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Summary: This book makes a wonderful gift!
Review: I sent this book as a gift to a seven year old nephew. He told me "I love this book!". He recognized some of the stories and I could hear the excitement in his voice about reading it. Gifts of books are the best encouragement for reading - particularly ones that a child enjoys.
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Summary: A wonderful idea -- and wonderfully done
Review: With all the millennium, end-of-the-century ideas out there, this is a terrific summary of what was - and is -- fun and interesting and worth remembering about this century: the great implosion of illustrated books for children. This book should spark a small arguement about what ARE the best children's books of the century -- even though Ms. Schulman has done a very admirable job of picking the top 44. This is a book that should be in every library shelf, even if you don't have a child at home, Well done -- and what a bargain!
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Summary: A wonderful collection for all generations
Review: As I read this book with my 2 young children, I realize that many are stories my mother used to read to me; stories I haven't thought about in 30 years. This collection includes classics that even my mother remembers as a girl, stories that I have already purchased for my kids, stories we've found at the library, stories my kids have heard at preschool, and many that are destined to become new favorites. They are all the kind that children love to hear over and over (and over) again. We also enjoy the original illustrations that accompany each story. The book has also helped us to discover some new favorite authors to check out their other works at the library.
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Summary: A fine read for those "up-close" moments with the family.
Review: It's great to see such a wonderful presentation of children's stories in one publication. Books such as this and "Giving Love A Memory", by Winans & Lee, encourage strong traditional family bonds and good old fashioned togetherness. Straight to the heart and back, I recommend it highly for the home, and as a gift for friends and relatives.
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Summary: Well-designed, smart choices, real celebration, great gift
Review: There are all sorts of grown-up reasons to like this book -- it's beautifully done,the choices of the books that are included were wonderful (even found some new favorites), and it's an amazing bargain when you consider how many books are included. More importantly, though, this is already my young grand-daughter's favorite book to read with me -- she likes the D.W.,Tub People, and Owen stories especially, but really just enjoys listening to any part of the book. It's really a wonderfully done book -- a lot of fun, very beautiful, and a great summary of kids' books. Am planning on giving one to every child I know -- also for baby showers.
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Summary: Wonderful - well worth the price.
Review: A treasury for all ages. Includes timeless classics such as "Goodnight Moon", "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel", and "Ferdinand", as well as newer classics such as, "Frog and Toad", "Owen", and "Stellaluna". Stories are colour-coded for very young readers through to advanced readers, with selections as varied as "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" to the "Stinky Cheese Man."
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Summary: Before you buy, know what you are missing
Review: This is a good book for reference but if you intend to buy it INSTEAD OF the children's classics it includes, you will be missing out on a lot. Please read the School Library Journal review and Booklist review in entirety before making a decision to buy this, they both touch on the problem of condensing stories and missing illustrations with the effect they have on the stories' impact. It is especially noticable for stories that rely on illustrations for pacing or an element of surprise. I find that my kids, both beginning readers, do not go to this book on their own the same way that they will run to look at any of their favorite individual story books and although we use it, it is usually only as a convenience to me (to avoid hunting down and carrying several goodnight books). If it gets you to read more, great, but for fostering a love of these classics in your kids there is nothing like using the real individual books in their covers, formatted as originally intended.
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Summary: The Best Book on my Childrens' Overcrowded Bookcase
Review: Any critiques of this book that complain of the loss of artwork impact or condensing of stories are totally missing the amazing value that this anthology actually is. I've turned to it hundreds of times in reading to my kids, because I know I'm always going to find a gem of a story within it. I have separate copies of the absolute must-haves within it--like Goodnight Moon, Madeline, and others. But I still turn to this book again and again, and it's wonderful for travel too, because when we're away on a long trip, we have one volume in which we can find plenty of stories for bedtime.
Buying this anthology exposed me to many, many wonderful stories and authors I never would have found otherwise, and now, I often give this book as a baby shower gift. It can be awkward to read to a child under the age of 18 months or so, simply because it's a large book and children that age may rip pages, but I still found it valuable in my older child's first year, and now that my kids are both over 18 months, I find it quite easy to read to them.
We've been using this book with my son for 4 years and still haven't tired of it! Highly recommended!
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Summary: A terrific collection of classics
Review: This is the best collection of children's books I've ever seen. As another reviewer said, it is an instant, portable library. This book can enhance an existing collection, or be the perfect start of a children's book collection for new parents. There is something for everyone, from old favorites to lesser known works. Yes, the illustrations are smaller because of the format, but I didn't notice any "missing" illustrations. Your children probably won't either!
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Summary: Lack and Quality of Illustrations a Major Disappointment.
Review: When I first saw this book, I immediately had to get it for my 6 months old son. This book contains many of my favorite stories I'd read as a child, such as "Curious George" and "Winnie the Pooh". My son, who is now 3, loves to listen to the stories and look at all the beautiful illustrations. This book is one of those treasures that can be passed on from one generation to another and bring back wonderful childhood memories.
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