Arthur A. Levine Books
Arthur A. Levine Books 



Half a World Away Half a World Away

Written by Libby Gleeson
Illustrated by Freya Blackwood



Amy and Louie are the best of friends.

When they're together, block towers climb high as the sky, and the clouds hide great seahorses and wild, swooping dragons. And when they're apart, they call each other with their special sound:

"Coo-ee, Am-ee!"

"Coo-ee, Lou-ee!"

But then Amy's family moves half a world away. Louie and Amy miss each other very much. But when Amy is awake, Louie is asleep. When Louie is awake, Amy is asleep.

And what happens next is a story for true friends and wondrous dreamers.



REVIEWS:

"Best friends Amy and Louie are never far apart. From across the room or the playground, they call to each other with a special word: 'Cooo-ee!' Then Amy’s family moves 'half a world away,' and the children long for each other. 'If I call Amy really loudly, she’ll hear me, won’t she?' Louie asks. Only his grandmother is encouraging: 'You can only try.' Louie belts out his loudest 'Cooo-ee!' and across the ocean, half a day later, Amy happily declares, 'I dreamt about Louie and he called me.' In rhythmic, pared-down words, Gleeson captures friendship’s intensity from a young child’s viewpoint. In simplest terms, she also communicates the sometimes tough-to-grasp concept of global distance: 'When you are awake in the day, [Amy] is asleep at night.' Blackwood’s tender, realistic watercolors reinforce the friends’ sweet closeness and magic, particularly in the few wordless spreads that skillfully shift perspective from aerial views of Louie’s seaside village to seahorse-shaped clouds, which race across the world. Subtle, direct, and profound, this quiet story communicates the deep joy and unbreakable bonds that true friends share, and it will reassure little ones who know firsthand the aching sadness that separation brings."--Booklist, starred review



AWARDS:

Parents' Choice Foundation Silver Honor
Booklist Editors' Choice 2007
CCBC Choices 2008



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Spring 2007
Picture Book
ISBN: 0-439-88977-4
Price: $15.99/$21.99
Trim Size: 10" x 9 ½"
Page Count: 40
Foreign Rights: Scholastic
Translation Rights: Scholastic
Rights Available? yes



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