Classic Reading for Kids is an annual event hosted by myself and Ella of MyMcBooks.wordpress.com where we focus on Classic Reading for Kids and then we GIVE THEM AWAY!
Today and each day this week I will be focusing on my favorite books for the Preschool Age Group and on Saturday - I will be giving them ALL away to ONE LUCKY winner! Is that winner going to be you? You'll find out on Saturday!
To enter the giveaway this week you must return to my blog each day where I will post the answer to that day's entry. To receive your entry that day you will need that answer. Ella will be featuring 5 books on her blog too and doing a giveaway there as well. So, you have 2 chances to WIN big this week!
Day 3 - Book Review & Giveaway
by Virginia Lee Burton
ISBN: 9780395169612
$8.79 (Book with CD),
Mike Mulligan and 4 Classic Stories ($13.60)
About the Book:
Mike and his trusty steam shovel, Mary Anne, have a very important job. They dig deep canals for boats to travel through, cut mountain passes for trains and hollow out cellars for big city skyscrapers - the very symbol of modern industrial America. But with progress comes new machines and soon the inseparable duo are out of work. Mike believes Mary Anne can dig as much in a day as a hundred men can dig in a week and the two have one last chance to prove it and save Mary Anne from the scrap heap. What happens next in the small town of Popperville is a testament to their friendship, as well as old-fashioned hard work and ingenuity.
"Mike Mulligan had a steam shovel.
A beautiful red steam shovel."
My Thoughts:
This fun book was originally published in 1939 and has remained a favorite of boys and girls ever since. Originally written by the author for her 2 boys she incorporated many of the noises I'm sure she heard her children make. "Bing! Bang! Crash! Slam! describes the sound Mary Anne made when she worked faster and faster. When the fire department arrives you hear "Clang, Clang, Clang!"
The begins by explaining what Mary Anne did as a steam shovel. She dug the canals for the big boats, she cut through the high mountains for the trains and "lowered the hills and straightened the curves". The illustrations are very descriptive and children can visualize what is happening just by looking at the pictures. In fact, the pictures are descriptive enough you really don't need words for this book!
One thing I really like about this book is the friendly competition between two groups of people. You have Mike and Mary Anne against a group of 100 men competing against each other to see who can dig the most. As time goes by you see those who feel that only NEW methods and tools are the way to go - but eventually these same people start to respect the effort and work that Mike and Mary Anne show (and do).
See inside the book: Click Here
About the author:
Virginia Lee Burton was the talented author and illustrator of some of the most enduring books ever written for children. The winner of the 1942 Caldecott Medal for The Little House, Burton's books include heroes and happy endings, lively illustrations, and a dash of nostalgia. She lived with her two sons, Aristides and Michael, and her husband George Demetrios, the sculptor, in a section of Gloucester, Massachusetts, called Folly Cove. Here she taught a class in design and from it emerged the Folly Cove designers, a group of internationally known professional artisans. (from Wikipedia)
Virginia Lee Burton was the talented author and illustrator of some of the most enduring books ever written for children. The winner of the 1942 Caldecott Medal for The Little House, Burton's books include heroes and happy endings, lively illustrations, and a dash of nostalgia. She lived with her two sons, Aristides and Michael, and her husband George Demetrios, the sculptor, in a section of Gloucester, Massachusetts, called Folly Cove. Here she taught a class in design and from it emerged the Folly Cove designers, a group of internationally known professional artisans. (from Wikipedia)To learn more about the book, other books the author wrote and find kid's activity pages go to: MikeMulligan.com.
Classic Reading for Kid's Giveaway:
It's Day 2 of the Classic Reading for Kid's Giveaway Event. I've officially changed the mandatory entry to today's question. Be sure to read this post to know the answer.
On Sunday my drawing will include the Mike Mulligan Travel Activity Kit (provided it's still available) ~ if the kit is sold I will send a copy of the book only. It includes: a CD with audio recordings of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Katy and the Big Snow, and Maybelle the Cable Car (more than an hour of listening time!), a paperback copy of the book, a 24 page activity book, crayons, postcards and 2 sheets of Mike Mulligan mini stickers!
:
This is one of my all time favorite books, and I read it to my preschool room and they love it - old fashioned drawings and all!
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