Overview
"What's-in-it" fun for the very young.
Celebrated children's writer Kathy Stinson explores "what's-in-what" concepts for young children. With a chorus of questions that encourage interaction, children will delight in playing with the language of spatial relationships, from a pocket holding a treasure to a spoon with a face reflected in it.
For one young girl, a day on the farm is full of familiar sights that lead to the unexpected. The barn has a horse in it... just like a house can have a "me" in it. A sock can't have a head in it, but it can have a toe in it. A pond can even have a splash in it. Best of all, when Mommy comes home, she has a blanket that has a wiggle in it -- a brand new baby.
Joining charming pictures and a satisfying story with language-learning ideas, A Pocket Can Have a Treasure in It will hold the attention of parents and children alike.
Synopsis
A picture book that combines charming pictures and language-learning ideas to delight children with a 'what-is-in-what' -- from a pocket holding treasure to a spoon with a face in it.
Children's Literature
A young girl charmingly speculates on what can be inside, and what cannot. There is room for questions and answers, as she realizes that just as the barn has a horse inside, the house can have "me" inside, but a sock cannot have a head inside, only a toe. The basket holding the clothes to be hung out to dry can also have a naughty puppy inside; he must come out. As she explores her home and farm, she finds her grandma in a car, then a muffin treat with chocolate chips inside, but a cow in a tree? Of course not! Her mom and dad join her as she finds her wiggly baby sibling inside a blanket, then her own face reflected in a spoon. Her good night story ends neatly with the horse still in the barn. Bettridge's gentle ink and watercolor illustrations focus on the narrative's events in vignettes, without the distractions of fully developed scenes. There is a casual look to the naturalistic imagery, with both comfort and delight in the experiences of our young heroine, with her energy lasting until bedtime. The equally casual, large, sans serif type face adds to the light-hearted feeling. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
Editorials
ForeWord -
The simple text of A Pocket Can Have a Treasure in It has a comforting repetitive structure, but occasionally diverges from the pattern to add an element of surprise. The rural setting evokes simple pleasures -- such as hanging out the laundry with Dad -- and the story is satisfyingly circular. [Betteridge's] soft and sweet illustrations tell a story of their own. A Pocket Can Have a Treasure in It will captivate youngsters aged from about two to five, and so the conclusion is clear: your shelves should have this book on it!Children's Literature -
A young girl charmingly speculates on what can be inside, and what cannot. There is room for questions and answers, as she realizes that just as the barn has a horse inside, the house can have "me" inside, but a sock cannot have a head inside, only a toe. The basket holding the clothes to be hung out to dry can also have a naughty puppy inside; he must come out. As she explores her home and farm, she finds her grandma in a car, then a muffin treat with chocolate chips inside, but a cow in a tree? Of course not! Her mom and dad join her as she finds her wiggly baby sibling inside a blanket, then her own face reflected in a spoon. Her good night story ends neatly with the horse still in the barn. Bettridge's gentle ink and watercolor illustrations focus on the narrative's events in vignettes, without the distractions of fully developed scenes. There is a casual look to the naturalistic imagery, with both comfort and delight in the experiences of our young heroine, with her energy lasting until bedtime. The equally casual, large, sans serif type face adds to the light-hearted feeling. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia MarantzSchool Library Journal
PreS-K
Some things can be inside other things. This book opens, "A barn can have...a horse in it. And a house can have a 'me' in it." And on it goes, as a yellow-haired child in a lavender smock romps through her day. "A car can have a grandma in it." When Grandma arrives, she continues the game, and every now and then a silly combination comes up. "Can a tree have a cow in it?" Meanwhile, Dad drives away. And the game continues. He returns with Mom and a "wiggle" in a blanket-the family has a new baby. And still the wordplay goes on until bedtime when there's a story with a barn in it and inside the barn there is, once again, a horse. The exuberant pastel illustrations, with a mix of indoor and outdoor scenes and plenty of white space, are outlined in thin black lines. This is a charming concept book that also serves as a story for young children experiencing a new sibling.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI