Merry-Go-Round (World of Language) [Paperback]

Ruth Heller (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up | Series: World of Language

With humor, style, and succinct, admirable precision, Heller summarizes everything most people will ever need to know about this particular area of grammarA treasure. --Kirkus Reviews Its lush, exuberant, full-color artwork will grab kids' attention, even if they're sitting at the back of the classroom. --Booklist Her subject, made interesting by a rhyming text and brilliantly colored picture, will appeal to everyone. -- Horn Book Q&A - Ruth Heller - A Paperstar Profile How did you become interested in writing books for children? I loved reading to my own children, and when they started school, I became the P.T.A. library chairman. I was the one who got to pick and choose and spend a nice fat budget for the elementary school library. I feel as though I've been surrounded by children's books for years. I suppose this and my strong art background are what prompted my trying to write. What is the biggest influence in your style of writing, and how has it changed since you first began? Hillaire Belloc, Gilbert and Sullivan, Edward Lear--I grew up reading all of them. I love their rhythm, and I loved reading Dr. Seuss to my children. No question, these were my influences. I think I've become wordier, not quite as minimal and succinct as I used to be. What made you decide to write a series on the parts of speech? Take a peek at the back end paper of the hardcover edition of A Cache of Jewels. You'll see that I committed myself, in print, to writing a book for each part of speech. Here I am, ten years later, thankfully completing the very last book in this series. It will be published in 1998. Do you begin with the words or pictures when you are developing a book? How does the second part come together? The first step is to decide what I am going to say on each page. Then I can begin to visualize my illustrations. The words dictate what the illustration will be, but that still gives me many options. Sometimes the two come together easily, sometimes not. If not, I pursue new research material until something clicks. Did you learn anything new about the parts of speech while writing these books? I learned many things I had forgotten, and some new information and rules that I had never known. I also learned that the textbooks that I used for research were difficult to understand and somewhat boring, and that I am guilty of frequent misuse of the English language. How do you choose the images in your book? An art teacher once told me to fall in love with whatever I was drawing. So I choose images that I love: candy, ice cream, butterflies, sea creatures, carousels, jewels, etc.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

To say that Heller has a way with words is to understate a multifaceted talent. In her previous books on language, her spirited verse and vibrantly hued pictures have provided lively lessons on the meaning of collective nouns, verbs and adjectives. Here, she examines nouns of all kinds: common and proper, abstract and concrete, compound, collective, singular and plural. The rhymed text of this book is as witty and smooth as its predecessors. Heller's vivid illustrations include a scaly, purple-tongued dragon; armored knights on horseback; a quartet of carousel animals; and a spectrum of fish, fruits and flowers. Intricate background patterns and designs further enrich many of the pages. Rarely does a book offer children so much to look at, listen to and learn. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 6-- Nouns of all kinds are the subject of Heller's latest in her series of books on parts of speech. Common, proper, abstract, concrete, compound, and collective nouns are all defined and shown by example in usually lilting verse. Singular, plural, and possessive forms of nouns are also thoroughly covered, and determiners are explained and demonstrated. The rhyme form is used with amazing skill but now and then seems forced as in, "Nouns are highly effective./ The last kind of NOUN is . . . COLLECTIVE." How and why they work are not explained. Striking graphic design with large clear objects in bold colors overflowing each double-page spread make the book a visual treat. The use of bold type for all the nouns is particularly pleasing and will make for easy reading aloud. Heller's language books challenge users' creativity since the concepts are difficult for the picture-book format. Conversely, the verse and illustrations can delight very young children while older readers are sure to find the concise definitions clearer and certainly more entertaining than any grammar text. Those who have found the others in the series successful will want this one. --Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (February 23, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698116429
• ISBN-13: 978-0698116429
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Reference & Nonfiction > Language Arts > Grammar
  • #94 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Reference & Nonfiction > Language Arts > General

More About the Author

"Writing and illustrating my own books have given me the opportunity to choose subjects of interest to me."--Ruth HellerAfter receiving a fine arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley and completing two years of graduate work in design at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, Ruth Heller began her career designing wrapping paper, cocktail napkins, greeting cards, and coloring books. After five years of rejection and one complete revision, Heller's first book, Chickens Aren't the Only Ones, about egg-laying animals, was published in 1981. It was so successful that the sequel, and second book to be published, Animals Born Alive And Well (1982), about mammals, quickly followed. In 1983 and 1984, her third and fourth titles, The Reason For A Flower (about plants that have seeds and flowers) and Plants That Never Ever Bloom (about plants that do not) were published.She then began work on a collection of six books, the How To Hide series on camouflage and the magic of this phenomenon in nature, which covered the entire animal kingdom -- insects, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and sea creatures. The next collection of books became a five-volume series on parts of speech: A Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns; Kites Sail High: A Book About Verbs; Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives; Merry-Go- Round: A Book About Nouns; and Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs. She also wrote and illustrated the unique and fascinating book Color, a charming and instructive guide to how art goes through the four color printing process.Among the notable people who have had an influence on Heller's writing have been: Ogden Nash, Gilbert and Sullivan, Edward Lear, Hilaire Belloc, and Dr. Seuss. Heller says of her work, "All my books are nonfiction picture books in rhyme. I find writing in rhyme enjoyable and challenging, and I think it is an easy way for children to learn new facts and acquire a sophisticated vocabulary. Children are not intimidated by big words. I try to make my writing succinct and allow the illustrations to convey as much information as possible."On October 31, 1995, Grosset & Dunlap continues Heller's parts-of-speech books with the publication of Behind the Mask: A Book About Prepositions, a clever, thoughtful, eye-pleasing explanation of just how prepositions tell us about the "when" and "where" of things.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Information, but a Tad Tedious, January 15, 2004

By 

Occasional Reviewer (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Merry-Go-Round (World of Language) (Paperback)

I ordered this book along with Brian Cleary's "A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink" and found the two to be quite different in both content and style. I thought a review might help someone else choosing between the two.

I don't know who assigned the reading level as is currently is shown, but to say this book is for ages 4 through 8 is misleading. This may be accurate if only reading ability is being considered, but where content is concerned I think it is more than the average four or five year-old needs or wants to know. As I pre-read this book, even my eyes started to glaze over. It is a LOT of information for a short book. Including abstract nouns and concrete nouns in addition to the common, proper, and compound nouns is probably okay for the younger kids and great for the older ones. But how to make different types of nouns plural giving examples of when to add "es", how to handle a "y", changing an "f" or "fe" to "v", and words that end in "o" (which gave three examples, one for adding "s", one for "es", and then one for doing it either way) seemed like more of a spelling lesson to me, and could quickly turn to information overload.

If you are looking for something to add the learning of nouns at a more in-depth level and for the higher end of this age bracket, this could be a nice compliment. But for the younger kids of four, five, and six, I would recommend opting for "A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink". It keeps it much simpler, and the illustration and text are funner, even a little silly.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW !!! What a way to learn , I Love it!, May 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Merry-Go-Round (World of Language) (Paperback)

I just happened to find these and so happy they are Great! Beautiful illustrations that the kids love, and learn from as well, in a format that keeps them interested. Even helped me remember things that I'd forgotten over time.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beware of words that might get you in trouble!, November 5, 2008

By 

Just a Teacher - See all my reviews

This review is from: Merry-Go-Round (World of Language) (Paperback)

This book is a great resource for teaching and/or reviewing nouns. However in the book there are some words that might get you in trouble with parents or administration if you are a teacher. The words are jackasses and boobies, as in red-footed boobies. Just an FYI.