I love to watch people. I love to sit on a bench in the mall….in a hospital….and especially in airports….and watch people, all kinds of people, come and go. I love to watch the interactions, hear snippets of conversations, and make up stories in my head about their life situations or other scenarios.
If you’re also a people-watcher, you’ll love this book.
In the Town All Year Round gives us many, many things to take notice of and inspect. It’s an over-sized book (and by that I mean a whopping over 10×13″) that’s filled from corner to corner, edge to edge with pictures.
The kids gleaned from me the love of all-things-tiny-and-detailed, as well. When it comes to picture books, tiny pictures and minute intricacies to stare at and enjoy are at the top of our list of favorites. I guess that’s why G loves Richard Scarry books so much….and now this one, as well.
The book is broken into four sections, one for each season, beginning with winter. The first introductory pages to each season gives you a host of different people to look for, questions to ponder and mysteries to solve as you flip through the pages. (“Why is Suzie going to have to buy a new hat?”) In each seasonal division, there are seven different scenes….an apartment house, a busy city, a country farming landscape….where you can peer inside walls and see what all is going on.
I picked out a woman who, in winter, is setting up a baby’s nursery. As the year passes, you begin to see her with her new baby in tow, pushing the stroller through the scenes. And my kids absolutely adore finding Cassie the orange tabby cat, who is hidden somewhere on each and every page (and who has a fun surprise waiting at the end).
For teaching seasons, this book is excellent. For kids who love to learn about daily life, comings and goings, and busy towns and places, this book is also highly recommended. It’s a great book for car rides….or for waiting for appointments. The amount of questions about each picture varies each time we open it, and there’s always something else new to discover for the first time.
You can purchase this deluxe hardbound In the Town All Year Round from Chronicle Books or wherever your favorite books are sold. It’s most definitely new classic that should be a staple on every young child’s bookshelf!
Sara (2 years ago)
Love it! I’m putting this on Lucas’s Christmas List! Thanks Meg!
Lynn (2 years ago)
My son absolutely loves this book. I recommend it to everyone. I first read about it at Jean Little Library’s blog, I think, and we’ve reviewed it on our blog a few times too.