Customer Reviews

The Important Book

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Hi, I just read the review below from the infuriated reader who said that this book talks down to children.

But once I went to a talk about children's books and they discussed this book and said that Margaret Wise Brown was not doing that at all. That the intent of the book is actually to invite kids to debate and have their own opinions. She sets up these statements on purpose to provoke, and to get kids to think for themselves. She's playing with the reader because of course, how CAN you say that a daisy is important 'because it is white'? It's also yellow in the middle, and has petals, or whatever. Same with an apple. She says it's important because 'it is round' but what about because it's sweet? Or juicy? The whole joke is that she's announcing 'what's important' about something in order to invite thought and prompt argument. Her other stories reveal too much depth for her to have really been trying to control kids' minds with the 'important book.'

I use this book at a "getting to know you" starter for the 1st day of school. After reading the book, the students start to see the pattern. I then have them write something about themselves using the same pattern in the book. "The most important thing about Sue is that she likes to read. Sue has 3 cats, plays soccer and can pitch like Nolan Ryan, but the most important thing about Sue is that she likes to read." I then have them illustrate these things on manilla paper or with the computer, then bind all of the pages into a class book. The kids love getting to know each other this way.

We use this selection to teach the concept of the main idea. I start the entire year off using this book. I read the book aloud to the students.We discuss each aspect of the important or the main idea of each subject.After completing the book we then write a page about ourselves. Example: The important thing about Ellis is that he is a toehead,he loves computer games , he plays with his trucks and he always wears Carharts,but the important thing about Ellis is that he is a toehead. Ellis is a student that has the whitest hair you have ever seen...everyone always says something to him about his "toehead". The children (usually third graders) each do their own page and we publish our book for the classroom. We try to have this completed by our open house. The parents really enjoy it and they get to know their childs classmates in a special way. Just a thought!

This book is an excellent study tool for any teacher. The format of the book gives students a perfect model in how to write a good paragraph. Eventhough it is basic, students grasp the idea of the difference between a topic sentence and a paragraph's supporting sentences.

We like this book. It may have some flaws, as other reviewers have indicated, but it more than makes up for them by providing a background for some invigorating discussions. Discussions and learning that both my kids and I enjoyed!

What is great about this book is that because the topics are about nature, my children could offer up some of their own observations. While my 3 year-old did not offer up many ideas, he certainly listened attentively as my 5 year-old and I talked about each page.

And she and I did not always agree with the book's conclusion! We decided, for example, that the most important part about air was that it is necessary for life. But that is the great thing about "The Important Book". It began a dialog in which we could each have our own input and opinion.

Four stars. I think it will be interesting to read this book every year to see how our answers grow and vary.

This thoughtfull Brown book methodically affirms a small child's growing ability to construct opinions about his or her world. Misunderstood as asserting objective classifications, Brown instead elaborates on the ellusive season of child development when subjective and objective information are indistinguishable:
"the important thing about a daisy is that it is white" and air is "the color of air".
Recommended if you want the child in your life to catch Brown's vision of personal discovery.

I used this book at the beginning of the school year to get my special ed students to write about what was important to them or about why the things in the book are important. They all loved the activity and it was one of their favorite picks for reading time.

This is a truly timeless book. Published 50 years ago, it still rings true. My own children loved it and we played games echoing it on journeys in the car. In my classroom I use it often to set up reponses in English, math, social studies and science. It always serves to spark animated conversations.

Teachers, you can use the pattern used in this book to encourage your students to write. Check for understanding of concepts in your class by having student use the pattern. For example: The important thing about economics is that it teaches us to be good decision makers. It teaches us about goods and services. It teaches us about being a good consumer. It teaches us about opportunity cost. BUT...the important thing about economics is that it teaches us to be good decision makers. (They are writing definitions and don't even know it!)

I love this book, and use it quite a bit in my kindergarten classroom. In fact, every year we are inspired to create a class "Important Book" with facts about my students. We've also made "Family Important Books." There is one thing I would change about this book if I could have a talk with Ms. Brown. There are two things mentioned in the book that are supposedly important because they are white. I teach in an inner-city school in Boston and almost all of my students are children of color. They are constantly bombarded in their lives by messages about how important the color white is, especially when related to people , in the media, in books, everywhere. When I read this book, I make it a point to challenge the author's opinion that the most important thing about snow is that it's white. I personally think that the most important thing about snow is that it is cold. The annual discussions that I have with my students about that particular page are rich with personal connections and fascinating insights. I hope you will have these same conversations with any children to whom you read this book. Cheers!