Cdb! [Hardcover]

William Steig (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

If U R reading this,

solving the puzzles

N this book

should B

E-Z

4 U.

(And if you can't, Caldecott Medal-winning New Yorker cartoonist William Steig has created a host of pictorial hints just to help you out.)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

William Steig--The New Yorker cartoonist and revered creator of the Caldecott Medalist Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Abel's Island, and dozens of other magnificent books--first wrote and illustrated the original, black-and-white edition of CDB! more than 30 years ago. Adding splashes of watercolor on larger, broader pages (and an answer key in the back!), Steig brings new life to his well-loved favorite. For the uninitiated, "C D B!" translates to "See the bee!" Other letter codes are more challenging, such as the boy leaning on a tree saying "I F-N N-E N-R-G" or a droopy decrepit man slouching in a chair labeled "O-L H." Once you get used to this abbreviated Steig-speak, all (or at least most) will become clear--"X" sometimes means "eggs," "D" is sometimes "the," and "S" can be "is" or "has," for example. Or, you can just read the letters out loud over and over until the proper phrase emerges plain as day. (The pictures help, too, of course!) Those who crave more wordplay will want to explore CDC? This book is nothing less than X-L-N, and no home where words are celebrated should be without it. (Ages 5 to 105) --Karin Snelson

From Booklist

The drawings are now in color, the pages are larger, and the once yellow background on the jacket is now sleek white, but the appeal of Steig's wordplay classic, first published 30 years ago, remains intact. The book's clever humor is still irresistible: "I M A U-M B-N," a boy patiently explains to his attentive dog. "U R N N-M-L." New generations will delight in puzzling out the letter-and-number messages, aided by the simple, thickly outlined drawings and an answer key. A worthy replacement for collections' battered original copies. Gillian Engberg

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers; Rev. format ed edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689831609
• ISBN-13: 978-0689831607
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #502,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Steig (1907-2003) published his first children's book, Roland the Minstrel Pig, in 1968, and received the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (978-1416902065) in 1970. His works also include The Amazing Bone, a Caldecott Honor Book, and Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto, both Newbery Honor Books. His most recent books published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux are Shrek! (released by DreamWorks as a major motion picture) and Wizzil, illustrated by Quentin Blake. School Library Journal named Shrek! a Best Book of 1990 and said of it, "Steig's inimitable wit and artistic dash have never been sharper or more expertly blended."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Fun!, June 28, 2001

By 

Amy "hmmyum" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cdb! (Hardcover)

I used this book in an elementary classroom. When the children came in each morning, they would look at the board to get the day's riddle. They had fun and I got a couple of minutes of peace in the mornings. They felt SO SMART when they solved each one. They even started to make up their own riddles to put on the board and got such a kick out of letting their classmates in on the answers.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars cute!, October 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: C D B! (Turtleback)

this book is just adorable...C D B? D B S A B-Z B. (see the bee? the bee is a busy bee.) and so forth and so on...just great!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reading Fest 2000, March 24, 2000

By 

Mrs. Limberakis and Students (Pleasant Ridge Elementary School, Saline, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: C D B! (Paperback)

Using letters, numbers, and simple pictures, this book can be fun for all ages! This year our school had a reading fest and this was one of the books. We made up and illustrated our own sayings. It was hard at first and then we got the hang of it. It was our favorite book of the day!