Product Description

The Important thing
about being One
is that life
has just begun.

In a playful voice that is uniquely Margaret Wise Brown's comes this delightful picture book about just what it means to be six, five, four, three, one, two and 'most importantly' you. Caldecott Honor Medalist Chris Raschka's innovative illustrations burst with energy and literally dance along with Brown's whimsical verses of discovery.A sturdy mirror fixed to the last page allows readers to literally become a part of the story.

Another Important Book is the never-before-published companion to one of the most beloved children's books of all time, The Important Book, originally published in 1949, by Margaret Wise Brown, with illustrations by Leonard Weisgard. It's an invitation to celebrate toddlerhood. Turn the pages to find out exactly what's so important about some of the most important ages of a child's life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1618716 in Books
• Published on: 1999-12-31
• Released on: 1999-11-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Library Binding
• 32 pages

Amazon.com Review
The companion title to Goodnight Moon creator Margaret Wise Brown's 1949 classic, The Important Book, was published for the first time in 1999, with wonderful illustrations by Caldecott Honor recipient Chris Raschka of Yo! Yes? "Yo, yes!" we say. Just as Brown's first volume distills the essence of everyday entities, this splendid rhyming picture book zeroes in on the most important things about being one, two, three, four, five, and six years old.

The important thing about being Four/ is that you are bigger than you were before..../ You can blink and think/ as quick as a wink./ You can open your eyes/ to a world of surprise.

Children love the process of reaching each new year's landmark, and this whimsical equivalent of a wall-notch height chart will thoroughly delight them. It is difficult to imagine the book without Raschka's wriggling, singing, flinging babies, toddlers, and kids of all colors, exquisitely crafted with vivacious brushstrokes and vibrant watercolors. He has also cleverly woven numbers into his illustrations--a five-pointed star behind the five-year-old, a pinwheel of six circles behind the six-year-old. The splashy modern artwork rejuvenates Brown's half-a-century-old rhymes, plants them squarely in 1999, and guarantees a future classic. (Click to see a sample spread. Text copyright 1999 by Roberta Brown Rauch. Illustrations copyright 1999 by Chris Raschka. Permission of Joanna Cotler Books, HarperCollins Publishers.) (Baby to age 6) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly
While Brown's 1949 title, The Important Book, described the essential qualities of the familiar things in a child's world, this never-before-published companion addresses the developing characteristics of children themselves. As Brown leads readers through the ages of one to six in a series of jaunty rhymes ("The important thing about being Four/ is that you are bigger than you were before"), Raschka (Like Likes Like) emerges with a series of images whose fluid lines, simple geometric structure and concisely edited palette bring to mind the Bauhaus School. A master at conveying motion with a simple sweep of his watercolor brush, he launches a succession of sprightly imps to cavort against backdrops of mustard yellow, brick red and Prussian blue. For the progression from chubby babies ("You've found your nose/ and discovered your toes./ You've seen the moon/ and felt the sun") to agile kindergartners ("You learn how to count./ You learn how to read./ You know how to dress/ and get what you need"), Raschka assigns each age group a geometric shape: a simple circle represents age one, pairs of stacked squares indicate two, a five-pointed star signifies five and so on. All the forms blend together in visual harmony for the sweeping finale. It's a pleasure to hear the organic rhythms of Brown's prose again, and Raschka paints in boisterous surprises. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K In comforting language and perfect rhyme, this previously unpublished companion to Brown's classic The Important Book (HarperCollins, 1949) identifies significant achievements and developments, year by year, in a young child's life. Using the second person, the text addresses youngsters directly, succinctly describing a one-year-old: "You can't quite talk./You can't quite walk./You've found your nose/and discovered your toes." The excitement of being two revolves around all the new things "you can do." Being three means discovering "ME." Questions are presented in a circular pattern around tricolored circles, emphasizing the newfound joy of self-awareness. For each age group, there is a corresponding number of geometric shapes. For example, a page describing four-year-olds shows a wide-eyed child surrounded by four triangles. Raschka has done a lovely job of creating illustrations that capture the look and feel of books published during Brown's era. The pictures show children joyfully testing new abilities. The last page offers the same delightful affirmation as its predecessor the important thing "is that you are you." Jackie Hechtkopf, University of Maryland, College Park
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

An adorable picture book that talks about growing up
This book celebrates what is special about being a child. The same familiar pattern on every page, allows children to anticipate what will come next. It is a wonderful book to share with young children.

Okay for Toddlers But Not for Older Children
I think they have the age range wrong for "Another Important Book." Rather than being for 4 to 8 year-olds, I think 3 and under might be more accurate.

Certainly my children (3 and 5; boy and girl) had little interest in this book. They found the drawings too babyish and the content just did not spark any calls for another reading.

Counting to 6? I've found my toes? Just all 'non-starters' for preschoolers and kindergarteners, unlike the original "The Important Book" which dealt with observations of the world around us.

Two Stars (for the 3 and up age range). Check the images that Amazon has provided to decide on appropriateness for your child.
For those interested in revisiting babyhood with older children we suggest Margaret Miller's "Now I'm Big".

Did not live up to my expectations.
The original Important Book is core literature in our district. Its an awesome book which lends itself to many different writing prompts. This was a nice book not an awesome one. Third Grade Teacher