Time for Flowers, Time for Snow
A retelling of the legend of Demeter and Persephone
- Publisher
- Tradewind Books
- Initial publish date
- Sep 2013
- Category
- Parents, Greek & Roman, Weather
-
Unknown
- ISBN
- 9781896580265
- Publish Date
- Sep 2013
- List Price
- $18.95
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Where to buy it
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 6 to 8
- Grade: 1 to 3
- Reading age: 6 to 8
Description
The Greek goddess of harvest Demeter loves her daughter Persephone very much. So when Persephone is kidnapped by Hades, ruler of the underworld, and taken as his bride, Demeter’s sadness brings on the winter snow. When the crops fail, Zeus, sends his messenger Hermes to negotiate Persephone’s release. But things get complicated when Persephone takes a liking to her captor.The book includes a CD of the children’s opera composed by Giannis Georgantelis and produced by Chroma Musika. Over 180 children from Quebec accompanied by the 55-piece Orchestre Symphonique Pop de Montréal sing in this massive transatlantic musical collaboration narrated by Terry Jones (Monty Python).
About the authors
From his earliest years, Glen Huser has loved to write and read and draw and paint. That’s when he wasn’t losing himself in the dark cocoon of a movie theatre or picking out old-time radio standards and Broadway musical hits on the piano. As a teacher and school librarian for a lengthy career in Edmonton, he worked his passions for art and literature into school projects such as Magpie, an in-house quarterly featuring writing and art from students. In his off hours, he wrote movie reviews for a local weekly, children’s book reviews for The Edmonton Journal, and got his small ink landscapes into galleries. As he worked on a degree in Education and then a Masters in English at the U of A, he had the good fortune to work under the tutelage of Rudy Wiebe, Margaret Atwood and W. O. Mitchell. For several years he was a sessional lecturer in children’s literature, information studies and creative writing at the U of A in Edmonton and UBC in Vancouver. His first novel Grace Lake was shortlisted for the 1992 W.H. Smith-Books in Canada First Novel Award. He has written several books for young adult readers including the Governor General’s Award-winner Stitches and the GG finalist Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen. Short stories have appeared in a number of literary magazines, most recently Plenitude and Waterloo University’s The New Quarterly. Glen’s current home is Vancouver where he continues to write as well as pursue interests in art and film studies.
Philippe Béha has illustrated more than 200 children's books. He is a three-time recipient of the Governor General’s Literary Award and a winner of the Mr. Christie's Book Award. He has also been a finalist for the IBBY Hans Christian Andersen Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in Quebec.
Giannis Georgantelis has composed music for theatrical plays, multimedia projects and festivals, as well as musical ensembles. Giannis is also an accomplished orchestrator, having arranged many different folk songs of the Mediterranean for his group Carousel. His discography includes two CDs and two children’s operas, which received great critical acclaim in Greece.
Editorial Reviews
★"Combining striking illustrations, a dramatic story based on ancient myth, song lyrics, and a companion CD featuring a children's operetta, Time for Flowers, Time for Snow is a fabulous, multi-sensory thrill to be enjoyed by parents and kids alike...An ambitious project that brings together a group of talented collaboraters with splendid results. This is not just a book, it's a whole arts experience with many facets—literary, artistic, musical—to explore."
Quill & Quire, starred review
"[The included CD] is not just an audio readaloud, but an operetta-scale work whose 25 light classical-style songs are performed by dozens of singers and instrumentalists...The project’s production values are of a high standard."
Publishers Weekly
"A creative foray into sharing myth with young people."
Kirkus Reviews
"The telling is lush in description and dialogue."
School Library Journal
