The design and layout of this book immediately make the reader curious. Who is this creature staring straight at you on the cover? A dictionary definition of "var+mint" is on the opening page and then you turn to the first illustration of bees flying over rustling grass beneath a vast skyscape and a text which begins in the picture and then runs along the bottom of the page. �There was once only the sound of bees and the wind in the wiry grass, the low murmuring of moles in the cool dark earth�� But there are changes afoot and, as other inhabitants come, and �tall buildings scratched the sky where the birds once sang�, there is a loss of the quietness � peace is drowned out by noise. Helen Ward�s economy of language, together with the dramatic images of Mark Craste combine to make this a very imaginative and thought provoking story which will certainly stimulate children in key stage 2.

Starring:

Genre:

Animation, Short