What Game Shall We Play? (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) [School & Library Binding]

Pat Hutchins (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1995 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. The animals ask each other what game they should play, but only Owl has an answer.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

In a delightful reunion of the seven animal friends from Surprise Party (Macmillan, 1986), Hutchins again creates a satisfying tale of anticipation. Frog and Duck want to play but can't think of a game, so they search for Fox to ask for help, and so it goes until the animals seek Owl's advice. In their childlike naivete, they don't realize that Owl has been watching them the whole time, and when he suggests a game of "Hide and Seek," they enthusiastically agree. A simple enough text is made appropriately complicated by the accompanying illustrations. Children will love joining the search for each subsequent animal friend, the tail of which peeks tantalizingly from the corner of the page where the animals are looking. The cumulative and circular design of the text--the last animal found always finds the next one--also gives children reassuring clues to the location of the next animal being sought. The illustrations, although similar to those in Surprise Party , are in fact quite different. This new book is cleaner and crisper, enhanced by the bold black outline on the pictures and splashes of bright blues and purples among the familiar greens, yellows, and browns. Hutchins' skillful use of perspective and line gives the drawings new depth, making her creatures more animated and whimsical, losing the static, flat woodcut quality of her earlier animals. A book that's likely to become a perennial storytime favorite for preschoolers, and fledgling readers will enjoy the large type and limited vocabulary. --Dorothy Houlihan, White Plains Public Library, NY
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Pat Hutchins, one of seven children, was born in Yorkshire, England, and grew up in the surrounding countryside, which she still loves. At a very early age she knew that she wanted to be an artist and was encouraged by an elderly couple who would give her a chocolate bar for each picture she drew. A local art school offered her a scholarship and she studied there for three years, continuing her training at Leeds College of Art, where she specialized in illustration. Her career in the children's book field began with the highly acclaimed Rosie's Walk, a 1968 ALA Notable Book. Since then she has written five novels and created more than twenty-five picture books. She was awarded England's prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal in 1974 for The Wind Blew. Pat Hutchins lives with her husband in London, England.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 24 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback (March 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078576934X
• ISBN-13: 978-0785769347
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,407,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun (and Educational...don't tell the kids), June 9, 2005

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: What Game Shall We Play? (Paperback)

This is a good educational book for toddlers and preschoolers. Older children will be more likely to 'get' the humor, but for younger children it provides lots of practice with positional concepts such as: over, under, near, on top of, around, behind, etc.

An example from the book:

"So off they went to look for Rabbit.
Duck looked near his hole,
Frog looked on top of the hole,
Fox looked around the hole,
and Mouse looked into the hole..."

These types of descriptions are just the sort of thing that toddlers preschoolers need to know to succeed in school--which is probably why this book is on my entering-K's summer reading list.

Five Stars. [A-] A Fun book with cute artwork. Best I think for toddlers and preschoolers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding Friends!, March 28, 2000

By 

wendy welker (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Game Shall We Play? (Paperback)

This wonderful children's book excites the young reader by playing an age old game of hide and seek with beautifully illustrated animals. They want to play but don't know what. They take turns finding their friends and asking their opinion, all under Owl's watchful eye. The book teaches relative position, logical thinking and elicits participation in the story. My three children LOVE this book-Even though we have read it repeatedly, they now try to "tell" the animals where to search!

A must-have for every child's library.

5.0 out of 5 stars Another classic from Pat Hutchins, March 18, 2011

By 

AFConnors - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Game Shall We Play? (Paperback)

"What Game Shall We Play?" is a gently funny book for young children. As often happens in Pat Hutchins books, a succession of animals try to answer a question - in this case, what game they should play. Along the way, they look for their friends, and children learn many words like over, under, behind, on top, below, and so on. Owl, wise as always, thinks of a great game for all the friends to play! Hutchins' distinctive illustrations add a lot to the appeal of the story too.