capture the feel of being in the field too.
October 12, 2022
Emile, a young brown-skinned boy, loves the field where he and his little black dog spend many quiet and peaceful hours enjoying nature through the changing seasons. He talks to the field, wondering if it knows what experiences it is missing. In winter, Emile is upset when the snow brings many loud children . His father convinces him that sharing the field means that it can't belong to any one person so it will be there forever. Emile is also comforted by the fact that spring will come when again he will have his quiet communing with nature. The text is a charming and contemplative appreciation of nature and a child's imaginative connection to it. The soft watercolor and ink illustrations perfectly capture both the mood and the setting of this captivating little story.
January 2, 2023
I enjoyed enjoying nature through Emile and his father. This is an absolutely beautifully poetic piece of writing with illustrations that match the quality of the text. I appreciate the trust Emile has with his father ("who usually has an answer") and his field. The artwork tells the rest of the story in a way that is as gentle as the nature on display.
The afterword really struck me. After reading the story, I wondered if and what made this book significant beyond its simple beauty. The afterword had the answer: this is a book that lovingly shows a Black child and his father out enjoying nature. Without trumpeting that fact, this is a gentle story bringing representation to nature-related picture books. Cool.
The poetry and the illustrations pleasantly stay with me.
The afterword really struck me. After reading the story, I wondered if and what made this book significant beyond its simple beauty. The afterword had the answer: this is a book that lovingly shows a Black child and his father out enjoying nature. Without trumpeting that fact, this is a gentle story bringing representation to nature-related picture books. Cool.
The poetry and the illustrations pleasantly stay with me.
June 22, 2023
Very soft and pretty illustrations in this book. They were made with watercolors - the texture from the paper shows through on the pages. The story is about a boy who loves a field with all of its colors and textures as well as the bugs that inhabit it. He wondered if the field was sad for what it wasn't able to experience (skyscrapers, etc) and wondered if it wanted to see other things. Emile was frustrated that he had to share the field with others, especially in the winter when it was covered in snow and perfect for sledding, but father explained that the more that love the field will help preserve it for others to enjoy later.
November 8, 2022
Are there books you have read that instantly bring your blood pressure down? That immediately give you a sense of peace and serenity? That's what Emile and the Field does for me. To the point where I'm going to add it to my mental health toolbox to help when my anxiety is through the roof.
Kevin Young's spare, poetic text along with Chioma Ebinama's serene watercolors that also evoke the playfulness of Ezra Jack Keats' young Peter in The Snowy Day make this book an instant classic. I'm rooting for this one to get a Caldecott nod.
Kevin Young's spare, poetic text along with Chioma Ebinama's serene watercolors that also evoke the playfulness of Ezra Jack Keats' young Peter in The Snowy Day make this book an instant classic. I'm rooting for this one to get a Caldecott nod.
February 26, 2023
I would give this picture book more stars based on the artwork alone. When I read it with my two granddaughters, we were dumfounded by the glorious beauty of Chioma Ebinama's illustrations. The story is a simple one of a boy who loves a field where nature flourishes. Until winter comes, he revels in being the only one there. In winter however, the field is full of sledders making the most of the perfect slope. His father helps him come to understand that it's not his field and that having other people appreciate the splendour of the place is a good way to ensure it lasts.
November 20, 2024
A beautiful picture book poem about Emile, a little boy who loves the field. He loves the wildlife, flora and fauna of the field. And he wonders if the field knows what it's missing; like skyscrapers, the ocean and planes. Emile doesn't like having to share the field with other kids during the winter. The field is popular when covered with snow which is good for sledding. But his father helps him understand that as long as everyone takes care of the field, it should be there for a good long while.
January 21, 2022
A boy (Emile) loves a field - really! It is one of his favorite places to be. And he is sometimes jealous about sharing it with others but comes to realize that makes it even more special. Emile visits the field in all kinds of weather, each in its own season, and learns different things each time - always accompanied by his little black dog.
I think I would share this book along with Hurricane by John Rocco because they both talk about favorite places and sharing and nature.
Thank you @RHCBEducators and @TheRandomSchoolHouse for sharing an ARC with me!
I think I would share this book along with Hurricane by John Rocco because they both talk about favorite places and sharing and nature.
Thank you @RHCBEducators and @TheRandomSchoolHouse for sharing an ARC with me!
March 9, 2022
Truly beautiful in every way! Kevin Young's spare yet evocative text tells the story of a small boy discovering a field that he thinks of as "his." As the seasons go by, he discovers the natural elements of the field, treasuring his private time there. In a sweet scene, the boy's father helps him to understand that if others love the field too they will 's want to take care of it too.
Chioma Ebinama's watercolor and ink illustrations are warm, soft and absolutely gorgeous.
Chioma Ebinama's watercolor and ink illustrations are warm, soft and absolutely gorgeous.
May 16, 2022
Kevin Young who is the director of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture creates this poetic tale of a young boy in love with nature especially a favorite field. Young writes in rhymed verse to capture the boy 's changing emotions as the seasons cause change in the field. Ebinama uses gorgeous full-page spreads to visually capture those changes as well. It is a beautiful tribute reflecting one boy's love of nature.
January 28, 2023
Kevin Young writes of a young boy who loves being out in nature a neighboring field through all the seasons, except winter when it is covered in snow and he must share it with others. Emile’s father suggests that sharing the field and helping others to learn to care about it, means the field will be there forever.
Chioma Ebinama is a Nigerian American fine Artist who has exhibited internationally. This is the first picture book she has illustrated.
Chioma Ebinama is a Nigerian American fine Artist who has exhibited internationally. This is the first picture book she has illustrated.
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February 6, 2023Begins with essence of The Giving Tree, but continues with a much simpler relationship of mutual enjoyment. I really enjoyed the watercolor style illustrations: they evoked the gorgeous nature of the field.
Author's afterward makes the story more of a personal ode to nature itself.
Author's afterward makes the story more of a personal ode to nature itself.
March 9, 2024
The art is different from most of the current picture book art, and I say that as a positive-they were clearly created by an artist rather than a computer, and are soft and sweet. The prose is fine, more poetic than many other author's attempts at poetry. On those alone it would have earned a 4, but I am taking off 1 star for the afterword by Christopher Myers. Readers didn't need it to enjoy this book.
January 9, 2022
What a phenomenally gorgeous book, both in illustration and in prose. Emile loves to spend time in the field, observing flowers, listening to animals, and taking in everything nature has to offer, if you give it time to. Every day in Emile's field is beautiful, and every season brings something new. I'm completely enchanted by every page!
April 11, 2022
"Emile thought and thought - he liked that idea a lot. The field would not, could not be bought! or belong to anyone. Even Emile. Even him." In Young's debut picture book, he tells the story of Emile and a field that helps him explore the spring, fall, and winter landscape. The illustrations are gorgeous.
December 31, 2022
Emile loves the field close to his home. Throughout the seasons, he explains why he loves the field...but during winter he must accept the fact that it's not just his field and that it belongs to everyone.
Lyrical and beautiful during the first half...but the second half was a little disappointing as it tried to give a lesson. Artwork was lovely.
Lyrical and beautiful during the first half...but the second half was a little disappointing as it tried to give a lesson. Artwork was lovely.
January 8, 2023
This book is great for a mindfulness or yoga storytime because it guides you through the field as Emile sees it. It would be best for a storytime outside where readers can notice different things in the outside world around them, wherever that may be. Afterwards, you should ask children if there is an outside place they love to go to. Do they notice how it looks as it changes throughout the year?
February 7, 2023
A gorgeous picture book about a young boy, Emile, who loves a field in the spring, summer, and fall. Emile doesn't enjoy the field in the winter because there are other people there enjoying the field in the snow. However, his father reminds him that "if we share . . . and learn to take care, it means the field will be here forever." A beautiful book with a beautiful message!
February 14, 2023
Emile loves the field - the flowers, the birds, the insects, and the trees. He loves to wander and explore, to contemplate, and to converse with his field. But in winter, snow covers his field and others come, and he doesn’t like that. And then he thinks some more, about sharing, about how the field belongs to no one, but at the same time, to everyone. And soon . . . spring will come.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews