The Looking Book: A Hide-and-Seek Counting Story [Hardcover]

Mary Ann Hoberman (Author), Laura Huliska-Beith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002 | Grade Level: P and up

Who can resist a book that features a sly cat, a compelling mystery and a counting game all in one? When a cat disappears upon page one, young readers are invited to join the search. Lively verse and zany picture full of sly details will have readers wanting to look at THE LOOKING BOOK over and over again. Count your way through the pages and solve the mystery of the missing cat?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As its title suggests, this jaunty picture book offers plenty of fun for eagle-eyed readers. When Ned's cat, Pistachio, goes missing, the boy embarks on a page-by-page search for his beloved (and slightly mischievous) pet. Lucky for readers, but challenging for Ned, each subsequent page depicts new scenery and adventure. Originally published in 1973 with different illustrations, Hoberman's (One of Each; A House Is a House for Me) lengthy rhyming text sustains children's interest in the hunt ("He looked some more upon page four,/ Through the windows and the door"). But it's Huliska-Beith's (The Book of Bad Ideas) kicky mixed-media paintings that give the proceedings an educational component as well as excitement. Using acrylics and paper- and fabric-collage, the artist invents an inviting, off-kilter world where a horse with glasses and a fairy tale queen feel right at home. Her sumptuously imagined scenes are generously peppered with puns, jokes and numbers, and each page also contains appropriate quantities of things to count. Author and artist offer readers an inside joke: though Ned is oblivious, Pistachio lurks on every spread. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-In this counting cum visual puzzle book, a green cat is missing, and children are invited to follow his trail through the numbers 1 to 28 as they search for him. In a style reminiscent of Maira Kalman's work, Hoberman and Huliska-Beith lead readers on a merry, but, occasionally, confusing chase. Not only are youngsters asked to find Pistachio (who is not actually in all of the pictures), but they must also find the numerals, and, in some cases, objects that reflect the number. For example, the page for number four has four four-leaf clovers, four footprints, window mullions that make the numeral four, wallpaper imprinted with shadowy fours, and a golfer yelling "four" as his ball takes four bounces into a bowl of four goldfish. A stylized octopus is irritatingly on page seven and has only seven (numbered) arms. The awkward rhyming text ("One day a long long time ago, A boy named Ned set out to look For his lost cat Pistachio. One day a long long time ago") sometimes offers clues to the cat's whereabouts, and sometimes doesn't. This book is a visual feast but it may frustrate children because of its inconsistencies and adult jokiness, both in text and illustration.
Dona Ratterree, New York City Public Schools
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Megan Tingley; 2 edition (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316363286
• ISBN-13: 978-0316363280
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,134,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Ann Hoberman is a poet and the critically acclaimed author of many books for children, including the beloved A House Is a House for Me, which won a National Book Award. She was also the editor of the poetry anthology My Song Is Beautiful: Poems and Pictures in Many Voices. Ms. Hoberman gives readings in libraries and schools, and her poems are included in countless anthologies. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for fun and learning!!!, November 14, 2003

By 

Momof3dd (Lexington, KY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Looking Book: A Hide-and-Seek Counting Story (Hardcover)

This is a great book about fun and learning. It has a great rhyme, teaches kids numbers and to look for something that may be hidden on each page. My girls love it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take a Look, September 1, 2003

By 

Valerie S. Fowler "valgal00" (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Looking Book: A Hide-and-Seek Counting Story (Hardcover)

`The Looking Book' is the perfect title for this cute story about a boy looking for his cat. Young readers will have a great time helping Ned look for Pistachio through twenty-eight pages of colorful, collage-style illustrations.

"Of course you know it's not much fun
To lose a cat upon page ONE."

The rhyme and rhythem in this book make it perfect for reading out-loud while the kids search the page for Pistachio. They'll find him popping out of a cupboard door, disguised as a castle guard or camelphloged in a monkeys cage. Of course Ned never seems to see him and enlists the help of a courtly queen, a memory-challenged old man and a faithful horse (who eventually gives up on page twenty-six). This book is a fun adventure with great giggle potential.

5.0 out of 5 stars Take Another Look!, November 23, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Looking Book: A Hide-and-Seek Counting Story (Hardcover)

If you are familiar with the work of Mary Ann Hoberman, you know her books are top-notch. If you are REALLY familiar with her work, you will recall seeing the text of this book back in the early 70's. This remake is fabulous! Husliska-Beith has added the color and whimsy that the original version lacked in illustration, making it something special for today's child.

The book is an interactive experience. The child is encouraged to join in on the search for Pistachio the cat. His owner, Ned, is looking on every page and needs your help. With clever lines..."Of course you know it's not much fun/
to lose a cat upon page ONE...And so he started out to look/straight through the pages of this book."

There is also plenty for the eye (perhaps why it is called THE LOOKING BOOK?:-) Huliska-Beith has added lots of funny details which should keep you and your child entertained. This is one they'll pick up over and over again.