Starred Review for Publishers Weekly (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

A companion to Schulman's <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury, this hefty anthology also has ample treasures to share. Aimed at a slightly older child than that earlier work, this volume collects 26 of last century's most memorable picture books and early chapter books (or parts thereof) and represents the works of a sterling cast of authors and artists. In her introductory note, Schulman urges parents and others to share these tales with youngsters: "It is certainly true that most children continue to enjoy being read to long after they have mastered the skill themselves." The stories span the century, from 1936 (Edward Ardizzone's <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain) to 2000 (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Virgie Goes to School with Us Boysby Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard, illus. by E.B. Lewis), with a healthy portion of them hailing from the 1970s. Schulman balances the poignant (Judith Viorst's <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, illus. by Erik Blegvad) with the comical (Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs), the nonsensical (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Horton Hatches the Eggby Dr. Seuss) with the true-to-life (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">No One Is Going to Nashvilleby Mavis Jukes, illus. by Lloyd Bloom) and gems lesser known to today's readers such as <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Flat Stanleyby Jeff Brown, illus. by Tomi Ungerer. It's easy to imagine entire families losing themselves in these pages for hours. Ages 5-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Sept.)

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2002)

Schulman includes a wide range of writing, from Steig's wonderful Amos and Boris to a less remarkable chapter from Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School. The picture book texts are missing many illustrations, and the stories are diminished without the original page turns. The longer entries, notably those that originally had fewer illustrations, suffer less than others. Ind.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-Whereas Schulman's The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury: Celebrated Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud (Knopf, 1998) is for preschoolers, this compilation contains stories for parents "to share with children in the first few years of school, children who now can read." Based on the proven premise that those who are read to become better readers, the anthology offers tales with fewer illustrations and more words. Selections include humorous tales such as Flat Stanley, The Piggy in the Puddle, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, as well as thoughtful tales, such as The Tenth Good Thing About Barney and Wilma Unlimited. It's interesting to note that the introduction suggests readers begin with Maurice Sendak's Pierre, which is actually the last story in the volume. That quibble aside, the treasury offers stories, or parts of them, written by kid-tested authors, including William Steig, Dr. Seuss, Louis Sachar, Judy Blume, and Florence Parry Heide. There is at least one illustration on almost every page by the original artist; it will help hold the interest of the youngest readers, though the chosen stories should do that without any trouble. A great choice for family or classroom sharing.- Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.