The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury: Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud [Anglais] [Relié]

Believe it or not, 44 complete read-aloud classics and future classics--from Goodnight Moon to Stellaluna--are packed in this remarkably svelte, positively historic anthology. Flipping through the 308 pages of The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury is like browsing a photo album of beloved friends and family. The familiar faces of Curious George and Ferdinand the Bull peer earnestly from the pages, and scenes from Madeline and Millions of Cats resonate as if you just experienced them yesterday. Think of the advantages of carrying this book on a vacation instead of a suitcase of single titles! (Your kids can always revisit their dog-eared hardcovers when they get home.)

This impressive collection of concept books, wordless books, picture books, and read-aloud stories was artfully compiled by longtime children's book editor and publisher Janet Schulman. Stories are coded red, blue, and green to designate age groupings from baby/toddler books such as Whose Mouse Are You?, through preschool books such as Where the Wild Things Are, to longer stories for ages 5 and older such as Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. The reason the book isn't bigger than Babar is because many of the illustrations from each story were reduced or removed to fit the anthology's format. (Leo Lionni's Swimmy, for example, takes up 5 pages total, compared to its original 29 pages.) Brief biographical notes that are surprisingly quirky shine a little light on the 62 authors and illustrators, and an index helps, too, for the child who likes one story best. We love the idea of being within easy reach of a Star-Belly Sneetch, a William Steig donkey, and a Sendak monster at all times, and we're sure your little bookworms will, too. (Click to see a sample spread from The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury, compilation copyright © 1998 by Janet Schulman, illustrations © renewed 1997 by William Steig.) (All ages) --Karin Snelson

PreSchool-Grade 4-Forty-four selections fill this shiny, heavy compendium, gathered to encourage parents to develop the reading-aloud habit. Most are well-known picture books, but there is a short story by Joan Aiken, a chapter from Winnie the Pooh, and stories from books in beginning-to-read series. Goodnight Moon, a small set of Helen Oxenbury's board books, a Berenstain Bears entry, and other short pieces for the very youngest children are mixed with Stellaluna, The Stinky Cheese Man, Madeline, and older and newer favorites quite disparate in size and design. Some appear in spacious spreads, similar to their original formats. Others are compressed with great chunks of text and few pictures or several pages of the original full-length version stacked on a single page, diminishing details, colors, or the delicious moments of humor, drama, or innuendo. Gone are most of the illustrations for Millions of Cats, and Richard Egielski's Tub People have lost their unique patina and pose in these minuscule renderings. Though much is lost in the translation, the treasury does indeed offer an eclectic variety of good stories, and many children might encounter new favorites here. Concluding biographical notes on the authors and illustrators, a listing of the stories by three age categories, an index, and acknowledgments of original publication details complete the package.
Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 3^-8. Like The Candlewick Book of Bedtime Stories (1995), this anthology of picture books is for parents, and it's a quick reference for librarians and storytellers. Editor Schulman knows and loves children's books, and she has chosen 44 landmark titles and provided a fine introduction for parents and biographical notes on each author and artist. The extra large size volume has thick paper and lots of space. The problem is that picture books are not short stories. Their illustrations are not just decorative additions. They are integral to the story, and when they are reduced and rearranged, the individual book's essential rhythm and drama are lost. Even with the fine reproductions from the classic Where the Wild Things Are (1963), the smaller size of the pictures totally tames those crosshatched beasts. And where's the surprise of turning each page and finding a changed world? What's the point of reducing Wanda Gag's Millions of Cats (1928) to three pages of solid text with just four pictures? How can Shirley Hughes' simple board books be shared with toddlers when there are lots of small pictures on one page? However, the choices are excellent, and this is a fine introduction for those new to children's books to browse before they find the original picture books in the library and ask for more. Hazel Rochman

"Quick--name a favorite picture book or children's story. Chances are, it's one of the 44 selections included--Pages read like a Who's Who for children's literature--Frog and Toad, Ferdinand the Bull, Winnie-the-Pooh, Frances the badger, Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel, Babar and Curious George--This treasure trove is worth its weight in gold."--Publishers Weekly

Unparalleled in scope and quality and designed for reading aloud and

sharing, this splendid anthology brings together 43 of the most memorable and

beloved children's books of our time. Here are classics such as Madeline

and Curious George; contemporary bestsellers such as Guess How Much I

Love You and The Stinky Cheese Man; Caldecott Medal winners such as

Make Way for Ducklings and Where the Wild Things Are; and family

favorites such as Goodnight Moon, The Sneetches, and

Winnie-the-Pooh. The selections range from concept books and wordless

books to picture books and short read-aloud stories, and represent the complete

array of childhood themes and reading needs: ABCs, number and color books,

stories about going to bed and going to school; tales about growing up,

siblings, parents, and grandparents; animal stories, fantasies; fables; magical

stories; stories about everyday life--and more. Also included are an

introduction, capsule biographies of the 62 writers and artists represented in

the collection, color-coded running heads indicating age levels, and indexes.

As a gift, a keepsake, and a companion in a child's first steps toward a

lifelong love of reading, The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury

belongs in every family's bookcase.

From "Amelia Bedelia" by Peggy Parrish and H.A. Rey's "Curious George" to "The Story of Babar" by Jean de Brunhoff and Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are", this wonderful collection features more than 40 of the 20th century's most memorable children's books by 57 celebrated authors and illustrators. Color illustrations.

A collection of picture book stories by such authors as Ludwig Bemelmans, Ezra Jack Keats, and Maurice Sendak.

"Quick--name a favorite picture book or children's story. Chances are, it's one of the 44 selections included--Pages read like a Who's Who for children's literature--Frog and Toad, Ferdinand the Bull, Winnie-the-Pooh, Frances the badger, Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel, Babar and Curious George--This treasure trove is worth its weight in gold."--Publishers Weekly