All About Time

Children's Literature - Dia Michels

Just as the face of a watch is a tiny representation of the earth's circle of the sun, so the spreads in this attractively illustrated book show the passage of time as children go through familiar activities. The scale of the drawings reflects the abstract nature of keeping track of time by juxtaposing large clock faces against tiny scenes of children and animals at various times of day. When the book addresses the seasons and the centuries, it still sticks to the child's perspective using birthdays, grandparents and new babies as markers. While this is not especially useful as a handbook for telling time, it is a charming excursion into the concepts that we live by when we urge little brother to hurry up, or warn Mom we are going to be late. 1995 (orig.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-These series entries present information in simple, direct language. Pyramids describes how the ancient pyramids of Egypt were built and touches on mummification, the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the heights of some famous buildings. All About Time tries to cover a great deal, jumping from different types of clocks and watches to the idea of how much a person can accomplish in varying time allotments to the concept of time zones. It then moves into the phases of the moon, the seasons, and the months of the year, concluding with an illustration of a family tree that features small picture frames where readers can paste in their own photos. Both books' strong point is their glossy, colorful, acetate-overlay illustrations.Lisa Marie Gangemi, Sousa Elementary School, Port Washington, NY