On the Town: A Community Adventure

by Judith Caseley, Judith Caseley (Illustrator)

Overview

Charlie's homework was to explore the people and places in his community. "What is my community?" he asked his mother. So they took a walk to find out. With the bounce and humor that have characterized all her popular books over the years, Judith Caseley once again proves that when it comes to the primary school world, there is very little that she doesn't know. Charlie and his mother take a walk that can be taken by anyone with a keen sense of fun — and open eyes and an inquiring mind.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060295844
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/26/2002
Edition description:	1 ED
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	495,046
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Judith Caseley says, "When I was a little girl, I fell in love with Abraham Lincoln. I was drawn to the kindness and melancholy I saw in his face. My sister Jean and I prayed to a framed portrait of him that hung on our bedroom wall. To this day, when I see Lincoln's likeness on the wall of a school auditorium, my heart lifts with gladness or my eyes fill with tears. I remember the fierce secrets we told him, the joys and sorrows that were for his ears only. It was a private act of communion, and we called him A. L."

Judith Caseley is the author-artist of such favorite picture books as On the Town: A Community Adventure; Bully; Mama, Coming and Going; and Dear Annie. She lives on Long Island, New York, with her two children.

Judith Caseley says, "When I was a little girl, I fell in love with Abraham Lincoln. I was drawn to the kindness and melancholy I saw in his face. My sister Jean and I prayed to a framed portrait of him that hung on our bedroom wall. To this day, when I see Lincoln's likeness on the wall of a school auditorium, my heart lifts with gladness or my eyes fill with tears. I remember the fierce secrets we told him, the joys and sorrows that were for his ears only. It was a private act of communion, and we called him A. L."

Judith Caseley is the author-artist of such favorite picture books as On the Town: A Community Adventure; Bully; Mama, Coming and Going; and Dear Annie. She lives on Long Island, New York, with her two children.

Editorial Reviews

Sparked by a school assignment, a boy and his mother keep track of the people and places in the neighborhood in On the Town: A Community Adventure by Judith Caseley. The child's notebook entries appear throughout in lively watercolor, colored pencil and ink illustrations. (Apr.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

K-Gr 2-This simply told tale explores a subject that is routinely studied in the primary grades. Armed with a new black notebook and a homework assignment to explore his community and the people who live in it, Charlie and his mother walk around town and think about what the boy should write down. They run a variety of familiar errands that help him understand the many different establishments that make up his community-such as the bank, the post office, the fire station, and the barbershop-and he draws pictures of the people he meets in each locale. Caseley's illustrations, rendered in watercolors and colored pencil outlined in black ink, provide details through the creative use of borders and spot art that showcases Charlie's notebook entries. This useful title is sure to be a popular choice in libraries everywhere.-Lisa Gangemi Krapp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

A class assignment sends Charlie and his mother on an exploration of the neighborhood in Caseley's (Bully, 2001, etc.) curriculum-oriented offering. "Visit the people and places in your community," says Charlie's teacher. "Take your notebook and explore." Full-color illustrations (rendered in watercolor, colored pencils, and black pen) show Charlie and his mother after school as the boy makes the first entry in his notebook. " ‘Teacher!' said Charlie. ‘Should I write her name down?' ‘Absolutely,' said Mama. ‘Your teacher is a big part of your community.' " With each step along the way (the park, post office, and fire station, for example). Charlie adds an entry while his mother provides encouragement. (" ‘Barber shop!' said Charlie. ‘So smart,' said Mama.' ") Framed vignettes depict the places; spot art shows what Charlie has written and drawn in his book. The formula continues to the very end. " ‘Home!' said Charlie [tucked in bed]. ‘I forgot about home.' " The final illustration shows all the entries in Charlie's notebook. A natural choice for a unit on community as well as sparking a child's own exploration. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews