CM Magazine: The Playground.

________________ CM . . . . Volume V Number 17 . . . . April 23, 1999

The Playground. (Talk-About-Books Series).

Debbie Bailey. Photos by Susan Huszar.
Willowdale, ON: Annick Press, 1998.
12 pp., cloth, $5.95.
ISBN 1-55037-511-3.

Subject Headings:
Playgrounds-Juvenile literature.
Play-Juvenile literature.

Preschool / Ages 1-3.
Review by Shannon Nesdoly.

** /4

excerpt:

My playground has a really fast slide,
bars to climb,
a pool to swim in,
and lots of swings.
Do you like to swing really high?

A typical neighborhood playground, complete with sandbox, bugs, bars, slides and friends inspires The Playground, a new title in the "Talk-About-Books," board books for toddlers. Photos of smiling faces and playful youngsters of various ethnic backgrounds adorn the pages. Children are shown playing together as well as exploring on their own. The pictures are spontaneous and natural, and small children are sure to find common traits between their own neighborhood playground and the ones featured in the book. The text is simple and predictable, with questions included for discussion. The pictures are framed in a bright teal green, and the laminated boards are sturdy. While there is nothing particularly remarkable about the book, it feels safe, familiar, warm and, best of all, inviting. The Playground is a good choice to read before heading out the door for your own park excursion.

Recommended.

When not a student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba, Shannon Nesdoly quite possibly could be found in the playground with her two children.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - APRIL 23, 1999.