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THE PROMISE

by Nicola Davies ; illustrated by Laura Carlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2014

Valid as metaphor though much less so as a feasible plan of action.

In yet another heavily earnest parable on how nature will provide an easy cure for the physical and moral sterility of urban life, a young thief has an epiphany after scoring a bag filled with acorns.

“When I was young, I lived in a city that was mean and hard and ugly,” begins the narrator, her own heart as “shriveled as the dead trees in the park.” But that heart changes after the old woman whose bag she snatches extracts a promise that she will plant its contents, and off she goes to plant “among rubble, ruins, and rusty railings, by train tracks, tramlines, and traffic lights.” Presto chango, once the oaks grow (with unrealistic speed), people begin to smile again and create gardens as birds gather in colorful flocks: “Green spread through the city like a song....” She goes on to revive city after city with different kinds of trees, until at last, one night, another young thief takes both bag and bargain to carry on. Carlin echoes the tale’s arc with scenes of drab, smudged cityscapes and crowds of hunched figures that are alike transformed with the appearance of colors and of cascades of flowers.

Pub Date: March 11, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-7636-6633-0

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.

How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!

John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Pub Date: March 21, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

HORRIBLE HARRY SAYS GOODBYE

HORRIBLE HARRY SAYS GOODBYE

From the horrible harry series , vol. 37.

by Suzy Kline ; illustrated by Amy Wummer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 27, 2018

A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode.

A long-running series reaches its closing chapters.

Having, as Kline notes in her warm valedictory acknowledgements, taken 30 years to get through second and third grade, Harry Spooger is overdue to move on—but not just into fourth grade, it turns out, as his family is moving to another town as soon as the school year ends. The news leaves his best friend, narrator “Dougo,” devastated…particularly as Harry doesn’t seem all that fussed about it. With series fans in mind, the author takes Harry through a sort of last-day-of-school farewell tour. From his desk he pulls a burned hot dog and other items that featured in past episodes, says goodbye to Song Lee and other classmates, and even (for the first time ever) leads Doug and readers into his house and memento-strewn room for further reminiscing. Of course, Harry isn’t as blasé about the move as he pretends, and eyes aren’t exactly dry when he departs. But hardly is he out of sight before Doug is meeting Mohammad, a new neighbor from Syria who (along with further diversifying a cast that began as mostly white but has become increasingly multiethnic over the years) will also be starting fourth grade at summer’s end, and planning a written account of his “horrible” buddy’s exploits. Finished illustrations not seen.

Pub Date: Nov. 27, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-451-47963-1

Page Count: 80

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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HERBIE JONES SAILS INTO SECOND GRADE

by Suzy Kline & illustrated by Sami Sweeten

HORRIBLE HARRY AND THE MUD GREMLINS

by Suzy Kline & illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz

HORRIBLE HARRY AND THE DRAGON WAR

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the promise nicola davies book review

Review: The Promise by Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin

The promise written by nicola davies , illustrated by laura carlin (walker books, 2013).

Set in a grim, grey, arid urban landscape where ‘Nothing grew. Everything was broken. Nobody smiled’, a girl (the story’s narrator) lives by stealing – until one night her surprisingly strong, old victim will not let go of her bag before she has extracted a promise from the girl to ‘plant them’. The girl doesn’t understand or care what the words mean but she promises, just to get the bag: and from that moment her life changes, for the bag is full of acorns, and by keeping her promise she brings hope into her own life and indeed to all around her… And there is an inspired and inspiring twist to the ending too.

The Promise is a beautiful fable for our times, told simply in poetic prose that stays with the reader and acts as a lozenge rather than a hammer for the book’s strong environmental message. As well as being a call to action and change, it offers hope for the future and a reminder that there are always people who are quietly and unobtrusively committed to making the world a better place, and that their actions have a knock-on effect in inspiring others, even if it takes time for results to percolate: not to mention the rewards that can be reaped from keeping a promise.

The illustrations capture the contrasts between the bleak, grey, hopelessness and the vibrancy of the future where those seeds of hope are planted. The green dots of the acorns expand into still tiny green seedlings, and then there seem to be trees sprouting everywhere: from tin cans, pavements, water hydrants… Birds reappear and rain returns ‘like a blessing’. People start to talk to each other. The narrator never stays long enough in the same place to see these long-term effects, and the illustrations convey the global nurturing that her actions embrace, with depictions suggestive of archetypal Middle-Eastern and Asian as well as Western cities.

The Promise was nominated for the 2015 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal and was selected for USBBY’s 2015 list of Outstanding International Books. The book has its own website , where I wasn’t surprised to learn that the story was inspired by Jean Giono’s The Man Who Planted Trees (1953), for I was reminded of that too. In fact, the stories complement each other beautifully, both highlighting the transformative power of trees, The Promise set in an urban and the other in a rural landscape (and I would so love to see an animated narration of The Promise along the lines of The Man Who Planted Trees ). On the website there are also links to readings of the book, as well as how to act on its message to get out there and plant trees.

Because I love it so much, I can’t resist including the animated version of The Man who Planted Trees here:

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Tuesday 24 September 2013

Review: the promise.

the promise nicola davies book review

My book review of ' The Promise ' by Nicola Davies

The promise.

the promise nicola davies book review

This beautiful, but unusual and sophisticated, picture book draws heavily on the classic, familiar tale, 'The Man Who Planted Trees' by Jean Giorno.

Its opening is stark and shocking with a mugging in a bleak city setting. The victim, an old woman doesn't give up her bag and its contents without a fight but finally releases it to her young female assailant, with a puzzling instruction - 'to promise to plant them'.

The girl thief humours the old lady and runs off with her spoils. Initially disappointed that she hasn't gained food or money, the girl looks at the acorns inside and realises that she has been given an unusual gift, and so she vows to take her promise seriously: "I held a forest in my arms and my heart was changed."

The girl plants acorns on roundabouts, behind factories and shopping malls, at bus stops and in the cracked paving of the streets. Little by little over many years, she begins to see how her urban landscape and its downtrodden residents are transformed by the colour and life of the young trees. Cities all around the world are changed until one day a thief strikes again in a lonely alley...

This is a powerful and moving story which will appeal to adults as well as children from five years and above. It is a book to treasure and to return to again and again, providing an inspiring, touching and life-affirming tale.  

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the promise nicola davies book review

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Nicola Davies

The Promise Paperback – 4 Sept. 2013

A picture book of great beauty and hope about the power we have to transform our world. On a mean street in a mean city, a thief tries to snatch an old woman’s bag. But she finds she can’t have it without promising something in return – to “plant them all”. When it turns out the bag is full of acorns, the young thief embarks on a journey that changes her own life and the lives of others for generations to come. Inspired by the belief that a relationship with nature is essential to every human being, and that now, more than ever, we need to renew that relationship, The Promise is the story of a magical discovery that will touch the heart and imagination of every reader, young and old. With poignant simplicity, honesty and lyricism, Nicola Davies evokes a powerful vision of a world where people and nature live in harmony. And Laura Carlin's delicate illustrations capture a young girl’s journey from a harsh, urban reality to the beauty and vitality of a changed world.

  • Reading age 5 - 7 years
  • Print length 48 pages
  • Language English
  • Dimensions 25.1 x 0.5 x 26 cm
  • Publisher Walker Books
  • Publication date 4 Sept. 2013
  • ISBN-10 1406355593
  • ISBN-13 978-1406355598
  • See all details

From the Publisher

Inside image planting seeds

Product description

About the author, product details.

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Walker Books (4 Sept. 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1406355593
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1406355598
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 5 - 7 years
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 25.1 x 0.5 x 26 cm
  • 17 in Children's Books on City Life
  • 61 in Children's Books on the Environment & Ecology
  • 90 in Children's Books on Difficult Discussions

About the author

Nicola davies.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

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  • 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 81% 13% 3% 2% 1% 1%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

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Customers say

Customers find the content thought-provoking, beautiful, and inspiring. They also appreciate the great message and descriptive language. Readers say the book is a beautiful story with a great message.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the book thought-provoking, full of hope, and descriptive. They say it's a great KS2 picture book that supports themes around citizenship and the environment. Readers also mention that the book leaves loads of wonderful space for discussion.

"... Very moving and some lovely illustrations." Read more

"...children with high level language, evocative illustrations and a lot to talk about ...." Read more

"...and of other people... Its a beautiful story which is deeply thought provoking and leaves loads of wonderful space for discussion." Read more

"...However, it is full of hope and, best of all, shows how individuals can change their world." Read more

Customers find the illustrations beautiful and the colour palette enriches the story. They also say the message is clear and children respond to it with clarity.

"...Very moving and some lovely illustrations ." Read more

"...for all primary age children with high level language, evocative illustrations and a lot to talk about...." Read more

"...It is a fable which is full of hope, imagery and descriptive, alliterative, writing...." Read more

"...The colour palette enriches this story and children respond to its message with clarity." Read more

Customers find the story beautiful, with great sentiment, imagery, and descriptive, alliterative writing. They also say it's an inspiring story with a great message and lovely illustrations.

" Beautiful story - bought for my daughter as part of a school project.Very moving and some lovely illustrations." Read more

"...of the environment, of kindness and of other people... Its a beautiful story which is deeply thought provoking and leaves loads of wonderful space..." Read more

"...It is a fable which is full of hope, imagery and descriptive , alliterative, writing...." Read more

"An inspiring story with a great message and lovely illustrations." Read more

Customers find the descriptive language used in the book beautiful and draw them in. They also say it's good to read aloud and ideal for literacy classes. Customers also say the message is clear and children respond to it with clarity.

"...picture book suitable for all primary age children with high level language , evocative illustrations and a lot to talk about...." Read more

"...Good to read aloud and ideal for literacy classes , this was the winner of the 2014 English Association Picture Book award for best fiction...." Read more

"...a rather dark start as picture books go, but the descriptive language used is so beautiful that you find yourself drawn in instantly...." Read more

"...The colour palette enriches this story and children respond to its message with clarity ." Read more

Customers find the book content great for junior age readers.

" Fantastic picture book suitable for all primary age children with high level language, evocative illustrations and a lot to talk about...." Read more

"Great sentiment. Thought provoking and suitable for older primary school age children ." Read more

" Great junior age book ..." Read more

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the promise nicola davies book review

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the promise nicola davies book review

The Great British Bookworm

Brilliant books for children – Teacher reviews

The Great British Bookworm

The Promise by Nicola Davies & Laura Carlin

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My word – What a wonderful, astonishing book Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin have created. A perfect picture book in which the words and the images enhance each other to produce art at an other level to most stories shared with children.

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Davies starts our story like many good authors do; in desperate times.  A barren, grey, harsh city is described which could apply to almost anywhere in the world.  This setting of the scene works brilliantly with the illustrations that paint a picture of despair.

What I like most about the story is that the hero isn’t a ‘nice’ person as we start.  A street thief willing to mug an old lady is often not what we expect from our lead characters, the the personal transformation runs alongside that of the city.  That event leads to a promise, a promise to fill the streets with life in the form of planting seeds.

T134 AW WK 36-37

A stunning combination of images and words elevates this story to the realms of something truly special.  Laura Carlin is so inventive in the ways she manages to convey meaning the reader – colour starts to seep into the pages the more the girl spreads the ‘promise’, animals appear on many pages to remind us of life beyond ourselves and even the mugging is done in the shadows to ‘protect’ our lead from the true shame of her act.

Now for the teacher bit. As with many powerful books, it has a moral message that is timeless and as such it can be used to generate important discussions in class.  The big themes of conversation of natural life and caring for others are at the heart of this story.  I intend to use this with a class to explore how picturebooks combine words and images to express an idea.  The subtle aspects of the illustrations such as when the hints of colour edge themselves around the page are great talking points.  Below is the link to some fantastic suggestions how to use the book with a class as well as the creators explaining their creative process, which is fascinating and a must share with children.

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/shadowingsite/groupleaders/resources/The%20Promise%20-%20Visual%20Literacy%20Resource%202015.pdf

A real thing of beauty – breathtaking, thought-provoking and utterly essential in a modern classroom.

https://amzn.to/2nt361w  – Link to buy the book.

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The Promise – Book Review

Written by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Laura Carlin

Published by Walker Books ISBN 978-1-4063-5559-8

Review by Rebecca Pomroy

RIMG0134_550

We are introduced to the story of The Promise with the character’s broken view of the world with lines such as “Nothing grew. Everything was broken”. The main character lives by stealing. One night she tries to take an old lady’s bag and ends up bargaining with her to make a promise to plant what is contained within the stolen bag. This deed will end up changing her fate and bringing hope to others around her. The story is accompanied by illustrations by Laura Carlin, which bring the narrative to life.

RIMG0138

Colour in particular was something I noticed as I turned each page. The illustrations at the beginning of the book, although rich in content, have a pallet of dark blues and browns, which adds to the sense of loneliness in the story. As the narrative progresses and a new life takes over the story, the illustrations become much more vibrant and rich.  I particularly like that the colour theme of dark blues and browns is returned to in one of the last pages of the book, creating a cycle to begin the good deed again and change another person’s life.

RIMG0139_550

As well as the colours used, I enjoyed the use of white space in some of the images. Other pages contain full-page illustrations, and some are cropped which breaks up the images and makes each page different. The text is simple and easy to read, not overwhelming the illustrations.

RIMG0145_550

The simplicity and relation to everyday life is what brings the whole story together, be it the urban cityscapes or the narrative, I think this book gives a clear message that can be enjoyed by many different people young or old.

RIMG0143_550

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The Promise

The Promise

Buy from other retailers, what's .css-1msjh1x{font-style:italic;} the promise about.

An allegorical tale of hope takes on new life in this stirring, gorgeously illustrated story. On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a young girl tries to snatch an old woman’s bag. But the frail old woman, holding on with the strength of heroes, says the thief can’t have it without giving something in return: the promise. It is the beginning of a journey that will change the thieving girl’s life — and a chance to change the world, for good. Here is the story of a magical discovery that will touch the heart and imagination of every reader, young and old. In an exciting collaboration, author Nicola Davies joins forces with illustrator Laura Carlin to create a contemporary tale inspired by Jean Giono’s 1953 story, L’homme qui plantait des arbres.

What Kind of Book is The Promise

Book lists that include the promise.

Diana’s White House Garden

The Creatives Behind the Book

Nicola Davies is a zoologist and award-winning author whose many books for children include Surprising Sharks, illustrated by James Croft; Extreme Animals, illustrated by Neal Layton; and The Promise, illustrated by Laura Carlin. Nicola Davies lives in Wales.

Nicola Davies is the award-winning author of The Promise, also illustrated by Laura Carlin, which received a special honorable mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Award fiction category. Nicola Davies’s many books for children include Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature, Ice Bear: In the Steps of the Polar Bear, and Big Blue Whale. She lives in Wales.

Awards Given to The Promise

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Tagged fable , gardening , growing , Laura Carlin , Nicola Davies , plants , street children , urban regeneration , wellbeing

Over the next few months, we are adding reviews to our website of books that we have selected for our programmes and resources, as well as the best new books. So you will find some of these reviews of older titles interspersed with more recent ones.

The book jacket of this stunning picturebook invites the reader to question. A young girl in the foreground has an open bag next to her. What could that be inside the bag? Can we see something inside? On the floor in front of her is a single acorn, she seems to be looking at it inquisitively. In the background, hundreds of people hunched over and moving in one direction towards what looks like a subway. How do the girl and these people relate to each other? They look as though they are in a hurry and not looking at each other. How clever of Laura Carlin to indicate that with just a few black lines.

What do the colours suggest,? The palette is mainly muted greys, but the girls blue jeans soften the image. The red bird stands out as a splash of bright colour in an otherwise drab world. Why did Laura Carlin choose to do that? Is the bird significant?

And then there is the title. What is the promise in this story? Who made the promise? What type of promise could it mean (a contract or potential)? So many questions and we haven’t even reached the story yet.

The narrative is a modern fable. The story opens with a young street urchin picking the pockets of ‘mean, hard people’ who live in the ‘mean hard city’ . One day she tries to mug an old lady, who turns out to have an unexpected strength and refuses to hand over her bag. Until she says, ‘If you promise to plant them, I’ll let go.’ The girl promises and later discovers she has a bag of acorns. She keeps her promise planting by the rubbish tips, the railway lines, the choked up roads, and soon the city starts to transform. As ‘green spread through the city like a song, people’s hearts begin to change.’ The girl realises the power she has to transform the world with her bag of acorns and travels to the places where she is most needed until it is her turn to hand the bag on.

The partnering of Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin is inspired. Each brings a profundity to this story which elevates it beyond the here and now to something more mythic and powerful. The writing is sublime; it has the aural quality of poet and seasoned storyteller ‘The gritty wind still scratched the parched, cracked streets. The people scowled and scuttled to their homes like cockroaches.’

Carlin’s illustration is simultaneously sophisticated and childlike. In fact, for Carlin, there’s nothing simple about childhood and patronising young readers with images that leave no room for individual response or interpretation is not what we would expect from her.  Notice how with minimal detail she conveys mood, action and relationships in these character vignettes.

The visual language of colour and scale used to show the transformation from brutal city to colourful paradise evokes an emotional response in the readers. The towering perspective, straight lines and faceless windows dominate, while the young girl is suppressed at the bottom of the frame, only her face is visible as she appeals to the reader beyond the fourth wall. As the story moves to a more optimistic future, the palette brightens, red dominates and the scene bleeds to the edge of the page, opening up the girl’s world. The big lanterns almost seem to come out of the page and invite the reader to become a participant rather than a spectator.

Ultimately, perhaps this book carries both meanings of ‘promise’. The girl made a contract with the old women but the future looks more promising as a result of her actios.

A great book for the primary classroom, especially where there is plenty of opportunity for discussion.

This is one of our favourite books in Take One Book. We have included it in our year 5 sequences because the themes work well for this year group, but it could be read with any junior class. To find out more about Take One Book visit takeonebook.org

You may be interested in our podcast with Laura Carlin 

This review was written by Nikki Gamble

the promise nicola davies book review

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the promise nicola davies book review

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the promise nicola davies book review

Follow the author

Nicola Davies

The Promise Paperback – January 1, 2014

  • Reading age 2 - 6 years
  • Print length 48 pages
  • Language English
  • Dimensions 9.88 x 0.2 x 10.24 inches
  • Publisher Walker Books
  • Publication date January 1, 2014
  • ISBN-10 1406355593
  • ISBN-13 978-1406355598
  • See all details

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Walker Books (January 1, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1406355593
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1406355598
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 2 - 6 years
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.88 x 0.2 x 10.24 inches

About the author

Nicola davies.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

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the promise nicola davies book review

IMAGES

  1. The promise by Davies, Nicola (9781406337280)

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  2. The promise by Davies, Nicola (9781406337280)

    the promise nicola davies book review

  3. The Promise by Nicola Davies

    the promise nicola davies book review

  4. The Promise by Nicola Davies

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  6. The Promise

    the promise nicola davies book review

COMMENTS

  1. THE PROMISE

    Book reviews News & Features Video Interviews ... But that heart changes after the old woman whose bag she snatches extracts a promise that she will plant its contents, and off she goes to plant "among rubble, ruins, and rusty railings, by train tracks, tramlines, and traffic lights." ... More by Nicola Davies. BOOK REVIEW. RIDE THE WIND.

  2. The Promise by Nicola Davies

    In ONE TINY TURTLE, Nicola Davies's clear, compelling narrative follows the life of the rarely seen loggerhead turtle, which swims the oceans for thirty years and for thousands of miles in search of food, only to return, uncannily, to lay her eggs on the very beach where she was born. The author's next book, BAT LOVES THE NIGHT, is a tenderly ...

  3. Review: The Promise by Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin

    The Promise written by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Laura Carlin (Walker Books, 2013) Set in a grim, grey, arid urban landscape where 'Nothing grew. Everything was broken. Nobody smiled', a girl (the story's narrator) lives by stealing - until one night her surprisingly strong, old victim will not let go of her bag before she has extracted a promise from the girl to 'plant them'.

  4. Kids' Book Review: Review: The Promise

    This picture book is beautiful, both in its presentation and its message of hope. It emphasises how we are all inextricably linked to our environment and celebrates the power we have to transform our world. Title: The Promise. Author: Nicola Davies. Illustrator: Laura Carlin. Publisher: Walker Books, $27.95 RRP. Publication Date: September 2013.

  5. My book review of 'The Promise' by Nicola Davies

    My book review of 'The Promise' by Nicola Davies. The Promise. by Nicola Davies. Recommended age: 5+ Listen to Catherine's choice for the month in November 2013. The Promise by Nicola Davies. This beautiful, but unusual and sophisticated, picture book draws heavily on the classic, familiar tale, 'The Man Who Planted Trees' by Jean Giorno.

  6. The Promise by Nicola Davies: 9780763693039

    About The Promise "This tale is a sturdy one that is made even more emphatic by Davies's terse writing style. The text is heightened in every way by Carlin's outstanding mixed-media artwork." — Booklist (starred review) On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a young girl tries to snatch an old woman's bag.

  7. The Promise

    The Promise - Kindle edition by Davies, Nicola, Carlin, Laura. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Promise. ... The text is heightened in every way by Carlin's outstanding mixed-media artwork." — Booklist (starred review) On ...

  8. The Promise

    The Promise. Nicola Davies. Candlewick Press, Mar 28, 2017 - Juvenile Fiction - 40 pages. "This tale is a sturdy one that is made even more emphatic by Davies's terse writing style. The text is heightened in every way by Carlin's outstanding mixed-media artwork.". — Booklist (starred review) On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a ...

  9. The Promise

    Nicola Davies is an award-winning author whose many books for children include Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature, Ice Bear, Big Blue Whale, and the Silver Street Farm series.Underlying all of Nicola Davies's work is the belief that a relationship with nature is essential for every human being, and that now, more than ever, we need to renew that relationship.

  10. The Promise: Amazon.co.uk: Davies, Nicola, Carlin, Laura: 9781406355598

    The Promise. Paperback - 4 Sept. 2013. by Nicola Davies (Author), Laura Carlin (Illustrator) 4.7 360 ratings. Teachers' pick for school years 1-9. See all formats and editions. Save 5% on any 4 Terms. A picture book of great beauty and hope about the power we have to transform our world. On a mean street in a mean city, a thief tries to ...

  11. The Promise

    Written by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Laura Carlin. Published by Walker Books ISBN 978-1-4063-5559-8. Review by Rebecca Pomroy. We are introduced to the story of The Promise with the character's broken view of the world with lines such as "Nothing grew. Everything was broken".

  12. The Promise by Nicola Davies & Laura Carlin

    That event leads to a promise, a promise to fill the streets with life in the form of planting seeds. A stunning combination of images and words elevates this story to the realms of something truly special. Laura Carlin is so inventive in the ways she manages to convey meaning the reader - colour starts to seep into the pages the more the ...

  13. The Promise: Davies, Nicola, Carlin, Laura: 9780763693039: Amazon.com

    The Promise. Paperback - Picture Book, March 28, 2017. by Nicola Davies (Author), Laura Carlin (Illustrator) 4.7 344 ratings. See all formats and editions. "This tale is a sturdy one that is made even more emphatic by Davies's terse writing style. The text is heightened in every way by Carlin's outstanding mixed-media artwork.".

  14. The Promise: Davies, Nicola, Carlin, Laura: 9780763666330: Amazon.com

    The Promise. Hardcover - Picture Book, March 11, 2014. by Nicola Davies (Author), Laura Carlin (Illustrator) 4.7 337 ratings. See all formats and editions. Book Description. Editorial Reviews. An allegorical tale of hope takes on new life in this stirring, gorgeously illustrated story. On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a young girl ...

  15. The Promise by Nicola Davies, Laura Carlin

    With poignant simplicity, honesty and lyricism, Nicola Davies evokes a powerful vision of a world where people and nature live in harmony. And Laura Carlin's delicate illustrations capture a young girl's journey from a harsh, urban reality to the beauty and vitality of a changed world. Publisher: Walker Books Ltd. ISBN: 9781406355598.

  16. The Promise by Nicola Davies, Laura Carlin, Paperback

    A chance encounter with another thief perpetuates the cycle of redemption and goodwill. Davies's parable-like narrative leaves a quietly powerful impression while avoiding preaching. Ages 5-9. (Mar.) Publishers Weekly. Inspired by Jean Giono's 1953 story, L'homme qui plantait des arbres, this tale is a sturdy one that is made even more ...

  17. The Promise

    An allegorical tale of hope takes on new life in this stirring, gorgeously illustrated story. On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a young girl tries to snatch an old woman's bag. But the frail old woman, holding on with the strength of heroes, says the thief can't have it without giving something in return: the promise. It is the beginning of a journey that will change the thieving ...

  18. The Promise

    The Promise - Book Review. Written by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Laura Carlin. Published by Walker Books ISBN 978-1-4063-5559-8. Review by Rebecca Pomroy. We are introduced to the story of The Promise with the character's broken view of the world with lines such as "Nothing grew. Everything was broken".

  19. Amazon.com: The Promise: 9781406337280: Nicola Davies, Laura Carlin: Books

    Amazon.com: The Promise: 9781406337280: Nicola Davies, Laura Carlin: Books. Skip to main content.us. Delivering to Lebanon 66952 Update location ... Book reviews & recommendations : IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities: IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need: Kindle Direct Publishing

  20. The Promise by Nicola Davies

    Nicola Davies is the award-winning author of The Promise, also illustrated by Laura Carlin, which received a special honorable mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Award fiction category. Nicola Davies's many books for children include Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature, Ice Bear: In the Steps of the Polar Bear, and Big Blue Whale.

  21. Sonderbooks Book Review of The Promise

    Review of the book The Promise, by Nicola Davis, illustrated by Laura Carlin. ... The Promise. by Nicola Davies illustrated by Laura Carlin. Review posted January 27, 2015. Candlewick Press, 2014. 48 pages. The Promise is a simple picture book about planting trees -- and thus transforming a "sad and sorry city."

  22. The Promise

    As 'green spread through the city like a song, people's hearts begin to change.'. The girl realises the power she has to transform the world with her bag of acorns and travels to the places where she is most needed until it is her turn to hand the bag on. The partnering of Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin is inspired.

  23. Amazon.com: The Promise: 9781406355598: Nicola Davies: Books

    Top reviews from other countries Translate all reviews to English. Urvi. 5.0 out of 5 stars Hearts can change. Reviewed in India on January 17, 2024 ... em um livro. E foi uma felicidade ver que toda a história compensava. Pesquisei sobre a escritora (Nicola Davies), que é zoóloga, acredito que por isso seus livros tratam do meio ambiente ...