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A Child's Calendar Hardcover – October 12, 1965

by John Updike (Author), Nancy Ekholm Burkert (Illustrator)

38 customer reviews

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A collection of twelve poems describing the activities in a child's life and the changes in the weather as the year moves from January to December.--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf; First Edition edition (1989)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0394810597
ISBN-13: 978-0394810591
Product Dimensions: 0.2 x 6.5 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,715,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #461732 in Books > Children's Books

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Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars

5 star		74%
4 star		18%
3 star		0%
2 star		3%
1 star		5%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful

A Vivid, Visual Introduction to Poetic Imagery

By Donald Mitchell HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on April 6, 2001

Format: Hardcover

Today, many children only know about poetry from Dr. Seuss. A Child's Calendar is a rich introduction to the imagery of poetry that has entranced all who listen since the days of wandering story tellers and shamen. In this volume, classic New England situations and events are beautifully illustrated in warm, heavily inked water colors showing beautiful brown and pink faces amid nature's wonders. Although no one would buy this volume solely for the poetry, the resulting book of illustrated verses makes for the raw material for a garden of happy memories tended by reading to your child (or grandchild) and listening while she or he learns to read to you.
Each month is featured, beginning with January, with a brief poem and two beautiful illustrations spread over two pages. The illustrations are clearly well deserving of the Caldecott Honor.
I found some of the imagery particularly meaningful, and these lines are included below:
January -- "The sun a spark/Hung thin between/The dark and dark."
February -- "And snapping, snipping/Scissors run/To cut out hearts."
March -- "The timid earth/Decides to thaw."
April -- "All things renew./All things begin."
May -- "And Daddy may/Get out his hoe/To plant tomatoes/In a row."
June -- "In golden hours,/Silver days."
July -- "Bang-bang! Ka-boom!"
August -- "The pavement wears/Popsicle stains."
September -- "The breezes taste of apple peel."
October -- "Frost bites the lawn."
November -- "The ground is hard,/As hard as stone."
December -- "We were fat penguins,/Warm and stiff."
The subjects of sun, earth, plants, animals, and change recur in almost each poem.Read more ›

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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

Dandy eye and word candy

By A Customer on December 30, 1999

Format: Hardcover

Updike creates a poem and word picture that accurately and wonderfully describes each month of the year. His short, simple poems are packed full of words and imagines that conjure up seasons and holidays, emotions and activities throughout the year. Hyman's illustrations are an added bonus, as she brings each month to life through the eyes of a family and their friends. I highly recommend this one. It's beautiful.

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Hung thin between the dark and dark.

By E. R. Bird HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER on May 2, 2005

Format: Hardcover

I propose that we invent an entirely new category of children's literature. In my life I've had the pleasure of discovering, usually through complete accident, fabulous picture books that use poetry to convey seasons. Tasha Tudor's, "A Time To Keep" was the first of these and remains a favorite (if only because it is intricately tied into my own childhood). The second such book was Charlotte Zolotow's breathtaking, "Seasons: A Book of Poems". Words cannot convey how much I enjoyed that book. And now, lo and behold, I've found a third leg to this unlikely triumvirate. And who could have dreamed it would have sprung from the pen of writer extraordinaire John Updike? In "A Child's Calendar", Updike's 1965 poems have been given a lively update, all thanks to illustrator Trina Schart Hyman. The result is a book that truly embraces diversity, change, and how kids react to the natural ebb and flow of the seasons. It is one of the loveliest books for children I've ever had the pleasure to page through.

The book begins in January, and we meet a family of four. An interracial couple and their two sons live in the country, and sometimes the neighbor kids come by. The cold winter months freeze the earth so that, "The river is/ A frozen place/ Held still beneath/ The trees' black lace". With the arrival of spring, the family is out in the yard (with the toddler sometimes "helping" by plucking daffodils from the earth, bulbs and all) and "We still wear mittens/ Which we lose". Summer shows us various idyllic childhood scenes involving ponds to explore, roads to bike down, fireworks, and beachside adventures. Though, as Updike is quick to point out in August, "The trees are bored/With being green/ Some people leave/ The local scene". So autumn comes and school begins.Read more ›

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Dandy Eye and Word Candy

By A Customer on December 30, 1999

Format: Hardcover

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

The Heart of New England

By prisrob TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on May 2, 2005

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

A friend recommended this book for my grandbaby. What a beautiful second birthday gift for my lucky little girl. Most of us are familiar with John Updike. He is a contemporary, well known author from New England, Massachusetts to be exact. John Updike has written the poetry of each month. The poetry reaches into and grabs us all but particularly the child-the rhymes and rhythm so graceful. Trina Schart Hyman has drawn the illustrations. Trina Schart Hyman was from New Hampshire, right up the road from me. She was one of the most glorious illustrators and painters. It was not until Trina's daughter married a man of color that Trina realized her illustrations were all of white people. She has rectified that and these illustrations are magnificent.

This is May in New England- John Updike has written:

"New children may

go out of doors

Without their coats

to candy stores

The apple blossoms

and the pear

may float their blossoms

through the air."

Trina Schart Hyman has drawn a Vermont General Store with a sign that says Vermont Cheeses; Maple Products, Homestead Bacon- children are shopping in the store as we can see through the open doorway, a young boy is licking his ice cream on the steps as his dog watches hoping for a falling icy piece.

The rest of the book is similar- from January through December, a poem for each month and a beautiful vivid illustration to match. What child would not love this book- I love this book! Each month shows the change of season in New England- you can almost feel the leaves crinkle and the soft snow on your eyelids.

This children's book has won a Caldecott Honor.Read more ›

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Trina Schart Hyman is my favorite illustrator and this book is an...

Trina Schart Hyman is my favorite illustrator and this book is an especial favorite for gift giving. The beautiful illustrations are of Ms. Read more

Published 5 months ago by christine

Great introduction to poetry

Purchased to entice my class of struggling readers (grade 6), this book was a rousing success. They loved the rhymes and the pictures, and practiced fluency and expression in... Read more

Published 5 months ago by Drew

Beautiful Poetry For Kids of All Ages

This book is set in poetic form to describe each month. The words visually describe the months so well that it is almost perfection. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Naila Moon

Five Stars

Fantastic book for kids. Love this one.

Published 6 months ago by Lisa OConnell

one of our favorite books! illustrates the changing seasons well

one of our favorite books! illustrates the changing seasons well. it is a great way to teach kids what to expect in each month

Published 7 months ago by C Martin

A classic, for sure

Adorable book, clever for adults, captivating for children. Charming illustrations. This is the twentieth-century answer to R.L. Stevenson's "A Child's Garden of Verses."

Published 9 months ago by Lola Jo Moss

A good book for beginning readers.

A beautiful illustrated book for beginning readers to learn about the various months and seasons.

Published 10 months ago by Anonymus

Love the diversity and quality of the pictures

Love the diversity and quality of the pictures. Bought this mostly for Trina Schart Hyman's beautiful illustrations, and wasn't disappointed.

Published 11 months ago by crice

Five Stars

I am using this book for scrapbooking my grandsons first 12 months of life.

Published 11 months ago by Patricia Greco

Nice book

Paperback book, nice illustrations, and usable quotes for garden club newsletter, which is why I bought it.