How Do You Know What Time It Is? (Albert Whitman Prairie Books) [Paperback]

Robert E. Wells (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2002 | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Albert Whitman Prairie Books

What would life be like with no clocks and no calendars? How would you know when to get up in the morning? Long, long ago, all people could do was watch the sun and moon and try to figure things out. Eventually, they made simple clocks like sundials.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-This is a succinct, child-friendly history of how time came to be measured, from our early ancestors, who noted how the sun traveled across the sky, to the ancient Egyptians, who used "Shadow Stick clocks" to mark its path, through present-day quartz and atomic clocks. Wells discusses the Egyptians' lunar and solar calendars and the Roman calendar, and goes on to explain time zones, using meridian lines. Analogies such as "WITHOUT TIME PASSING BY, you couldn't play a computer game or eat a bowl of ice cream-" help children understand the concepts. The characters in the pen-and-acrylic illustrations look a bit like a cross between B.C. and Doonesbury comics; the hand-lettered text creates movement around the sometimes multiple images on a page, and the combination of art and words results in fun. A terrific teaching tool, enjoyable as a read-aloud or when read independently.
Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-5. With excitement and solid fact, Wells introduces the concept of time and how we measure it. The science is complex, whether Wells is considering time zones, changing seasons, or atomic clocks; but the picture-book format, with pen and acrylic illustrations of a boy, a girl, and a dog, roots the concepts in daily experience. The historical approach--from the sundial and the ancient Roman calendar to the pendulum and then quartz crystals--provides a step-by-step introduction to the amazing technological discoveries. Wells' chatty informal style will certainly help adults talk about the concepts with children, though the exclamatory tone and punctuation in almost every sentence are unnecessary. The amazing facts say it all. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807579408
• ISBN-13: 978-0807579404
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 10 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #508,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Baby-3 > Basic Concepts > Time

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, February 14, 2012

By 

jen - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How Do You Know What Time It Is? (Hardcover)

I teach 2nd grade and my students love this thought-provoking book. I haven't found another that is better for getting students to think, and wonder, about time and how it is measured.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, October 26, 2009

By 

Mom of boys (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How Do You Know What Time It Is? (Albert Whitman Prairie Books) (Paperback)

This is an excellent book for allages. My 5 and 7 yr old kids loved it and learned a lot. It sparked their curiosity and led us onto a science experiment about the phases of the moon.