wetdryvac's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent and relatively non-preachy story with lovely art.
sean67's review against another edition
4.0
Another great book from Keats that again draws you in and makes you interested in the story and the characters, and all pithing the space of a picture book.
libraryrobin's review against another edition
4.0
The investigation of mysterious music leads two boys to an encounter with a blind man and the possibility of a friendship.
veryliterarykari's review against another edition
4.0
Brothers Sam and Ben go on an adventure through their apartment building in search of music they have been hearing in their apartment. They strike up an unlikely friendship with a blind man in apartment three. This is a picture book. It could be used to teach reading, and it could also be used to teach children about people with disabilities. The blind man in the book, despite his disability, is very observant and capable. He agrees to go for a walk with the boys in the story the next day. Themes include disabilities, curiosity, and music.
calistareads's review against another edition
3.0
This story is a little darker and a tad scary. It’s a rainy day and Sam and his brother are in their apartment when they hear a harmonica playing. It sounds sad and lonely and they decide to find who it is playing. They talk down their hallways and stairways and listen outside each door for a harmonica. The building has a feel to it that is like a building in a horror movie. It is a little eerie. They hear arguing, crunching, snoring, and smell cooking along the way. Finally, they notice a jug of milk outside Apt 3 disappeared and a voice tells them to come inside. The man living there is blind and he tells them a lot about themselves just from what he can overhear. He also plays the harmonica for them. Sam asks if they can go for a walk tomorrow.
The colors are amazing, they are muted with swirls of dark colors. There is nothing bright here or sunny. The rainy day permeates everything. It totally left me with a sad, morose feeling and it was sort of scary.
The nephew kept asking why everything looked so scary. When they went in the man’s Apartment at the end, Nephew was telling him not to do that. His fist were rolled up and he was hanging on me. He thought this book was scary. After it was over, he thought that was cool. He wanted to read it again. He gave this 4 stars.
The colors are amazing, they are muted with swirls of dark colors. There is nothing bright here or sunny. The rainy day permeates everything. It totally left me with a sad, morose feeling and it was sort of scary.
The nephew kept asking why everything looked so scary. When they went in the man’s Apartment at the end, Nephew was telling him not to do that. His fist were rolled up and he was hanging on me. He thought this book was scary. After it was over, he thought that was cool. He wanted to read it again. He gave this 4 stars.
pussreboots's review against another edition
3.0
A pair of boys, some harmonica music, milk and a blind man.
shayemiller's review
4.0
Fellow book blogger and #imwayr community member, Linda of TeacherDance, recommended this picture book a few weeks back and I'm so grateful that we had a copy through our tri-college loan program. Apt. 3 is an apprehensive experience of sounds and smells as two young boys search their apartment complex to find the source of the music they hear. We discover a lot about the boys' neighbors just by the smells and sounds coming from behind each door (or by what they find in the hallway outside the door). In the end, they discover a neighbor they know very little about and the encounter is a bit frightening at first. But in no time, they're gaining empathy and appreciation. The copy I found is very old. In fact, the front cover had been rubbed so much that I hardly recognized the book cover on Goodreads. The beautiful illustrations look to be done with paint and collage.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
dlauron's review against another edition
5.0
This is my favorite of the books by Ezra Jack Keats so far. It tells a beautiful story of the adventure to find the music in the apartment building. What a wonderful story!
saraluna's review against another edition
3.0
Apt. 3 is another book I enjoyed at an Ezra Jack Keats exhibit in the Eric Carle Museum of picture book art in Amherst, MA. Again, context adds a new dimension to an already beautifully illustrated little book. Keats grew up in cities and spent much of his subsequent years living in one. His fondness for crowded apartment buildings, and the unique way that cities facilitate the meeting of strangers is evident in Apt. 3. Two young boys hunt a haunting music through their crowded building, only to finally encounter a blind man playing harmonica. I especially love how Keats renders the music as fantastic colors that permeate the air around everyone.
luann's review
4.0
I love the dark and moody feel of the illustrations in Ezra Jack Keats' Apt. 3. Somehow through the illustrations I can actually hear the harmonica music that Sam and Ben are trying to track down in their apartment building. The writing is also very vivid: "He stood up suddenly, raised his harmonica to his mouth, and began to play. He played purples and grays and rain and smoke and the sounds of night." Can't you just hear that music?
More...