Amy Schwartz, author of 100 Things That Make Me Happy, returns with 100 Things I Love to Do with You. From making faces and running races to snapping beans and wearing jeans, here is a warm picture of a collection of
things to do with the one you love.
October 1, 2017
A rollicking, rhyming read-aloud gives kids ideas for things to do with someone else."Be twins / sleep in / skip stones / lick cones / rub noses / smell roses // scoot scooters / learn computers / pogo stick / apple pick." Whether they portray the children with a sibling, friend, parent, or other grown-up, the illustrations, which range from whole-page to small vignettes, show kids exuberantly enjoying activities that represent such variety that all readers are sure to find something they will enjoy and are able to do geographically and financially. And sneakily, a few of the suggestions even involve good manners and being helpful--"snap beans," "scramble eggs," "plant flowers," "set good examples," "share a treat"--though a few will raise adult eyebrows--"misbehave" (jumping on the bed), "make trouble" (drawing on the wall), and "skinny dip." Schwartz's endearing characters show a wide assortment of skin tones and racial markers (including horizontal lines instead of dots for Asian characters' eyes), and the groups are delightfully mixed in terms of gender, age, and relationship. A poster is printed on the back of the jacket flap, numbered thumbnails of the 100 activities surrounding the title and author's name. Sure to spark readers' own lists of things they love to do. (Picture book. 3-8)
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October 16, 2017
Schwartz follows 100 Things That Make Me Happy with item-by-item proof that just about anything can be an adventure when it’s done with a beloved parent, sibling, or friend. Like its predecessor, the book unfolds in pithy rhymes, which revolve around everyday activities and meals (“Climb trees/ Feel the breeze/ Write secret codes/ Eat rocky road”) as well as some special trips or occasions (“Make mud pies/ Help the sun rise”). Schwartz’s delicately drawn cartoons feature a big cast of pink- and brown-skinned children and adults, blissfully content as they explore their surroundings, play, and relax. Lighthearted repetition (“Stick stickers,” “Scoot scooters,” “Toast toast”) will draw smiles among young readers, and the sheer variety of activities represented ensures that children of all types—rowdy, contemplative, mischievous, sporty, imaginative, always hungry—will find some of their own “loves” among the 100 Schwartz includes. Ages 3–5.
January 1, 2018
This follow-up to �cf2]100 Things That Make Me Happy�cf1] enumerates, in present-tense lilting rhyme, one hundred happy-making activities: "Skip stones / Lick cones / Rub noses / Smell roses." Tidy vignettes show children of different ethnicities (and some adults here and there, plus one child in a wheelchair) spending time together. Good for conversation-starting and for intimate one-on-one sharing.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from October 1, 2017
PreS-Gr 2- In the same format as her 100 Things that Make Me Happy, this book employs rhyming couplets and a diverse cast of characters to celebrate things children can enjoy with the people in their lives. Readers will be familiar with many of the activities, such as "Run Races," "Make Faces," and "Toot Horns," "Pop Corn." But there are surprises, too. Some acknowledge quite playfully that youngsters occasionally engage in less acceptable behaviors, like the activity "Misbehave" that appears above two children jumping on a bed or the words "Make Trouble" beneath the illustration of a boy and girl drawing on a wall. Several like "Make Mud Pies" "Help the Sun Rise" encourage enjoyment of nature, while others such as "Snap Beans" and "Scramble Eggs" depict adult and child working companionably together. The illustrations, all painted on white backgrounds and outlined in thin black lines, are pure delight in their variety and detail. They include several small vignettes on a page, pictures enclosed within half-page rectangles, and full-page pictures framed in white. A striking diagonal scene depicts children who "Run Down Hills" and "Pick Daffodils." Every article of clothing is filled with detailed patterns, and no vehicle is duplicated in a scene of two kids at home playing with a large collection of them. Even text colors match each illustration. Checkerboard endpapers echo the palette within, and the underside of the cover features a poster recapping all 100 numbered activities. VERDICT The great variety of activities will elicit both delighted recognition and surprise; the detailed illustrations invite repeated one-on-one viewing. A first purchase.- Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA
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