Customer Reviews

Shadows and Reflections

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

 

 

I am teaching a unit study on light, and wanted examples of shadows and refelctions to show my children. I am incredibly pleased with this book. The examples of shadows are far better than I could find or reproduce on my own. The reflections are the real art in this book. There are pictures where you do not see the original object, just its reflection - and these have sparked many curious questions and feuled many conversations, and that is where true learning begins!

Everyday since I placed that book in my classroom library someone had read it and showed me something they liked in in the book. My class is comprised of 4-5 year olds. ivriesterer

t.hoban's books are very unique in the sense that they offer a very open ended translation about what the reader is looking at. in this particular book, the photographs allow the parent reading with the child to discuss each picture, the shadows and the reflections as opposed to just reading given text in front of you. i think this allows a good learning dialogue between parent/instructor and child. another scenario is that t.hobans books allow the child that looks through the book on their own to find their own ideas about each photo. in my teaching experience some children who showed no interest in books were just drawn to books with actual photos but often they were hard to find on a kindergarten level. my 3 yr old daughter has been "reading" t.hoban books since she was 1 1/2 and has always enjoyed the actual photography as a nice change. she also likes finding new and different things to talk about each time we pick up the book and most importantly has always been able to apply something from a t.hoban book to a real life experience. yes, the books are a bit different from the norm but they also offer us a way to teach our children and our children to learn in a way a bit different from the norm.

If Children had coffee tables, Tana Hoban's books would probably be on them. That said, my children and I don't get what all the hoop-la is about. Sure, the pictures have that artistic 'grittiness' that one often sees in photos hung in galleries, but really, how many young children find that style appealing!?!

In particular, in this book (as compared to Toban's "Dig-Drill, Dump-Fill") the photographs don't even seem that inspired. The cat lying on the car hood is just that; a tabby on car's hood.

Two stars- Some pictures are interesting but definitely take a look at it in the Library before purchasing.

Pam T~
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