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bethmtaps's review against another edition
1.0
I just read this to my ten year old. What a terrible message regarding train track safety. “You should never walk on train tracks.” Then on the next page “But we do it anyway.” As someone who lives very close to train tracks, that is not an idea I want my son to have.
I understand why the author may want the book to feel somewhat disjointed as they collect their ideas, but at the end of the book, we could not answer the questions of “so what? What was the purpose of this book to the reader?” My son said there are “no transitions and makes everything feel jumpy, which was not good.”
Also, my son felt the random upside down information on the Empire State Building was just plain weird.
I understand why the author may want the book to feel somewhat disjointed as they collect their ideas, but at the end of the book, we could not answer the questions of “so what? What was the purpose of this book to the reader?” My son said there are “no transitions and makes everything feel jumpy, which was not good.”
Also, my son felt the random upside down information on the Empire State Building was just plain weird.
shighley's review against another edition
2.0
I understand the idea of trying to encourage others to find ideas all around them, but this book was too much of a mishmash for me. I don't think my students would appreciate it; I don't think this is so much of a whole-class book as one better for an individual to read more slowly and reflect.
missprint_'s review against another edition
5.0
This was like peak Philip C. Stead. You can see the progression of his writing and artwork to this point.
In some ways, I also imagine it's reminiscent of what Paul Auster would produce if he ever deigned to write a picture book.
In some ways, I also imagine it's reminiscent of what Paul Auster would produce if he ever deigned to write a picture book.
thebookishlibrarian's review against another edition
The main character, an author, and his dog Wednesday take a long walk through the town and greet many people and animals along the way. They notice a train rumbling by as well as admire sunflowers that are growing. They realize that there are lots of things to think and write about in everyday life.
kwbat12's review against another edition
2.0
I don't quite know what to think about this. It is interesting for me as a writer, and may be interesting to other students as writers, but it certainly is not the traditional picture book.
pwbalto's review against another edition
5.0
Well. First of all, I mis-read the title of this book as "Idiots are all around," which, coupled with the description: "In search of writing ideas, an author takes a walk with his dog around the neighborhood," made me think this was going to be like a picture book version of "A Confederacy of Dunces." A book I would read.
Second of all, my colleague mis-read the title of this book as "Fleas are all around," which might have also made a fun book, along the lines of David Shannon's "Bugs in my hair."
But as it is, and with this title, I think this book is going to win the Caldecott.
Second of all, my colleague mis-read the title of this book as "Fleas are all around," which might have also made a fun book, along the lines of David Shannon's "Bugs in my hair."
But as it is, and with this title, I think this book is going to win the Caldecott.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
4.0
I can see how teachers could use this for writer's workshop.
heisereads's review against another edition
4.0
I'll be interested to read this with kids, but I can see the applications for classrooms with older students in recognizing how stories do surround us even in every day mundane things we do. The combo illustrations & photos, add a visual impact that is thoughtful.