Customer Reviews

This Is Venice

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

 

 

I bought this book for my children because I remembered enjoying them very much when I was a child. My reaction now to the "This is..." series is that they are very superficial and light, but that misses the point. As an introduction to new places, to intrigue a child's mind without overwhelming him or her, they are great. The impart an excitement and an optimistic openness. So what that they don't tell the whole story of any city? They light the fuse for a curiosity that will last the rest of one's life. Besides, I very much enjoy that late 50's-early 60's confident characature style.

This is a wonderful set of books.

The pictures are lovely and it is well written.

I have shared this book with both my young friends and my old friends (ages 5 to 75).

Perfect for any age.

Bought it for my niece for christmas...she loves this series of books!!! It was on her christmas list. They remember where she has been and were she hope togo !!!

The illustrations and design of this book are delightful, as is the case with the others in the series. I wish, though, that the text were less focused on facts and figures and more on evoking the scene. It's not entirely clear to me that this volume works as a children's book, even though a city with water for streets and boats instead of cars has a natural appeal for young readers. I just don't think the text describes anything much they can 1) understand or 2) find interesting. If you plan to read this to kids, bring your imagination. I simply make up a different story to go with the pictures, and my neice and nephew love it.

sasek's books are all visually lovely, no doubt about it, however they are also incredibly informative, which i quite appreciate. this book is littered with amazing images and interesting facts. i would definitely say this entry has some of the more whimsical (the pigeons page!) and exotic (the grand canal) images present in sasek's books.

and as with all the updated printings of sasek's books, there is a welcome list of "this is the city...today!" at the end of the book with changes listed since the original printing. it is great to see both the way the city WAS as well as the present day differences.

i highly recommend this book if you are interested in either venice, or simply in wonderful illustration.

I was looking forward to reading This is Venice to our grandchildren as I had recently returned from a 5 week stay in Venice. Also, my husband and I take our grandchildren to Venice when they reach the age of 11 years - so far we've taken 3 of our 6 grandchildren to Venice. Our youngest grandchildren are 3 and 4. I bought the book for them. However, as I read through it I found it quite dated. In fact, I was disappointed and frustrated to the point of taking out a pen and inserting in the appropriate places information explaining facts about the city that were not well explained, and correcting facts that are no longer true.

When I was telling our 4 year old grandson that there are no cars or streets in Venice but instead there are canals and boats, he responded, "you're kidding, grandma - right?" I brought out the Venice books I have made to show him the photos of his cousins walking alongside canals, riding on vaparettos and enjoying the treat of a gondola excursion through the back streets (canals).

The sense of wonder that is Venice is not felt in the Sasek book. Even the illustrations are dated and unsatisfying. For example, it's confusing for young children to view an illustration of Piazza San Marco filled with cars regardless of the explanation that this would never happen.

My feeling is that a completely new book needs to be written in the same style as the "This is....." series and the current "This is Venice" book should be shelved!

This is a lovely big picture book in a fabulous fifties sort of style - got it for my 9 year old, but because it is a big picture book, it feels like it' s for ' babies.' However, if she was a little younger - then the style wouldnt be quite appropriate either- too sophisticated. I think the real target audience is the parent.