Nutshell Library (Caldecott Collection)

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Summary: A Maurice Sendak Classic
Review: Four little books in a box! The NUTSHELL LIBRARY by Maurice Sendak was first published on October 10, 1962. The original books in the set only measure 3 3/4" x 2 3/4," but they are packed with wonderful elements of literature. The NUTSHELL LIBRARY, part of the Caldecott Collection, features Chicken Soup with Rice (A Book of Months); Pierre (A Cautionary Tale); Alligators All Around (An Alphabet); and One Was Johnny (A Counting Book). Each book is a delight unto itself. The reader will find poetry, rhythm, rhyme, alliteration and attention-getting stories that will captivate even the youngest listener. And the illustrations are such fun! Sketched by Sendak himself, the drawings evoke smiles, frowns, and everything in between. What an absolutely delightful way to teach/learn the "building blocks of healthy development that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible." (Search Institute, 1997)

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Summary: Wonderful memories!
Review: I bought the Nutshell Library at a book sale when I was 5 years old with my own money...I read them over and over and over and can still recite them by heart. I'm so thrilled to see that you can still purchase this set. The individual books are still available also, and I've read them to my boys, but when I was little I loved the smallness of this set.

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Summary: keep in mind...
Review: I bought this for my daughter 8 years ago. She loved it. I just bought another set for my 3 year old son because that is all he wants to read. He loves the tiny size of the books. I agree--Maurice Sendak is awesome!

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Summary: Memories of a lifetime
Review: I heard these books put to music when I was in first and second grade, and they have stuck with me and allowed me to teach them to my children. Finding them in book form is just amazing. These books are classic and belong in any child's library.

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Summary: Memories of a lifetime
Review: I heard these books put to music when I was in first and second grade, and they have stuck with me and allowed me to teach them to my children. Finding them in book form is just amazing. These books are classic and belong in any child's library.

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Summary: Delightful Series Exploring ABC's, Months of The Year, etc.
Review: I re-discovered this collection two years ago, and took a very fond walk down memory lane - I loved these as a child. My two-year old recently became hooked, and I have now had the exquisite pleasure of revisiting "Chicken Soup with Rice", "One was Johnny", "Pierre", and "Alligators All Around" on a regular basis. With the same arch humor and sly drawings that Sendak brought to "Where the Wild Things Are", the four books in the Nutshell Library entertain as they instruct. The rhyming pattern makes it very easy to memorize (I've gotten to be a whiz at reading in semi-darkness circa bedtime...) - in fact, my daughter can "read" almost all of "Chicken Soup with Rice" now by associating the rhymes with the pictures. This collection is a rarity in children's books - it's fun for both kids and parents! Plus, it easily fits into a purse or diaper bag to take along on trips - whether to the supermarket, or Grandma's. And the kid-sized volumes are a delight for small hands. DON'T MISS IT!

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Summary: Nutshell Library
Review: I remember reading these books some 40 years ago & I still can remember some of the rhymes. I loved them then but couldn't find them anywhere. So now I'm getting them for my grandchildren and great-nieces & -nephews to enjoy.

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Summary: The joys of repetition
Review: If you have children you know that they love to hear the same stories over and over and over again. If you are a good parent you'll be required to read the same books night after night after night. Some books can take it, others you'd put in the shredder if you had one handy, and were devious enough to blame the children themselves for losing it. To our shame, some of us have been that devious.
The Nutshell Library, however, can be read a thousand times and each time the reader finds truth, beauty, life lessons, and the best darn rhymes around. Even a shy parent finds the ability to read with verve and feeling, night after night after night. My personal favorite is Alligators All Around, unless I happen to be reading Pierre.

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Summary: The joys of repetition
Review: If you have children you know that they love to hear the same stories over and over and over again. If you are a good parent you'll be required to read the same books night after night after night. Some books can take it, others you'd put in the shredder if you had one handy, and were devious enough to blame the children themselves for losing it. To our shame, some of us have been that devious.
The Nutshell Library, however, can be read a thousand times and each time the reader finds truth, beauty, life lessons, and the best darn rhymes around. Even a shy parent finds the ability to read with verve and feeling, night after night after night. My personal favorite is Alligators All Around, unless I happen to be reading Pierre.

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Summary: A Must for any child's library
Review: My mom bought this for me when I was a child and we read them so much we wore them out. The second set she bought was for my children and we are well on our way to the third set. Nutshell means just that - child sized books that look just like Mom sized ones. We read all four 'lil books' every night. Your kids will love them too.