Amy Schwartz (1954–2023)

This weekend I was reading out loud for a kids' event, so I read a heap of kids' books. The last one I read was [1418913::How to Catch an Elephant] by [[Amy Schwartz]], which I saved for the 2-4year olds: it was such a rollicking good read, I wished I'd read it to the older groups, too. There's lots of action and entertainment, especially for such a short book. Recommend it (but not at bedtime - too exciting!); great fun.

The storyline is instructions by a little girl, with advice from her / show more your uncle Jack, on catching elephants, primarily using raisins and cake. The only thing is, I realised long afterwards, I'm not sure how you're supposed to use said raisins and cakes to actually capture your pachyderm - but who cares; it gets captured, and we all had loads of fun along the way! show less

Truth in advertising: As the title implies, this book is a list of 100 things designed to bring happiness from toys to ice cream to pets to time spend with loved ones. There is no story, just the named object or event along with a colorful illustration. The illustrations showcase a diverse set of people, which is a nice bonus. This book could be good for when your child has had a rough day or is feeling gloomy; it will serve as a reminder of all the good things there are in life. A creative show more thinking question from a parent or a classroom writing prompt could be for the reader(s) to come up with their own list of favorite things that make them happy (with illustrations if they are artistically inclined). show less

I love Amy Schwartz's illustrations they are colorful and extremely delightful and in this title she has many illustrations (100 to be exact) to illustrate the 100 Things That Make Me Happy....very simple text of single words or phrases that just happen to rhyme (...fuzzy sweaters, long letters, slippery floors, dinosaurs...)

Great lesson in creativity...and making lists...coming up with 100 things is harder than you think it would be.

If you liked this title, also try Schwartz's other title, show more 100 THINGS THAT I LOVE TO DO WITH YOU (...be twins, sleep in, skip stones, lick cones, rub noses, smell roses...) show less

Amy Schwartz once again delivers a delightful story in "A Glorious Day," a picture book about four not-so-different families living in an apartment building in the city. The sequence of an entire day is described in interesting detail and illustrated with bright colors.

At first the book seemed to have far too many details and illustrations, but I came to realize that this simply makes the book interactive and a great source of conversation. Children can compare their daily routines with show more those of the one baby, two little girls, three big boys, four little boys, two cats, and the bird that live in the red brick building. The children in the story wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, go out to play or to school, take naps, have playtime at the park, come home and have dinner, get baths and bedtime stories, and then finally go to sleep. Although these activities may seem quite mundane each of the four families goes about their daily routine in a unique way.

The families themselves are also unique. Schwartz makes an effort to create diversity by varying the appearances of all four families and their members. Henry and his mother have pinkish skin and bright red hair, while the triplets have brown skin and short black braided hair. Peter and Thomas also have brown skin, but they have short brown hair that is very, very curly while their father has pale skin and red hair. Picture books with such obvious diversity are hard to find, and Schwartz provides a valuable addition to the world of children's literature with "A Glorious Day." show less