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CALIFORNIA A TO Z

Name: CALIFORNIA A TO Z
Author: Dorothy Hines Weaver
ISBN: 0-87358-682-4

by Dorothy Hines Weaver ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1999

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In this alphabetic tour of the golden state, alliterative phrases illuminate the featured letter and relay pertinent facts about California, while colorful illustrations form the centerpiece of each page. Below the picture is the descriptive phrase and beneath that are both uppercase and lowercase version of the specific letter. For M, “monarchs [are] migrating to Monterey” with the accompanying scenic illustration showing said butterflies flitting around the coast. Readers can then turn to the detailed appendix for more information on both monarchs and Monterey. With such exhaustive detail, this outwardly simple book is packed with a wealth of information, blending art, history, marine and animal life, while providing a stimulating and colorful introduction to the alphabet. (map) (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-87358-682-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

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CIRCLE SONG

by Diana Engel ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1999

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A brief, rhythmic text combines lullaby with concept book. An African-American baby and parent are shown in the illustrations. “Wrap your arms around me, make a circle, hold me tight. I’ll take you spinning through the air, as daylight turns to night.” The cuddled child is in pajamas, the moon is “like a night-light hanging high,” while the stars and child’s face and features are more examples of the lovingly conveyed main theme. The illustrations, portholes in the center of increasingly darker borders as night descends, show the parent and child with round objects—a goldfish bowl, a round mirror, etc. Engel (The Shelf- Paper Jungle, 1994, etc.) uses watercolors to portray whimsical moonscapes and a starry sky in pleasing and memorable ways. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: March 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-7614-5040-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SHELF-PAPER JUNGLE
by Diana Engel & illustrated by Diana Engel

- BOOK REVIEW
ELEANOR, ARTHUR, AND CLAIRE
by Diana Engel & illustrated by Diana Engel

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SMILING

by Gwenyth Swain ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 13, 1999

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The latest addition to the Small World series, which shows children around the world engaged in similar activities, focuses on the very human act of smiling. Using full-color photographs, Swain supplies a rhythmic cascade of statements and queries: “Do you smile when you put on a hat? Do you smile for the camera, just like that?” Every page contains a photograph with one to two lines that are simple enough for beginning readers to attempt. The scope of photographs allows children to stretch their imaginations: all convey the information that people are more alike than different. An index provides further information on the locations and settings of the photographs. (Picture book. 3-7)