Miss Smith's Incredible Story Book [Hardcover]

Michael Garland (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

In this latest picture book by Michael Garland, action-packed artwork showcases a tale of high adventure inspired by the magic of reading and one spectacular teacher.

Zack can't wait for Mrs. Smith to read out loud again from her incredible book. The first story fills the classroom with dueling pirates and the sound of their clashing swords. The second story transports Zack's class to the shady forest of the Big Bad Wolf. At the end of each spellbinding tale the characters slip quietly back into the book.

But one day Mrs. Smith is late for school, and the principal takes charge. When he runs away in terror from a fire-breathing dragon, Zack and his classmates set free the rest of the storybook characters and have a morning of high-spirited fun . . . until they notice that the pirates have hoisted their Jolly Roger on the roof of the school!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-Zack's exciting new teacher has a magic storybook. When she opens it up and reads aloud, the characters pop out and bring the tales to life right before the students' eyes. But Miss Smith's book isn't for everybody, and when stuffy Principal Rittenrotten has to fill in for her one morning, the dragon, princess, and knight that materialize from the pages send him from the room in a panic. The only way to make them disappear is to finish their respective stories, but Zack's classmates keep beginning new ones instead, until the school is overrun with Goldilocks, the Mad Hatter, and other such characters, seen vividly cavorting across the full-page spreads. Fortunately, Miss Smith shows up just in time and returns them to the safety of the book's pages, leaving the principal confused and her students forever in her debt. The lively, bright illustrations have a glossy, computer-generated quality that young readers will appreciate. Miss Smith wears a black leather jacket and a lapel button advertising "The Clash," and has a punk-rock hairdo. A satisfactory addition to most collections.
Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

[An] animated invitation to the pleasures of reading, as well as a tribute to unconventional teachers everywhere. -- Kirkus Reviews --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1 edition (July 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525471332
• ISBN-13: 978-0525471332
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 11.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #456,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Award winning author and illustrator Michael Garland has been out on the New York Times Best Seller list four times.

Some recent Michael Garland books from are; Oh, What A Christmas! Scholastic, Miss Smith Under the Ocean, Dutton Publishers, and Grandpa's Tractor, Boyds Mills

Michael Garland's greatest success has been for writing and illustrating children's picture books. Garland's Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook recently won the California and Delaware State Reading Awards. He is currently working on his thirtieth book as author and illustrator.

Michael Garland has illustrated for celebrity authors like James Patterson and Gloria Estefan. His illustrations for Patterson's SantaKid were the inspiration for Sak's Fifth's Avenue's Christmas holiday window display in New York City. Garland's Christmas Magic has become a season classic and is currently being developed for a for a TV special.

His work has won many honors and is frequently included in the Society of Illustrators and the Original Art of Children's book show as well annuals from Print, Graphis and Communications Arts magazines. Recently, Michael Garland was included on the list of the top one hundred Irish Americans by Irish American Magazine.
Michael Garland is frequently asked to speak at schools, literary conferences and festivals across the country.

http://www.garlandpicturebooks.com

http://childrensbooksheal.com/2011/11/30/oh-what-a-christmas-by-michael-garland/

http://www.valcomnews.com/wp-content/PDFs/CalKids/CK1112.pdf

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=383&id=100000791525187&l=fb121ddf7a

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24741&id=100000791525187&l=59df58a9f5


Michael Garland

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encourage Reading, September 17, 2003

By 

Kathy Rodriguez (Waverly, IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miss Smith's Incredible Story Book (Hardcover)

I was looking through children's books at the book store and immediately this one caught my eye. I have read several Michael Garland books to my twins and they have loved his stories and illustrations. This one is no different. I laughed aloud at the store as I turned the pages. I thought of all of those wonderful teachers out there that encourage reading in their students because they are fantastic story readers. I immediately ordered the book for my son's teacher (who happens to have short spikey hair like Miss Smith). What a wonderful book to give as a gift to a child and a teacher!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SHOWS THAT READING IS FUN!, November 19, 2003

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miss Smith's Incredible Story Book (Hardcover)

Michael Garland's high powered imagination and razzle-dazzle illustrations bring the story of a one-of-a-kind teacher to energetic life. There's zip and color on every page plus a lesson for all.

Zack is a pretty disheartened young fellow. It's the first day of school, and he's sure the semester will be as boring as ever. Suddenly a small ball of fire whips through the door in the person of Miss Smith, a new teacher. She is unlike any teacher Zack has ever known because when she reads to the class from her story book, the characters actually come to life. There are swashbuckling pirates so real that Zack could actually feel waves pounding against the sides of their pirate ship. And then, when she finished reading "all the characters and adventure whooshed back into her book."

From then on Zack couldn't wait to go to school.

One day when Miss Smith was stuck in traffic and couldn't reach the school, others read from her book and the same amazing things happened. Except for one problem: the storybook characters didn't want to return to the book once the story was over. That could make for a very crowded room!

"Who would ever have guessed that reading could be so much fun?"

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars southern belle, September 23, 2005

By 

reader mother (TN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Miss Smith's Incredible Story Book (Hardcover)

I found this book at the book store just the other day. I read it to my daughter's 1st grade class this afternoon. Only one or two of the 16 children had seen/heard of it before. They loved it. They were straining to see the wonderful bright colored pictures more closely before we passed it around. They enjoyed picking out familiar characters in the illustrations. They appreciated the humor of Principal Rittenrotten's predicament. They all agreed that it would be neat if characters really came out of books. The length/number of words is just right for this age to hear or read themselves.