Customer Reviews

The Wonder Book

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

 

 

When I first flipped through the book, I was excited to read it to my kids. I wanted to read from cover to cover but found myself skimming which as I look know is exactly what Amy writes in the front of the cover jacket. "You can open the book up anywhere and read."

In A Nutshell: I think this is a brilliant book and really fun to read out loud. There are so many parts of the book I want to talk about like; Word Play (In Four Acts) "The Bicycle couldn't stand alone (it was two tired)". Bwaahah.

And

Stop That! Be Quiet! Please Sit Still!! About a little boy who is constantly being told to "Stop that, yada, yada, until the end when he and his father pass an old man rocking on his swing. Dad says, "Shhh, the man is resting." The man says, "Oh don't stop! Be louder! I am so glad that you are here! What a lovely spirit you have! And it brings me such cheer!

Or

Tinkle
Tinkle
In the Sea
Don't look under
While I pee.....

The book is really cute! I expect it to be a classic loved by kids as well as adults.

For this mom, what makes a great children's book, is one that I don't hate reading over and over. The Wonder Book makes the grade.

What honey? You want me to read it again? Ok!

Oh that is just my daughter tugging and begging for another read. Got to go!

I am a teacher and I used the pages as a critical thinking exercise. I would share a page and have students answer critical thinking questions about it. It was an activity for when they finished work early. I don't think it would be a very good book just to sit down and read with children...it isn't really a story but totally separate pages and ideas.

"I wonder who left something under the tooth fairy's pillow when she was little..."

Amy Rosenthal does a great job holding the attention of a child, and doing so at the child's level. There is something to be discovered on every page. She hooked my eight-year-old son and ten-year-old daughter on the first page with "Pancake College," an ode to the pancake cookin' dad. We've one in our household, so this delighted my kids.

The most popular composition in my household was "A Rose by Any Name," a poem about farting in a myriad of languages. The topic of passing bodily gasses is always a delight with any child. This poem had my kids' full attention and they had me reread passages several times, while they kept laughing--only pausing to try the new words themselves.

The Wonder Book is reminiscent of Shel Silvertein, with more quirkiness, and has a little bit of everything: word games, poems, stories, and palindromes (words or phrases that read the same backwards and forwards). I viewed the unnumbered pages as an incentive to hunt through the book, and there was a treasure on every page.

Paul Schmid's stick-like line drawings are reminiscent of a child's and add to the charm of this whimsical and fun book. They are detailed enough to capture the essence of expression, but not enough to get in the way of Rosenthal's mastery.

Ages: Preschool through 3rd grade

by Judy Miller
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Amy Krouse Ronsethal's THE WONDER BOOK is playful, joyous and just downright fun for kids and parents. THE WONDER BOOK is a book in love with language --- tongue teasers, rhymes, clever plays on words and nursery rhymes, palindromes, teasers and much more. Some are downright silly (in a totally fun way), others are clever as can be and still others have a certain sweetness mixed in with the joy, such as "Pancake College", a poem that expresses the closeness between father and child. Paul Schmid's wonderful black and white line drawings add to the unbridled, fun of the writing. THE WONDER BOOK can be read straight through, backwards (see the poem Prince Backwards"), or a bit at a time. THE WONDER BOOK is a celebration of life --- the humor of life and of language. THE WONDER BOOK can be enjoyed alone read alone but the fun will be increased if shared aloud with family. THE WONDER BOOK is aptly titled with its active spirit, exuberant energy and rollicking use of words and language. Quite simply, THE WONDER BOOK is wonderful!

Courtesy of Book Illuminations