Welcome in Fall with a Good Book -- Julie Andrews' Treasury For All Seasons by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton (Review)

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• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (October 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316040517
• ISBN-13: 978-0316040518
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8.3 x 1 inches

Synopsis:

A vast array of poems old and new joyously celebrates each special day of the year, telling of New Year's resolutions, Valentine's Day love, Easter parades, Fourth of July fireworks, and more. From the cold of winter to the new hope of spring, the brisk fall to the steamy summer, Caldecott Honor illustrator Marjorie Priceman's vibrant watercolor paintings ring in every month of the year, bringing each season to joyful life. Featuring verse from favorites like Walt Whitman, Jack Prelutsky, and Langston Hughes and poetic lyrics from the likes of Cole Porter and Oscar Hammerstein, plus heartfelt introductions by Julie Andrews describing favorite family holiday moments, this is the perfect collection for families to share together.

My Thoughts:

Growing up I loved reading and writing poetry.  But. as I got older and my schedule became more hectic, this love fell by the wayside.  Now that I have children of my own and are able to stay home and raise them, I am finding myself delving back into pastime hobbies like writing poetry.  So, when I heard Little, Brown Books for Young Readers was releasing this book on October 2nd, I had to request a copy to review and share with you all.

Upon receiving, I quickly flipped through this hardcover book, and fell in love with the colorful and fun illustrations, which looked like watercolor.  Then, as I sat down and began to read a selection of these themed seasonal poems, my love for poetry came rushing back and I couldn't wait to read this book, cover to cover with the girls at bedtime.  With over 190 pages, it will take a while to read this book in its entirety to the girls, but I had to sneak ahead and read it in one sitting over the weekend.  Emma Walton Hamilton and Julie Andrews did an amazing job at selecting easy to read poems, that children of all ages to can enjoy.

Who knows?  Maybe one of my girls will fall in love with poetry as I had as a child, and one day pen a poem that will be included in a book like this?  In the meantime, I will enjoy snuggling up with them on the couch, as we choose seasonal poems to enjoy together. :-)  And, with the holidays right around the corner, this would make for a great gift to share with children, as well as give as a baby shower gift.



About the Author, Emma Walton Hamilton:

EMMA WALTON HAMILTON is a best-selling children's book author, editor, educator and arts and literacy advocate. She has co-authored over twenty children's books with her mother, Julie Andrews, seven of which have been on the New York Times best-seller list, including "The Very Fairy Princess" series (#1 NY Times Bestseller), "Julie Andrews' Collection Of Poems, Songs And Lullabies" (illustrated by James McMullan); the "Dumpy The Dump Truck" series; "Simeon's Gift"; "The Great American Mousical" and "THANKS TO YOU - Wisdom From Mother And Child" (#1 New York Times Bestseller).

Emma's own book for parents and caregivers, "Raising Bookworms: Getting Kids Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment," premiered as a #1 best-seller on Amazon.com in the literacy category and won a Parent's Choice Gold Medal, silver medals from the Living Now and IPPY Book Awards, and an Honorable Mention from ForeWord Magazine's Best Book of the Year.

Emma is a faculty member for Stony Brook Southampton's MFA in Creative Writing and Literature Program, where she teaches children's literature courses and serves as Director of the annual Southampton Children's Literature Conference. She is also Executive Director of their Young American Writers Project (YAWP), an inter-disciplinary writing program for middle and high school students on Long Island.

As the creator and host of the "Children's Book Hub" membership site (www.childrensbookhub.com), Emma provides resources, information and support for children's book authors and illustrators world-wide. She is also the creator of "Just Write for Kids!", an online course in writing picture books (www.justwriteforkids.com).

Emma serves as the Editorial Director for The Julie Andrews Collection publishing program, dedicated to quality books for young readers that nurture the imagination and celebrate a sense of wonder, and works as a freelance children's book editor, providing editorial evaluations, line-editing services and one-to-one mentoring. Her blog about writing for children, Emmasaries, can be found at http://www.emmawaltonhamilton.com/blog.

A Grammy Award-winning voiceover artist, Emma has provided voicing for several children's audiobooks, including Gitty Daneshvari's "School of Fear," Patrick McDonnell's "Me...Jane," Nancy Tafuri's "All Kinds of Kisses," and "Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies" (2010 Grammy Award, Best Spoken Word Album for Children,) as well as for radio, television, theater and industrial spots.

Emma is a member of the Author's Guild, The Dramatists' Guild, The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the International Reading Association, SAG, AEA, AFTRA and ASCAP. She has served on the theater panel for the New York State Council on the Arts, as a National Ambassador for The Broadway League's "Kids' Night on Broadway", and as a trustee for the Morriss Center School in Bridgehampton, NY, and the Center for Therapeutic Riding of the East End (CTREE). An accomplished public speaker, Emma addresses arts and literary conferences, schools, universities and other groups on a regular basis about the value of, and synergy between, the arts and literacy.

She lives in Sag Harbor, NY, with her husband, producer/actor Stephen Hamilton and their two children.

For more information, visit www.emmawaltonhamilton.com.

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.