Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4066 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-14
• Released on: 1998-09-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Amazon.com Review
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

From School Library Journal
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.

From Booklist
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

Customer Reviews

A wonderful collection
This is the best single-volume collection of children's picture book stories I have seen. My children had many of the stories in softcover editions and most of these translate well in the format of this collection. Others were entirely new to us. Many truly classic children's stories are in this book and most of the best children's picture book authors are represented. The book is versatile: you can take this one volume on a trip and not need any other story book for your preschooler. The only drawback is that in some instances, not all of the illustrations for a particular story are included or the illustrations are much smaller than in the original book. However, the quality of the printing and paper is excellent, so this is not a distraction. My 4-year-old pulls this book off of the shelf every night.

A great collection of stories for children
With forty-four beloved children's tales in this book, it is a welcome resource for parents of small children.

It would be easy to spend thousands of dollars on children's books. Fortunately, this collection can help. A parent can substitute this volume for individual books, or can evaluate stories and decide whether or not to purchase a separate copy. I was disappointed to learn from one reviewer that illustrations were missing from books; I wouldn't have known since I was reading many of these stories for the first time, and can understand the editorial difficulties leading to such a decision, but it is too bad. The stories range from classic (Madeline, Goodnight Moon, Curious George, Where the Wild Things Are, Stellaluna, Amelia Bedelia, The Story of Ferdinand) to more obscure, and contain works by Marc Brown (an Arthur/D.W. story) and Dr. Seuss.

A color key both in the Table of Contents and at the bottom of each page lets you know for what age level each story is most likely appropriate: toddler, preschool, or 5+. At 10 by 11 inches, I would suggest getting the hardover edition, since kids and parents will drop this larger book more often (in addition to normal wear and tear).

An introductory Note to Parents is helpful, and the book concludes with Biographical Notes, a Guide to Reading Ages, and an index.

This is a remarkable book and our child loves it -- and so do we. You and your child may very well love it, too!

This book is a must-have!
This is an absolutely wonderful book. I have 3 young children (ages 2-6)and this book is a favorite. We keep it at our bedside for storytime. It has stories for every reading level. You will probably remember many of them from your own childhood. What a collection, all together in a beautiful hardcover book!