Logo
Classics


Click on book cover for review

 

 

Home


About Us


Children's
Books


Reading
Programs


Reading to
Children

Benefits
Listening Levels
Good Books
Categories
Home Environment
Book Sources
Barriers
Bedtime
Humor & Nonsense
Folk Literature
Non-Fiction
Wordless Books
Concept Books
Poetry

Curious George Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Lizardo Family June 29, 1999 Ira Sleeps Over
Catkin
With the influx of new books for children flooding the market each year, old favorites are in danger of being crowded out. Generations of children are missing the opportunity of listening to classical children's literature. This is unfortunate because classics are the cornerstone to building a life-long relationship with literature.

A classic is the rare book that has a special element, which enables it to endure the test of time and appeal to children from generation to generation. It stands out because it has the ability to touch the heart and cross the boundaries of culture, nationality, religion, race, gender and status.

There are two categories of classics: early classics like the fairy tales of Anderson, Grimm and Perault; and modern classics like Charlotte's Web and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Both were written by people who never lost their love of childhood.

Classics should make a major contribution to a child's education, merriment and appreciation of literature. Many good stories provide clear standards of right and wrong, show the ethics of human behavior, and evoke natural and wholesome laughter. Classics contain those unique qualities that surpass time and appeal to listeners and readers of every generation.

The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh
The Wizard of Oz Snow White
Thumbelina Puss In Boots
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs The Story of Little Babaji



Book Reviews
Click on book cover to return to top

Catkin
Catkin, written by Antonia Barber, illus. by P. J. Lynch, (Candlewick Press, 1994), 48p, Ages 7-11.
Catkin is a tiny, magical, golden cat who is given the job of watching over a little girl. When he carelessly allows her to be captured by the Little People, Catkin must solve three riddles to return the child to her parents. With undiscovered courage, Catkin makes his way through the forest to the palace of the Little People and discovers that they also love little Carrie. It takes the wisdom of an old woman to teach two families the meaning of sharing.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, written by Judi Barrett, illus. by Ron Barrett, (Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 1978), 32p, Ages 4-8.
In the town of Chewandwallow food comes down three times a day, at breakfast, lunch and dinner. When the weather takes a turn for the worse, the townsfolk experience a strange mixture of foods, in not only quality but also quantity.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh
The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh, written by A. A. Milne, illus. by Ernest H. Shephard, (Dutton Children's Books, 1994), 344p, All Ages.
Perhaps the best-known bear in history, Winnie-the-Pooh is as popular today as he was when he was created in 1926. This edition contains two books about Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, Christopher Robin and all the other characters found in the Hundred Acre Wood. Simple and whimsical, the characters and tales from Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner will capture any child's heart, and children will forever remember the rather stout, honey-loving bear.
Curious George, written & illus. by H. A. Rey, (Houghton Mifflin, 1941), 56p, Ages 5-8.
In children's literature, George is probably the most famous monkey of all time and his adventures have delighted children and adults for decades. Taken from the jungle by "the man in the yellow hat" George arrives in the big city, but due to an insatiable curiosity trouble is never far away. Throughout every adventure, George never loses his curiosity or reforms, but the man in the yellow hat is always ready to forgive
Curious George
Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Lizardo Family
Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Lizardo Family, written & illus. by William Joyce, (HarperCollins Publishers, 1988), 48p. Ages 4-8.
While vacationing in Africa, the Lazardo family meets a dinosaur and brings him home to become their family pet. His back is perfect for conga dancing, he makes a good ship and even plays a decent game of baseball. Any misgivings soon change when Bob helps the Pimlico Pirates win their first game.
Ira Sleeps Over, written & illus. by Bernard Waber, (Houghton Mifflin Children's Books, 1972), 48p, Ages 5-10.
Ira is looking forward to spending the night at a friend's house until his sister brings up the matter of his teddy bear. Leaving his beloved teddy behind is difficult, but the thought of being laughed at for still needing one causes Ira to leave Tah Tah behind. At bedtime that night, creepy, scary ghost stories make both boys realize there's nothing laughable about having your teddy close by.
Ira Sleeps Over
June 29, 1999
June 29, 1999, written & illus. by David Wiesner, (Clarion Books, 1992), 32p, Ages 6-9.
Holly decides on a very ambitious science project for her third grade class project. On May 11, 1999, she sends her vegetable seedlings into space. No one is prepared for the huge vegetables that begin to fall from the sky. Even stranger is the fact that her vegetables are not the ones coming down.
The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur, retold by Margaret Hodges, illus. by Trina Schart Hyman (Holiday House, 1990), 32p, Ages 5-8.
This story is a retelling of one of the most exciting and entertaining of the King Arthur and his knights tales. A young boy asks to spend a year in the kitchen of King Arthur while learning to become a knight. After many battles, Gareth eventually earns knighthood and rescues Lady Linesse who is imprisoned by the fearsome Red Knight of the Red Plain.
The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, written & illus.
by Virginia Lee Burton, (Houghton Mifflin & Co., 1939),
48p, Ages 3-7.

Mary Anne, a red steam shovel, and her loyal operator, Mike Mulligan, were famous for digging, but are no longer needed. When the town of Popperville wants a new town hall, Mike and Mary Anne prove their worth in the hectic digging of a cellar in one day. Of course, they forgot to dig a way out, but there's a great ending to this dilemma.
Puss In Boots, written by Charles Perrault, retold by Lincoln Kirstein, illus. by Alain Vale, (Little, Brown & Co., 1992),
32p ,Ages 5-9.

First published in 1697, a very clever cat uses unorthodox methods to help his young master gain a fortune and the hand of the king's daughter. Wearing a beautiful pair of boots, Puss has his work cut out for him as he outwits a king and an ogre to gain his master the title of Marquis of Carabas. The young man is rewarded with a fortune and a princess while puss is rewarded with the title of Prime Minister.
Puss In Boots
Snow White
Snow White, written by the Grimm Brothers, illus. by Charles Santore, (Park Lane Press, 1996), 48p, Ages 5-8.
This fairy tale tells of a young princess and her flight from an evil queen, friendship with seven dwarfs whose cottage she takes sanctuary in, and the prince who rescues her from death. This version is more true to the original Grimm Brothers tale than the animated film version, especially the demise of the evil queen.
The Story of Little Babaji, written by Helen Bannerman, illus. by Fred Marcellino, (HarperCollins Publishers, 1996),
32p, Ages 4-8.

None of the controversy that surrounded the original written as Little Black Sambo (1899) is contained in this edition. A little boy from India meets several ferocious tigers in the jungle and decides to trade his new clothes for his life. The tigers argue over who is the grandest, begin to fight and eventually turn into melted butter.
The Story of Little Babaji
Thumbelina
Thumbelina, written by Hans Christian Anderson, retold by Erik Haugaard, illus. by Arlene Graston, (Delacorte Press, 1997), 32p, Ages 5-8.
Once there was a tiny girl, no bigger than a thumb, who was kidnapped by an ugly old toad. In this unabridged translation, Thumbelina experiences many adventures, some dangerous, before discovering a fairy price just her size. As in most fairy tales, good triumphs over evil, always with a happy ending.
The Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum, illus. by Charles Santore, (Random House, 2000), 96p, Ages 6+.
Since this tale first appeared in 1900, it has been one of the most translated stories in American history. A cyclone transports Dorothy and her dog from Kansas to the land of Oz. with the help of three faithful friends, Dorothy must find the great wizard in order to return home. Santore's interpretation has been condensed from the original text, but for young children it is a visual delight.
The Wizard of Oz

Return to Top