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Ten, Nine, Eight Review
User Submitted Ten, Nine, Eight ReviewsJuly 17, 2008 Baby Loves It, and It's Not Annoyingly Cutesty-Wootsy! My 14 month old has been choosing this one over other bedtime books since at least 9 months. The rhythm is soothing to me too, even on the 3rd reading in a row. That really helps by the end of the day! July 9, 2008 "and a 10, and a 9, and a" --The Count is Back! Not quite a board book, but smaller than most picture books, "Ten, Nine, Eight" fills a nice gap in the middle. Molly Bang's exquisite colors illustrate this counting (from 10-to-1) book that culminates with the protagonist fast asleep. The context is as warm and familiar as the counted objects: A little girl (it's difficult to tell how old she is, sometimes her face looks a liitle more mature than at other time) climbs up onto her daddy's lap. The dad is obviously smitten with his daughter, but in an unforced manner that seems to come from deep inside. The gentle pictures of their affectionate interactions provide the countable objects. These include 10 toes, 7 shoes (later we see the cat with the missing one), six "pale" seashells (each with its own shape), four "sleepy eyes which open and close," two "strong arms around a fuzzy bear's head (actually, you can see three arms, but you can always exclaim, "you're right, there are three arms!)," and "one big girl all ready for bed." Ms. Bang's varied palette uses both bold primary colors and some more "sophisticated" hues not always found in a book for crawlers and toddlers. Overall, the tone is pleasant and warm, and the rhymes unforced and natural. May 31, 2008 MODERN CLASSIC CHILDREN'S BOOK I have bought many copies of Ten, Nine, Eight to give as baby gifts. I love this book. I have been a librarian for over thirty years. I am so glad that this one has stayed in print. April 15, 2008 Goodnight book The more I read this book to my 2-year-old son, the more I like it. He liked it right away. It really is a peaceful "goodnight" book. December 27, 2006 Wonderful book My children have this book memorized, and so do I. We recite it sometimes without the book as a going to bed poem. It is a wonderful addition to any parent's repertoire. If you have a friend expecting, be the one to buy this book. It's better than "Good Night, Moon" by about 78%, at least. June 15, 2005 "Ten, Nine, Eight" Is Great! This book is on my entering-kindergartner's Summer Reading List and I can certainly understand its inclusion: good art and good story. The drawings of father and child are just so sweet and endearing. My children can not get enough of it. Every night they want to put their little toes over the ones that are 'washed and warm' in the book. We count our window panes, and give kisses on 'cheeks and nose' too. An excellent bedtime book. It is also the only book out of the 30 or so that we have read thus far, that made me say: darn I wish that I had run across this book alot earlier. Definitely worth adding to the home library. October 26, 2004 sleepy time This counting book uses tempera paints to create a warm inviting feeling as we watch a loving father put his daughter to bed. The book counts backwards in an almost hypnotic way sending the child to dreamland on a cold snowy night. The pride and love this father feels are beautifully shown in the illustrations. One almost feels as if they are intruding in on a magical bedtime ritual. The illustrations are realistic in style showing detail in every picture. The colors are warm and dark to help the setting with a night time feel. Bang uses many patterns, as in the floral wallpaper and the rocky chair, but the pictures are not to busy or cluttered. If the illustrations are watched closely an underlying story of the cat can be seen as well. The reader might wonder where the missing shoe might have gone from under the bed on the number seven page. It is found on page five as the cat plays with it beside the rocking chair. It seems as if the cat is woken from its nap at the beginning of the story and has a little playtime before it retires to some other corner to continue with its sleep. As a counting book Ten, Nine, Eight reinforces counting backwards. It can be a little confusing on the number nine page however. When counting the "friends" there is a horn that stands out but if the reader looks closely there is a small mouse on the dolls lap so there are actually ten objects in the picture. This could bewilder a small child trying to learn to count for themselves. Over all this is a wonderful book that would be a loving addition to any library to be shared with that special little sleepy child. September 12, 2004 Only 70 words!! Finally a book that can by all means cannot be considered contravesial I'm really tired of all the so-called "critics" out there giving classic authors bad reviews. Many author/illustrators have suffered from this: Maurice Sendak, and even Molly Bang(not to mention, Helen Bannerman). I can see why these authors would be targeted and I even agree with some of the views that reviewers on amazon express, but these authors don't mean any harm, do they? 10 small toes all washed and warm 9 soft friends in a quiet room 8 square windowpanes with falling snow 7 empty shoes in a short straight row Please if not buy, check this book out from your local library. April 29, 2004 Seven, six, five It's sort of a "Goodnight Moon" tale, but interesting. The book combines your average counting book (or, in this case, counting backwards book) with a bedtime sleepy story. Utilizing bright colors, interesting characters, and an eye for textures, author/illustrator Molly Bang has created a sweet simple story that does not annoy or condescend to the reader. An African-American girl and her father count down to bedtime. There are ten toes on her feet. Nine fuzzy friends (including a clever and playful kitty). Eight windowpanes displaying the snow outside. It goes on. Each view of the bedroom is a comforting one. The observant reader might wonder why there are only seven shoes straightened under the crib, only to find that when we observe the five buttons on the girl's gown, the cat is proceeding to happily gnaw on the missing shoe. The delicate interactions between the girl and her father are undoubtedly the most tender parts of the story. Oftentimes we switch in the story from viewing things from the child's point of view (like her toes or her seashell mobile) to looking at the girl as she perches in her father's lap. After some goodnight kisses and a big hug to her furry bear pet, it's off to bed for the sweet sleepy little one. There is nothing in this book that will necessarily grab you by the guts and make you want to give this story to every man, woman, and child you know. It's just a delicately woven lullaby that expresses almost wordlessly the affection that exists between a father and his daughter. From the opening shot of the girl running to be in her dad's outstretched arms, to the final tucking in at the end of the night, the book touches a chord in the reader. It is sweet without overpowering you with its saccharine nature. Adorable without going overboard. It is a beautifully balanced work of picture book art.
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