Customer Reviews

Micawber: Book and CD

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

At least one other reviewer claims 'Micawber' is inappropriate for younger kids, based on the reaction of one 4-year old. I would just like to say that my 17-month old chooses both 'Micawber' and the other Lithgow/Payne collaboration, 'The Remarkable Farkle McBride', from the shelf for me to read to her, and listens all the way through to both books, laughing at and pointing to the illustrations along the way (especially Micawber's self-portraits). I believe she is responding not just to the pictures, but to the rhythm and lilt of the poetry as well. This is NOT just a book for grownups!

If you buy one gift for that special someone in your life, make sure it's by Lithgow. His music and his books are superb! Micawber is delightful, the entire family dropped everything to sit on the couch for this one! Not a book just for reading, its the kind of book you dive into, become a part of, get lost in! Lithgow is a master at everything he does, his talents are breathtaking! Pop one of his recorded selections into your stereo, any one of which has the power to turn the crankiest child, the most frazzled mom, the most serious of men into a crazy, singing, joyful idiot before the end of the first song!Bring laughter into the lives of those you love, pick them up anything by John Lithgow!

In this wonderful book about a little squirrel's adventures, Lithgow seems to know that even a small child can understand the elaborate, descriptive words he uses to rhyme. I love the fact that he doesn't speak down to children, but brings them up to his level. C.F. Payne is also an amazing artist that brings Micawber and all of his escapades to life. His friends are a little too realistic for me, but it gives me the opportunity to show my daughter nature without actually having to touch the real thing!! :) My daughter loves to find things we may have overlooked or simply forgotten about and she is now asking about the Monet "depicting a haystack at twilight" as well as the other artists mentioned. We recently used this as an opportunity to see more art in books and the museum. She also loves to hear Lithgow reading the story and I use it as a special treat just for her. I purchased this book for her over a year ago and it is still one of her favorites.

In this charming book, John Lithgow uses clever rhymes, avoiding one syllable words and expected endings. As his little squirrel adventures through New York City on his journey to become a self-made artist, vocabulary words and artistic concepts are skillfully introduced to children. My 2 year old daughter loves to have this book read over and over, and fortunately it is sweet and intelligent enough that I enjoy it nearly as much as she does. Every squirrel we see is now called Micawber and she wonders aloud if he might have paint on his tail if she could just get close enough to see. I highly recommend it for any young, curious child, just be prepared for him or her to develop an unusal interest in your neighborhood squirrels!

this is an excellent book to read to kids& a cute story about squirrel that learns how paint by watching a human painter. john lithgow words make it enjoyable even for adults to read it over & over again & the pictures are full of life & color. it comes with a cd of john reading his story so parents can take a rest .

Highly recommended for bedtime reading for children.

This was such a treat, to read a children's book by John Lithgow. I have only known him as an actor, so this was interesting to pick up. I loved this story! It has a magical element that both children and adults will love, I am sure. The choice of vocabulary he uses, alone, is amazing. Children, (and maybe even adults), will find new words, or artists mentioned in this book. This squirrel loves art. It makes one almost giggle how he after observing many works of art, he comes to make his own, and...(well, you just have to read the book to see how it ends.) It is a very cute story, and if you are like me, it will get you thinking about the sqirrels you have seen in your life that have more than one color on their tail. A very cute thing to watch for with the children. It will bring a smile to your face.

This is a wonderful book that introduces young readers to the world of art in a most imaginative way. My son has ridden the carousel in Central Park, so he had no trouble imagining that there might be a squirrel living in a cozy apartment in the top. Lithgow's rhymes are very clever, and it is especially fun to listen to him reading the story on the enclosed CD. The illustrations are terrific too.

As the daughter of an art teacher who spent lots of her childhood in art museums, I loved this book. My kids like it, too. The rhymes are fun and inspired, the illustrations are beautiful and witty, and the payoff -- Micawber's collection of works, featuring the eponymous squirrel in various classic paintings -- is a riot. This is one of the books I'll keep for the grandkids.

We were given "Micawber" as a baby gift. When I first read through it I wasn't sure that it would ever be a favorite, given the high-level vocabulary, so I stuck it on the shelf. When my son was about [...] he pulled it off the bookshelf at bedtime. We've now read it at least once a day for FOUR MONTHS. And my son and I still love it! Thanks to this book, my son loves to point out the various paintings in the illustrations (great illustrations, BTW), he yells "Micawber" every time he sees a squirrel, and he's fascinated with painting of any kind (fingerpainting, paint with water, even playing with my old eyeshadows). I had no idea that a 2 year old could develop an appreciation for fine art and GRE level vocabulary, but it's true. Yes, perhaps not all pre-pre-schoolers will love this book (and neither will all 4-8 year olds or parents), but those who do love it gain so much from it!

With no intended offense to Mr. Lithgow, I've not watched many episodes of "Third Rock from the Sun". I've never seen him on Broadway. Chances are, I'll miss his new show that's slated for TV's fall season. But without a doubt, I am one of his biggest fans, and so are our twins.

Mr. Lithgow's affinity for cadence, rhyme and the wonder of under-used words is nothing shy of invigorating. Mr. Lithgow doesn't shy from vocabulary that may be naively viewed as "daunting" to child readers/listeners. Instead, he embraces the intricacies and beauty of language. How excited I was to be asked to define "peregrination" to my listening audience! Not since Judy Sierra's "Wild About Books" have I discovered a book I so look forward to reading aloud repeatedly; our 5-year-old twins feel the same about hearing it.

Our duo received this book as a birthday gift from great friends, and it's been read almost daily since. For a museum-minded family such as ours, the heroic squirrel (of the title) embodies all our creative and curatorial cravings.

C.F. Payne's inimitable talent, and familiarity with the styles of great masters, facilitates illustrations that visually companion the text pluperfectly.

After enjoying Micawber, I dare you not to rush out and purchase The Remarkable Farkle McBride !