100 Things I Know How to Do by Amy Schwartz
100 Things I Know How to Do
by Amy Schwartz
Review Copy from Abrams Appleseed
This marks Schwartz's third "100 Things" book masterfully chronicling the everyday lives of very young children, each one as delightfully engaging as the next. While I definitely enjoy taking a deep dive into the daily lives of little kids, what I love most about these books is the way that they are instantly inspirational. It's almost impossible to read this book to or with a child and not want to make your own "100" list as soon you turn the last page. Schwartz's deceptively simple couplets form a list of things that builds upon itself. Her rhymes that are never forced or awkward and you just might find yourself singing as you read out loud. Schwartz effortlessly moves from the specific to the quotidian, zooming from "Butter bowties / Order French fries" to "Wear shorts / Build forts," with an occasional staccato burst of "Sing / Swing / Giggle / Wiggle / Bump / Jump!"
The illustrations paired with the words can be small, several fitting on the crisp, white backgrounds, or full pages, inviting a pause or a momentary slowing of pace in reading. Schwartz's diverse cast of 100+ children and adults is easy to connect with, her more detailed illustrations giving readers much to pore over and recognize from their own lives. These are books that MUST be purchased as hardbacks with dust jackets, as the inside of each dust jacket is a marvelous poster that includes ALL 100 things from each book!
Don't miss these board book adaptations!
