"How long is a second?" "A second is a hiccup--the time it takes to kiss your mom, or jump a rope, or turn around." The newest book by acclaimed picture-book creators Hazel Hutchins and Kady McDonald Denton explains units of time in imaginative terms children can understand: A second lasts as long as a hiccup; a week is seven sleeps; and a year is the time it takes to grown into new shoes! Any parent who's been asked, "How long is a minute?" or any kid who's wondered, "What does 'an hour' mean?" will enjoy this smart, simple, and surprising book.
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2—The abstract concept of time is explained in child-friendly terms: "A second is a hiccup—/The time it takes to kiss your mom/Or jump a rope/Or turn around." A minute is long enough to "sing just one small song," and in an hour, you could build a sandcastle, run through a sprinkler, climb a tree, and play pretend. A day "needs filling, like a cup," and a week is explained as "Seven wake-ups, seven sleeps." In a month, a scraped shin will heal with "brand-new skin," and by the end of a year, "You'll grow right out of your old shoes." Denton's charming watercolor-and-ink vignettes, showing three friends interacting with one another and with their families, celebrate their joys and accomplishments with warmth and affection. The lyrical, rhyming text answers deceptively simple childhood questions with great flair.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Hutchins explains the lengths of various time units in original, child-centered terms. A second is how long it takes to hiccup or "to kiss your mom / Or jump a rope / Or turn around." A minute is not just 60 seconds, it's also time enough for 60 hiccups, 60 hops, or a little song including the chorus and the verses. And so on, through an hour, a day, a week, a month, and a year. Ingenious examples include a month as the time it takes for a scraped shin to grow new skin and a year as how long it takes to outgrow a pair of shoes. Often falling into rhymed couplets, the fluid text reads aloud well. Few contemporary illustrators depict children with such understanding, grace, and quirky charm as Denton, whose previous picture books include Claire Masurel's Two Homes (2001) and Nan Gregory's Amber Waiting (2002). Here the diverse cast of characters centers on three children who interact with one another, their parents, and their siblings as they participate in a year's worth of activities. Washed with gentle colors, the sensitive drawings portray children who are secure, actively engaged, and sometimes joyful within their community of family and friends. The first American edition of a Canadian title, this picture book is a worthy companion to Charlotte Zolotow's equally child-centered classic Over and Over (1957) as well as a fresh take on the passage of time. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Super Time Book,
This review is from: A Second Is A Hiccup (Hardcover)
Great book for teaching time and elapsed time. Wonderful story and lends itself well to launch an investigation about elapsed time.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very nice, gently educational book,
By Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: A Second Is A Hiccup (Hardcover)
Some things are taught with a paper and pencil, like 1+1=2. But, some things have to be lived to be learned, like "How long is a second?" In this wonderful little book, the author poses each questions (How long is a second, minute, hour, day, week, and year?), and then answers it in a way that anyone would REALLY understand - A hiccup is a second, a kiss, a jump of the rope, or a turn around, etc.
This is a very nice, gently educational book. I think that the author did a great job of making it really speak to the young reader. Also, I must say, I liked the cute illustration work. I highly recommend this book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Helps little ones understand the concept of time,
By
This review is from: A Second Is A Hiccup (Hardcover)
This captivating children's book helps little ones understand the concept of time in increments as small as seconds, and as large as years. All in a way that doesn't grow old, no matter how many times you give it a read. The illustrations are precious and the ending makes you feel like you've just been wrapped up in a great big hug.
This book would make a wonderful gift for a 3-5 year old! Highly recommended DeeDee Fox, author and illustrator, The Ruby Red Slippers
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