Peter's Place

Sally Grindley (Author) Sally Gindley was born in Woolwich and grew up in the Medway Towns. She studied French Literature at Sussex University before working for a national children's book club where she stayed as Editorial Director for 17 years. During that time she had her first children's books published. She has been a full-time author since 1995, and has had over 130 books published - some of which have won awards: The Smarties Gold for her novel Spilled Water, The Federation of Children's Book Groups Award for Shhh! and the Smarties Prize for Can I Help Dad?, and been shortlisted for the Sheffield and Norfolk Libraries Book Award with picture books Little Elephant Underfoot and Polar Star respectively and most recently she's been shorlisted for the Rotherham Children's Book Award for Broken Glass. She now lives in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, with her three sons - when they're not at university - and Dizzy, her very very old cat. http://www.sallygrindley.co.uk/Michael Foreman (Illustrator) Michael Foreman is one of the most talented and popular creators of children's books today. He has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and has been the UK nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award twice. His highly acclaimed books are published all over the world. He is married and has three sons. He divides his time between St Ives in Cornwall and London.

PreSchool-Grade 2?The special seaside spot that Peter considers his own is fouled by an oil slick from a ship that comes too close to shore and breaks apart on hidden rocks. The animals that the boy knows so well and often feeds-the seals and eider ducks-have difficulty surviving after their fur and feathers become coated with oil. Peter joins in rescue activities, scrubbing away oily deposits from the rocky shoreline. Eventually, through human effort and the natural scrubbing action of wind, rain and the ocean, the sea begins to restore itself to a balanced state. Peter's favorite animals do survive, but reminders of the accident remain. Grindley's affecting story proves its point: that oil spills can have long-lasting effects, forever changing the places we hold dear. Although the book has moments that verge on anthropomorphism, this fact in no way detracts from its point or its impact. Foreman's powerful watercolor illustrations use lots of blues and greens to capture the expanse of ocean that fill every double-page spread. Although one picture of a wide-eyed, oil-covered seal tugs at the heart, the artist generally avoids overdramatization of a story that is already infused with excitement. Adults using this book will find lots here to stimulate discussion. Other picture-book treatments of the effects of oil spills on the natural world include Jacqueline Briggs Martin's Birdwashing Song (S & S, 1995) and Gloria Rand's Prince William (Holt, 1992).?Ellen Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.