EVALUATING ABC AND COUNTING BOOKS

ABC Books

• The objects or animals should be presented clearly. How clearly are they presented in the book?





• For very young children, only one or two objects should be pictured on a page. Do any pages picture too many objects?





• Common objects or animals that are easily identifiable are best for the young child. What objects or animals does the book use? Are they easily identifiable? Why or why not?





• ABC books should avoid the use of objects that might be known by several names. Does the book include any of these objects? Explain.





• The author/illustrator's purpose for the book should be clear. State the purpose.





• The illustrations should be consistent with the text and reflect the mood of the book. How do the illustrations achieve or fail to achieve consistency with the text? How do they reflect the mood of the book?





• The organizing principle of the presentations should be clear. What is the organizing principle for the book's presentations?





• The intended age level should be considered in both pictures and text. What is the intended age level? Do both text and pictures seem appropriate to that age level? Why or why not?

Counting Books

• Objects to be counted should stand out clearly. Do the objects stand out? If so, how is this accomplished? If not, what needs to be done to accomplish this?





• Accuracy is essential. Are there any inaccuracies in the text? What are they?





• Common objects that children know, such as fingers, toes, and eggs, are usually best for the young child. What counting objects does the book use? Explain why the objects are appropriate or inappropriate for the young child.





• Groupings or sets should be clearly differentiated. How does the book differentiate groupings or sets?





• Number concepts should not be lost in the story. How does the book keep number concepts prominent?





• The level of thinking required should be challenging for appropriate ages. How does the book challenge the reader? Is the level of challenge appropriately matched to the age level of the intended audience? Why or why not?

EVALUATING BOOKS FOR THE VERY YOUNG CHILD

The Best Books For Babies and Toddlers Should:

• Relate to familiar life experiences. What sorts of familiar life experiences does the book explore?





• Provide clear, uncluttered illustrations with little or no distracting background. Using specific examples, describe how the book does or does not follow that rule.





• Be well constructed with sturdy, durable pages. How has the book been constructed in order to ensure durability?





• Use clear, natural language. Does the author of the book use clear, natural language, or not? Provide specific examples to support your answer.





• Have predictable stories. What predictable stories does the author employ?





• Provide some humor, especially so the child will feel superior. How does the author use humor to make the child feel superior?





• Offer opportunities for participation and interaction. Using specific examples, describe the ways in which the book encourages participation and interaction.





• Hold the child's attention. What attention-getting strategies does the book utilize?

EVALUATING MOTHER GOOSE BOOKS

With so many editions of Mother Goose, what factors should be considered when evaluating them? The following points might be useful in studying various editions:

Coverage
How many verses are included in the collection? Does the number seem too low or too high? Why or why not?

Are the verses well-known rhymes, or are there some fresh and unusual ones? List examples of each.

Illustrations
What medium has been used? How does the choice of medium affect your reading experience?

What colors have been used? Describe the mood set by the color scheme.

Are the illustrations realistic, stylized, or varied? Provide examples to support your answer.

Are the illustrations consistent with the text? How?

Do the illustrations elaborate the text? In what ways?

What is the mood of the illustrations (humorous, sedate, high-spirited)? How does the illustrator express and communicate that mood?

Has the illustrator created a fresh approach, avoiding cliché-ridden images?

Provide examples to support your answer.

Text
Does the text read smoothly, or have verses been altered? If the verses have been altered, what is the effect? What makes the text read smoothly or not?

Is the text all on the same page, or fragmented by the need to turn the page? How does the pagination affect your reading of a given verse?

Setting
What background is presented—rural or urban? How does the choice of background enhance or detract from the text?

Does the book take place in any particular country? What is the affect of having (or not having) a specific setting established?

Is the book set in modern times or in the past? How can you tell?

What does the setting add to the collection?

Characters
Do the characters come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds? List the ethnic backgrounds represented.

Do the characters have distinct personalities? Use examples to support your answer.

Do characters range in age? What age groups appear in the tale?

How are animals presented—as humans or realistically? Provide examples to support your response.

Arrangement
Is there a thematic arrangement of the verses? If so, describe the arrangement. If not, describe how the lack of thematic arrangement affects your reading experience.

Is there a feeling of unity to the whole book, or does it feel like a jumble of separate verses? Give evidence to support your answer.

Are pictures and verses well spaced or crowded? Is it clear which picture illustrates which verse? How does the picture/text placement affect your reading experience?

Format
Describe the quality of the paper and the binding.

Does the book include a title page, index, and table of contents? How are those elements designed?

Is there harmony among endpapers, cover, and jacket? Explain your answer.