Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A companion to Schulman's The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury, this hefty anthology also has ample treasures to share. Aimed at a slightly older child than that earlier work, this volume collects 26 of last century's most memorable picture books and early chapter books (or parts thereof) and represents the works of a sterling cast of authors and artists. In her introductory note, Schulman urges parents and others to share these tales with youngsters: "It is certainly true that most children continue to enjoy being read to long after they have mastered the skill themselves." The stories span the century, from 1936 (Edward Ardizzone's Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain) to 2000 (Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard, illus. by E.B. Lewis), with a healthy portion of them hailing from the 1970s. Schulman balances the poignant (Judith Viorst's The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, illus. by Erik Blegvad) with the comical (Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs), the nonsensical (Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss) with the true-to-life (No One Is Going to Nashville by Mavis Jukes, illus. by Lloyd Bloom) and gems lesser known to today's readers such as Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown, illus. by Tomi Ungerer. It's easy to imagine entire families losing themselves in these pages for hours. Ages 5-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Whereas Schulman's The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury: Celebrated Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud (Knopf, 1998) is for preschoolers, this compilation contains stories for parents "to share with children in the first few years of school, children who now can read." Based on the proven premise that those who are read to become better readers, the anthology offers tales with fewer illustrations and more words. Selections include humorous tales such as Flat Stanley, The Piggy in the Puddle, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, as well as thoughtful tales, such as The Tenth Good Thing About Barney and Wilma Unlimited. It's interesting to note that the introduction suggests readers begin with Maurice Sendak's Pierre, which is actually the last story in the volume. That quibble aside, the treasury offers stories, or parts of them, written by kid-tested authors, including William Steig, Dr. Seuss, Louis Sachar, Judy Blume, and Florence Parry Heide. There is at least one illustration on almost every page by the original artist; it will help hold the interest of the youngest readers, though the chosen stories should do that without any trouble. A great choice for family or classroom sharing.- Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Schulman includesáa wide range of writing, fromáSteig's wonderfulá[cf2]Amos and Boris[cf1]áto a less remarkable chapter from Sachar's [cf2]Sideways Stories from Wayside School.[cf1] The picture book texts are missing many illustrations, and the stories are diminished without the original page turns. The longer entries, notably those that originally had fewer illustrations, suffer less than others. Ind. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
