The 20th-Century Children’s Book Treasury
Selected by Jane Schulman
Review by: Angela Vargas
This anthology is an absolute must for your child’s library. It is such a “treasure” to use a coined term! Ms. Schulman selected these from her own personal favorites as well as some favorites of us all, that have stood the test of time. There are 44 selections and they range in age from infant to elementary age. She has cleverly and conveniently coded the stories for the parents using a red book at the bottom of the page for an infant or toddler, a blue book for a preschooler and a green book for those who have a longer attention span. Included in these selections are four Caldecott winners.
Here are some title examples : Youngest readers – Goodnight Moon, I Hear I See I Touch. Younger readers – Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Curious George. Young readers – In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets in a Tight Place, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. One of my personal favorites is Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. One of the really neat things about this collection, is that she ended it with a new version of an old classic from 1899. Helen Bannerman penned the original, Little Black Sambo and Fred Marcellino re-wrote this story with a truer Indian flavor, re-naming it The Story of Little Babaji. You can’t go wrong with this book. There is something for everyone and I must admit, it is nice to not have to get up and retrieve four separate books at story-time! With this anthology, they are all right there in your lap, with your child!
I strongly recommend this book for ages infant to 7 years.
