ABC.....All Around the Town!

1949 Caldecott Honor: All Around the Town

By Phyllis McGinley         Illustrated by Helen Stone

I was unable to find a lot of information on Helen Stone.  I did find her year of birth, 1903 (Englewood, New Jersey) and her year of death, 1978 (Camden, New Jersey).  I also found that she attended the New York School of Art, Chase School-Student.  While I was looking I noticed that the above partnership between Phyllis and Helen is long lived!  They created many books together.  We will see this pair again in a year or so.

Book Summary

A charming ABC rhyming book.  The poetry in this book is really well done!  I really enjoyed seeing what Ms. McGinley would come up with for the next letter.

Illustrations

The only detail I could find about the type of art work Ms. Stone did was “Easel Painting.”  I don’t really think this pertains to what type of paint she used, when I looked in the book to me I thought of watercolor, soft edges with colors blurred together at times.  Bright Green, Yellow and Red paints are used in conjunction with black.  The illustrations are cheerful and entertaining.  There is no one main character, rather each page is a scene from the city.  I enjoyed these illustrations, my favorite was page I. 

I’s for Ice on skating rinks

That glimmers cold and pearly

Where people’s skates

Cut figure-eights

And people’s skirts are twirl-ey

It must be nice

Around the Ice

To glide so smooth and clean-

Not flying and not dancing

But just something in-between.

The illustration shows New York City!  How do I know?  You tell me, what is the one icon in New York City that has to do with Ice Skating?  Gosh I can’t wait until someday when I can see New York in Person!

Final Thoughts:

1. Would this be a book I would pick up again? Maybe

2. Would I recommend it to others to search out and take a look at? yup

3. Would I spend my hard earned money on the book? Perhaps

4. Where did I get the book? Pacific Lutheran University