Writing It Down

School Library Journal

ea. vol: illus. by Marylin Hafner. 32p. CIP. Lippincott. 1989. Tr $11.70; PLB $11.89. K-Gr 4-- Whimsical yet informative approaches to the use of utensils for eating and instruments for writing. Feeding Yourself concentrates on the knife, the fork, chopsticks, and the spoon. Their origins and uses in many cultures are interpreted through Hafner's lively watercolor illustrations, which are true to the text, yet humorous. Detailed instructions using chopsticks will intrigue readers of all ages. Hafner again artfully adds colorful examples and humor in Writing It Down. Here the text focuses on paper, ballpoint pens, pencils, and crayons. It also includes detailed instructions, accompanied by step-by-step visuals, for making paper by hand. These behind-the-scenes stories of things children use daily are just right for primary-grade readers who can easily understand the concepts. These excellent additions to nonfiction collections will be fun to booktalk, and may be used as models of effective writing and illustration for children. --Janie Schomberg, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign