How a Book Is Made

Children's Literature - Mary Quattlebaum

Young readers are curious about how books come into being. Encourage this curiosity. Once a child realizes that a book did not always exist but, rather, was created by an ordinary person, your child might be interested in writing her own book. Prepare to be besieged by questions: How do the hard covers get on the front and back? Who makes the pictures? One children's book writer, Aliki, in anticipation of these questions and to encourage budding authors has presented the young reader with her own book on making books. Aliki's colorful creatures illustrate aspects of bringing a book into being and the text is couched in language easily understood by young children.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5 In response to the question, ``Who made this book?,'' the eight cats pictured on the back jacket answer in unison, ``We all did!'' In only 32 pages, Aliki explains their participation in this venture, from the author's inspiration through the presentation of a copy of the completed book to a grateful child. Aliki's publishing company is in a world populated by cats, cats in fancy dress whose individual looks and personalities are representative of a wide spectrum of people. Her lucid explanation of the bookmaking process is clearer thanbut every bit as accurate asmany explanations written for adults. Younger children will be satisfied with the charming pictures and the basic picture book text, which identifies the various stages in the business of publishing books. Older or better readers, and those doing research, will find the more detailed explanations, set in smaller type within the frames of the illustrations, to be particularly worthwhile. All ages will be captivated by the dialogue balloons within the softly colored mixed media illustrations colored pencil and watercolor, which add some humor and give the book personality. A calendar, unobtrusively placed in many of the illustrations, supplies a time frame for each step. No other author has explained the complicated process of creating a book to such a young audience. Even those readers for whom the technical aspects of book production are too difficult to grasp will appreciate the love and hard work that go into the creation of a book. Bound to please, this book marks a high spot in informational writing for children. David Gale, ``School Library Journal''