Product Description

The Bat Jamboree was held early this year, at the old drive-in movie not too far from here. It was standing room only as the houselights went down. The spotlight came up -- there wasn't a sound! Then: 1 bat sang.2 bats flapped. 3 bats cha-cha-ed4 bats tapped.

Every year a troupe of 55 buoyant bats comes up with 10 fabulous acts to entertain and instruct an enthusiatic audience. And every year the bats top themselves when they perform the grandest finale of all . . .

With its exuberant text and enchanting illustrations, Bat Jamboree is both a counting book and a thrilling theatrical event.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #73762 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-24
• Released on: 1998-09-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780688161675
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
In this rhyming counting book, a crew of performing bats entertain a crowd. "There's a nervous energy in these pictures that will almost surely disarm the reader, right off the bat," said PW. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2?A witty combination of counting book and theatrical experience. Each year the Bat Jamboree, starring 55 adorable bats, draws a standing-room only audience of animals of all types, and each year the show is better than ever. Against the silver backdrop of a drive-in movie screen, one bat sings, two bats flap, three bats cha-cha-cha, etc., until the grand finale, the great bat pyramid. Readers will find themselves counting backward with no effort at all as 10 bats line up, 9 flutter, 8 fly, and on up the pyramid. Of course, the show isn't over until the bat lady sings! Children who have experienced or participated in any type of performance will especially appreciate the anticipation building up to the excitement of the finale. The playful, rhyming text and Sweet's characteristically charming watercolors will have kids cooking up their own backyard jamborees.?Lisa S. Murphy, formerly at Dauphin County Library System, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Kathi Appelt has written several books for children, including Bayou Lullaby, Hushabye, Baby Blue, and Toddler Two-Step.She lives in Texas, where she was raised, and never tires of riding the range. In Her Own Words...

"Igrew up in Houston, Texas, the oldest of three sisters. In our house on Mayo Avenue, we had a garage with unfinished Sheetrock on the walls. We each had our own section. As soon as we could hold a crayon, we were allowed to express ourselves in any color or form that we wished.

"If you stood back and looked at the wall, it was like a record of my growing up. Down at the bottom was just a lot of scribbling, but as I grew, the drawing took on new and clearer forms. You could tell the drawings that were done when I was happy, as well as the ones that I drew when I was angry. The garage wall was a perfect place for expression. Once I started actually writing, on paper, I no longer needed the wall. But I still think of it as the place where my earliest writing took place. It was like my first journal, a record of my feelings and experiences.

"I still keep a journal. Like the garage wall, it's a place for catching all my thoughts, and sometimes my dreams. It's often the first place that the idea for a new story or poem occurs. Because I don't have any particular rules about writing in my journal, sometimes I'm surprised by what shows up! I also get ideas when I walk. I enjoy taking long leisurely walks. They help me clear my thoughts, but they also give me an opportunity to take a good look at the world around me.

"I like to draw directly from my own life when I write, because that's what I know best and feel most strongly about. Sometimes I write about feelings of joy, as in my book The Thunderherd, which is about horses. I've loved horses since I was very young, and The Thunderherd was an opportunity to express that love. As much as I loved horses, however, I was afraid of bats. Because writing helps me overcome my fears, I decided to write a book about bats; this became Bat Jamboree. Writing that book helped me see bats differently and even to laugh about my fears. Now I appreciate and love bats almost as much as horses.

"I used to think that a real writer had to have lots of exciting, maybe even dangerous, adventures in order to have something meaningful to write about. Now I know that the best writing is about the people, places, pets, and objects that surround us and that we meet every day. I've discovered that writing about them is the absolute best way to really know them and in the process come to know ourselves and our own world a little better. I now know that writing is really a way of seeing. I'd like to encourage you to get out your old journal or start a new one and see what shows up.

"Kathi Appelt lives in College Station, Texas, with her husband, Ken, a schoolteacher, and their two sons, Jacob and Cooper. A graduate of Texas A&M University, she teaches creative writing to both children and adults. She's a frequent visitor in schools and at writing workshops. She is also the regional adviser for the Brazos Valley Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators."

Customer Reviews

Bat Jamboree is a fixture at our house...
...and we're a childless family. We recommend you get this in hardcover, as it's a definate re-read (like, lots of times). We love the mix of vaudeville, bats, and the whimsical rhymes. If something "Wasn't quite as fun as 'The Corgiville Fair'" (see the book by Tasha Tudor), then it often was "As fun as 'The Bat Jamboree'"...only because the Bat Jamboree is only for several hours (vs. all day). We've bought several copies of BJ for diverse audiences. One copy we gave to an old vaudeville fan, and another to our governor's baby daughter (there were bats infesting the governors' mansion about the time the book came out). A third went to an employee of an old drive-in theatre. A joy for young and old. You'll be "batty" over it.

Night Fun
As a third grade teacher, I found this book useful on the 55th day of school. After reading the book, the children made a pyramid using manipulatives for the bats. We used 1" tiles. This demonstrates a growing pattern using +1 pattern to grow with. This is a nice lead-in to multiplication.

Great Book for introducing children to counting and adding
This book has a fun and exciting story line. Children will have fun reading about the 55 bats at the jamboree. The illustrations are colorful and eye-catching. Children can have fun counting, adding and subtracting the 55 bats at the Bat Jamboree. Watch out for the Bat Lady!