The Hundred Penny Box - Sharon Bell Mathis (1975)

ISBN 10 : 01424 0702X
ISBN 13 : 978 01424 07028
(2006 Puffin Books Edition)

             Newbery Honor - 1976

A Hundred Year Memory

       What could be a hundred years of life like? Is it burdened with pains of past, or flashes with delightful memories? Or does it dangle between the array of emotions? Maybe, this book can tell you that.

       Dewbet Thomas, the great-great-aunt of Michael John Jefferson, is one hundred years old. She cherishes an old wooden box, as dear as her life, where she collects a penny for every year of her life. As she moves to Michael's house, Michael grows attached to her and the box. His favorite time is counting the pennies from the box and hearing the past stories from Aunt Dew, as her memory relapses to past.

Ten, Nine, Eight - Molly Bang (1983)

ISBN 10 : 08620 31397

                           (Caldecott Honor - 1984) 

Countdown to Fall Asleep

     What could be more inviting than a cozy sleep on a winter night? Counting down, with Molly Bang's soothing narration, may make your little one's eyes to fall asleep in a breeze.

     There are ten little warm toes, nine soft cuddly friends, eight snow clad  window panes, seven tucked-in-a-row empty shoes and all the way up to one big girl who is ready to ............ZZZzzzzzzzz.

        Publisher : Greenwillow Books

        Classification : Emotional (Soothing), Numbers (Counting Down)

         Age : Preschooler, Kindergartener, Grades 1 - 3

My Comment:

        This is a very simple, soothing book, that fits perfect for the calm night time reading. Though this book involves numbers and backward counting, I consider this book effective at home, than at classrooms.

            As a Caldecott Honor book, this book exhibits cute, delightful illustrations, which shows details for careful eyes. The details may not be that important, but I wondered the illustrator's visual clarity. I awed the illustrations for this following reasons.

• All the illustrations show the same room in multiple angles and from multiple distances. (The first page shows ten toes and the second page shows nine stuffed animals from the viewpoint of ten toes)

• Whatever angle, the illustrations are, there is not even a single detail, missed out. Each detailing in the pictures are precise, regarding the angles and distances. (There are seven shoes in a page, three pairs and one shoe is alone, without a pair. In another page, the cat is chewing on the other shoe.)

• The illustrations are rich and colorful, to catch the eyes of a little kid, who is not going to worry about the details(like me).

      All being said, a cozy bedtime reading is in due, with this pacifying countdown book.

What is your 'book thoughts' about this book? Best, Good or Okay? Check your options down.

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