Each month I post  a book of the month on the main site—this month’s review is of Margaret Wise Brown’s Another Important Book. It’s a follow-up to The Important Book and offers a wonderful message accompanied by great illustrations. Below is my full review; past reviews have also been archived.

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Anyone who has children should know author Margaret Wise Brown. Her ability to see the world through the eyes of a child is amazing! Her books are those books that are read over and over again until you and your child can recite it from memory without even needing to look at the pages; some of her all time classics are Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny.

Many of you have already read The Important Book. It is a wonderful book with a repetitive literary pattern on why things are important. It provides a perfect springboard for teachers and is used in many classrooms of all ages still to this day.

One of my greatest memories of teaching kindergarten is of the profound journal entry by a young boy after reading this book. The students were asked to finish the sentence, “The important thing about ___ is _____.” He wrote, “The important thing about home is the feeling you always get when you come home.” I loved that coming from a 5 year old—I could get a sense of that feeling without him describing it any further.

Many of you may not know, but there is a sequel to that book entitled Another Important Book. It is equally as terrific and full of life, language and unique illustrations. It is perfect for preschoolers because it depicts the importance of the ages one to six and all of the wonderful skills that one is able to learn at each age. Irrespective of ability levels and individual differences it repeatedly stresses, “The important thing about being any age is that you are you!” What a great message! It is delivered in such a positive rhythmic way that it is sure to bring a SMILE to any child’s face.

The language is fabulous: “The important thing about Five and Six…You learn how to count. You learn how to read. You know how to dress and get what you need. You can almost tell time. You can speak in rhyme…But the important thing about Five and Six is that you learn a lot of tricks.” I love the confidence it instills and the positive reinforcement it provides.

The illustrations that accompany are just as impressive. The pages are full of action, movement, shapes and numbers. The characters are black outlined and show motion and expression much like the characters of Scholarville. Perhaps that is why I am drawn to them so much—they are captivating!

I encourage all parents of youngsters to read this book to their children and get ready for a marvelous surprise at the end!