Away from Home [Hardcover]

Anita Lobel (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

In this original alphabet book with an international flavor, the acclaimed author/artist takes her characters and her audience on a whirlwind tour of the world's wonders. From Adam arriving in Amsterdam to Zachary zigzagging in Zaandam, magnificent illustrations entice young readers to linger on every page.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This alliterative alphabet book takes the reader on a globe-trotting adventure as Lobel sets the stage--literally--to introduce letters and various world cities as well. On each page, a different boy stars under the spotlight before an audience of eager children. A sentence describes each scene: "Henry hoped in Hollywood"; "Paul painted in Paris." Lobel continually shows the reactions of those in the front row, creating the excitement of a live theater performance. The choices of names and locations run the gamut from commonplace to unusual (Odense, Yakutsk, Zaandam) and may well encourage a hunt through an atlas. Watercolor and gouache paintings are partially framed by bold black strips meant to represent offstage darkness, while the "backdrops" of each set depict such impressive landmarks as London Bridge or Moscow's Cathedral of Saint Basil. The illustrations' combination of accuracy and romanticism delivers the right amount of information. Happily, a final page entitled "Where They Went" provides interesting facts about each destination. Fans will appreciate this as a companion to Lobel's Alison's Zinnia but newcomers, too, will fully enjoy the trip. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-This whirlwind journey around the world in 26 letters offers much for the eye in its arresting watercolor-and-gouache paintings. The boys who make the trip (there are no girls) are featured in a variety of architectural settings, one per page, from the great Pyramids at Giza to Moscow's Cathedral of St. Basil. All of the places are explained in a one-page glossary. The format is a stage set, replete with curtains and an appreciative first-row audience of youngsters. As an arty travelogue for parents to read with young children, this is an attractive choice. However, many of the verbs are forced and would be difficult for youngsters to comprehend, such as "Oliver oscillated in Odense." Some of the scenic places pictured, e.g., Xian, China, may be unfamiliar to all but the most sophisticated who, like the author, have had a wide variety of travel experiences. There is, unfortunately, a static quality to the elaborate stage settings that form the backdrops for the characters. Although they reinforce the effect of a performance, they detract from the reality of the world tour. A book that's unlikely to find a wide audience.
Martha Rosen, Edgewood School, Scarsdale, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (September 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688103545
• ISBN-13: 978-0688103545
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 10.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,073,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for School Teachers, August 15, 2008

By 

Mary Glendening - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Away from Home (Hardcover)

I used this book in my first and second grade classrooms. We would sit in front of a large wall map and then read a page at a time. Next we would find the city or country on the map. Some clues were occasionally needed but most of the time some students would know that London is in England, or Paris is in France. Yes, Uxmal and Xian were a little difficult but since I had been to both of these places plus 13 other places included in this book I could add some interesting details. We didn't try to do the whole book in one sitting. Our class also had e-mail contacts with schools in Wales, Canada, Australia, Africa, Mexico plus several across the U.S. so we may have had an additional interest in the world around us.

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A nice journey, but a few disturbing questions..., May 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Away from Home (Hardcover)

My 10 month old son really enjoys this book. The format is nice, with large pages, little writing and great pictures. I bought it because I want him to be exposed to many parts of the world and its people. But a few things trouble me: 1) Why are only the boys traveling to the exotic places and the little girls just sit in the audience? 2)Why are there no locations in Africa? There is good diversity of the little boys and girls, but it seems the places could have been a little more representative of the globe. I think Ms. Lobel could have lost Tulsa and substituted Timbuktu. 3) The letter C is very disturbing - "Craig crawled in Cracow". And Craig has a Star of David on his hat. What are we to think of this? Is this implying that Jews should be crawling? Or is it some sort of not-so-subtle historical reference with no context within which to interpret it? I find it a little out of place in a childs book. Let us worry about explaining man's inhumanity to man when the kids are a little older please.

In summary, a nice book, but I really have trouble getting past these items.