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The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators [Hardcover]

Anita Silvey (Editor)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)


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Book Description

September 26, 2002
Upon publication, Children’s Books and Their Creators, Anita Silvey’s comprehensive survey of contemporary children’s literature, was called “an invaluable reference . . . [and] a wonderful resource” (Christian Science Monitor) and garnered unanimous praise from librarians, educators, and specialists interested in the world of writing for children.
Now The Essential Guide to Children’s Books and Their Creators assembles the best of that volume in one handy, affordable reference, geared specifically to parents, educators, and students. This new volume introduces readers to the wealth of children’s literature by focusing on the essentials — the best books for children, the ones that inform, impress, and, most important, excite young readers. Updated to include newcomers such as J. K. Rowling and Lemony Snicket and to cover the very latest on publishing and educational trends, this edition features more than 475 entries on the best-loved children’s authors and illustrators, numerous essays on social and historical issues, thirty personal glimpses into craft by well-known writers, illustrators, and critics, and invaluable reading lists by category.
The Essential Guide to Children’s Books and Their Creators summarizes the canon of contemporary children’s literature, in a practical guide essential for anyone choosing a book for or working with children.


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Aficionados of children's literature get an education with The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators, ed. by Anita Silvey, an updated version of her Children's Books and Their Creators (1995). With an encyclopedic approach, the volume contains 475 alphabetically ordered entries-375 from the previous edition and 100 new essays-covering authors, illustrators, genres, publishing trends and more. Writers and artists sound off in entries marked "Voices of the Creators"; incidental illustrations appear throughout. All ages.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

From Aesop to Zwerger, this title holds a wealth of information about children's literature in an easily accessible, alphabetized format. To create the work, some material was taken from the earlier collection, Children's Books and Their Creators (Houghton, 1995), and combined with more than 100 new essays on more recent titles. When necessary, information from the previous title has been updated. In her introduction, Silvey states that she considered "historical importance, popularity, current interest in and availability of the books, and the overall contribution of the author or artist." The titles "include captivating stories, compelling characters and imaginative use of language-they appeal to a wide and diverse audience of children." In addition to essays on various genres, themes, and perspectives, "Voices of the Creators" provide personal insights of well-known authors and illustrators. The book also contains a substantial reading list divided into categories, such as nursery rhymes, information books, and Japanese American literature. A solid, handy resource for both public and school libraries.
Suzanne Crowder, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 560 pages
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; None edition (September 26, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 061819083X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0618190836
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 1.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,707,238 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Average Customer Review
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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly an Essential Guide for Learning About Children's Books, January 8, 2004
I'm a children's book editor, and run a web site called "The Purple Crayon," where I review this book in detail. Here are some excerpts from that review:

The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators is a handy one-volume reference for anyone working in the field, and also both fun and informative to browse....

Set up like an encyclopedia, the Guide includes more than 475 entries and an index in 500 pages. It opens with a great "Basic Reading List" and then goes to the A-Z listing, which mostly consists of entries about specific authors and illustrators of children's books. Most are American, most are 20th century, but there are people from the 19th century and other countries (for example, George MacDonald, Carlo Collodi, Astrid Lindgren, Margaret Mahy). Some entries on living writers and illustrators are followed by a first-person statement, "Voices of the Creators."

I count 31 feature articles on other subjects, mostly types or genres of books. Examples: "African-American Children's Books," "Alphabet Books," "Series Books," "Middle Grade Fiction," and "Information Books."

I think few readers will quibble with the selections: the authors and illustrators who appear here belong here. Of course, I did find some personal favorites missing, as may just about anyone who has read many children's books....

On the whole, though, this is an excellent and compact reference. You'll find well-written and informative essays on the artists and writers you look up, and random browsing is amply rewarded. If you aren't familiar with American children's literature, this is a good place to start to learn. If you already know the field, you'll still find things you don't know.

(This book is derived from the longer and more expensive Children's Books and Their Creators (1995), which Anita Silvey edited while she was still editor-in-chief of the Horn Book magazine. This edition includes a selection of entries from that book, plus 100 new entries to bring it up to date.)

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars With over 100 new essays, October 8, 2002
Essential Guide To Children's Books And Their Creators is a recommended pick for any parent or teacher who wants a comprehensive survey of contemporary children's literature. A single volume of recommendations covers the best books and authors for children - the ones which are tested as making the most impression on kids. Over 100 new essays include newcomers from Harry Potter to Lemony Snicket, along with the latest publishing trends for kids.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Indispensable Reference, December 1, 2002
By A Customer
This is a fabulous resource for anyone interested in children's books. It includes 475 biographical/critical entries on current and classic writers and illustrators as well as essays on topics such as chapter books, poetry, fantasy, and book design. A special "Voices of the Creators" feature presents thirty personal essays from writers such as Katherine Paterson, Kevin Henkes, and Lois Lowry. There's also a useful graded booklist. Highly recommended for parents, writers, readers, and school and public librarians.
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little mouse, transitional readers, merican illustrator, ritish author, merican author, realistic young adult novel, picture book format, picture book texts, first young adult novel
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New York, United States, African American, Newbery Medal, World War, Caldecott Honor Book, Newbery Honor Book, Caldecott Medal, Voices of the Creators, Mother Goose, Los Angeles, New England, New Jersey, National Book Award, Horn Book Magazine, Civil War, Van Allsburg, Native American, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Little House, Little Bear, The Wind, Mary Poppins, North Pole, Kate Greenaway Medal
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