Once Upon a Time (Read and Share) (Paperback)

by Vivian French (Author), John Prater (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A refreshingly simple concept and clever delivery yield a lively picture book perfectly pitched to preschoolers. A boy and his parents move to a new house where it seems there's "Not much to do. / Not much to see." Careful scrutiny of the pictures, however, contradicts the verse. As the book continues, the boy remains by the cottage, but familiar faces begin to dot the landscape: a golden-haired girl chased by three bears, a trio of pigs each toting a bundle of different building materials. Young listeners acquainted with classic nursery rhymes will quickly recognize the game and begin searching for their favorite characters. Witty details (pigs poring over architectural plans, bears becoming mucked up in furniture glue, Humpty Dumpty turning somersaults on the stone wall) extend the visual jokes. French is a master of comic understatement, his sing-songy verse serving as a kind of straight man to the bustling illustrations: "Mom's cleaning windows. /There's a bear. / He's making a fuss /About a chair." Prater's ( No, Said Joe ) striking palette of teals, apricots and periwinkles infuse the illustrations with a genuine warmth certain to attract readers. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"The pictures are excellent, the telegraphic text perfect, the idea brilliant. We have here a classic." Books For Keeps" --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763608580
• ISBN-13: 978-0763608583
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,580,027 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An inventive and highly visual book with lots of humor., April 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Once Upon a Time (Paperback)

Our three year old daughter loved this book. She didn't really know who the nursery rhyme figures were yet, but she joyfully pointed out what was happening with the bear family, the wicked wolf and the giant. The book covers one day in the life of a young boy who's just moved into a small cottage with his father and mother and who sees all the strange events around him as ho-hum. Not as literary as "Each Pear Peach Plum," it seems more accessible to small children.