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The Important Book: A Classic Picture Book Teaching Kids (Ages 4-8) to Appreciate Simple, Everyday Details
Margaret Wise Brown, the New York Times bestselling author of the perennial classics Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny , asks children to think deeply about the importance of everyday objects, from apples to spoons. With lyrical words and vivid illustrations by Caldecott winner Leonard Weisgard, The Important Book shows children just how important everyday objects can be. What is the most important thing about a spoon? The fact that you can eat with it? What about an apple? Or a shoe? This book helps curious preschoolers notice important details about their everyday surroundings, like daisies are white, rain is wet, and a spoon is used for eating. For the important thing about The Important Book is that the book resonates long after it's closed. What's most important about many familiar things—like rain and wind, apples and daisies—is suggested in rhythmic words and vivid pictures. "A perfect book. The text establishes a word game which tiny children will accept with glee," said Kirkus . Chosen as a "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" by the American National Education Association. "Rekindles the sense of wonder we were born with. True poetry about perceiving the world around us." — Mark Frauenfelder , BoingBoing magazine
24 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
22 people are currently reading
1458 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Wise Brown
395 books1,215 followersMargaret Wise Brown wrote hundreds of books and stories during her life, but she is best known for Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Even though she died nearly 70 years ago, her books still sell very well.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 313 reviews
July 5, 2021
I loved all the simplistic reasons why ordinary things are important. A perfect book to extend a writing project with students!
The cover design and illustrations are not very eye-catching, but the text overrides them.
The cover design and illustrations are not very eye-catching, but the text overrides them.
May 25, 2020
The illustrations are wonderful and I love the way they had found different ways to include the text in the picture such as writing it on a flag but I did find the text a bit repetitive and annoying. There is a statement on each page about the picture such as - a daisy is important because it is white, shoes are important because you put your feet in them, grass is important because it is green. I wasn't sure if it was intended to be incorrect so the child could correct the adult reader and say no, shoes are important because they protect your feet or whether these where just badly thought out statements.
Read on open library.
Read on open library.
September 1, 2018
My first experience with this book was with grade 4 students today and I just loved it! Each page chooses something different an apple, grass, the sky etc and talks about the most important thing about it. My colleague used this as a great writing icebreaker for students to then let her know what is the most important thing about them. Great use of repetition and eye catching illustrations.
May 7, 2019
I am ranking Margaret Wise Brown's The Important Book with two stars only because Leonard Weisgard's accompanying illustrations are once again aesthetically wonderful and a true visual treat (and that I with very much pleasure remember them from when I read The Important Book when we first moved to Canada in 1976). However, with regard to the author's text (which I really do not remember all that fondly), I can only say that I have found Margaret Wise Brown's words presumptive, annoying and indeed also very much arrogant, especially regarding what for the objects described supposedly is important. For sorry, that is at best a bit of a matter of personal opinion and I (as an example) do not in any way think (and have never thought) that the most essential and important aspect of a daisy is its whiteness and of grass is its greenness (for I would probably consider it far more necessary to mention that daisies attract bees and that grass feeds many different species of animals). And quite frankly, with The Important Book, I have therefore generally felt talked down to and preached at, and from a reading pleasure (and educational) point of departure I really cannot at all stand it, I really do despise The Important Book (and although I guess that one could also use The Important Book to generate discussions with older children regarding Margaret Wise Brown's narrative and whether what she declares as important about the objects depicted and described warrants that designation, I still do think and believe that The Important Book is really much too pedantic and "my way or the highway" for me to in any way recommend it without some very major reservations and caveats).
September 24, 2009
The important thing about this book is that it is fabulous. It is true that if I could give this book 6 stars, I would. It is true that if I could give this book to every child who would eventually need to write an essay, I would. And when my daughter is ready to learn how to write, this book will help me explain the difference between the main idea and secondary supporting details and the various places they should go in a well constructed paragraph. For now, though, this book is just a joy to read. So I will have to settle for giving it 5 stars and hope that other parents notice and pick it up for their own kids.
All these things are true, but the important thing about this book is that it is fabulous.
Update: My husband is not a big fan of this book, because he disagrees with some of the statements. For example, he doesn't think that the most important thing about a daisy is that it's white. But I think this is a great opportunity to talk about what you think is the most important thing about, say, a daisy, and to talk with your children about how as a writer, you can decide for yourself what's important about something and describe it accordingly. It's also a great chance to talk about how you don't have to agree with everything you read because everyone sees the world a bit differently, and about how we can learn from each other's perspectives--even if we don't agree with them. So really, even with my husband's criticism, I think this is a book that keeps on giving.
All these things are true, but the important thing about this book is that it is fabulous.
Update: My husband is not a big fan of this book, because he disagrees with some of the statements. For example, he doesn't think that the most important thing about a daisy is that it's white. But I think this is a great opportunity to talk about what you think is the most important thing about, say, a daisy, and to talk with your children about how as a writer, you can decide for yourself what's important about something and describe it accordingly. It's also a great chance to talk about how you don't have to agree with everything you read because everyone sees the world a bit differently, and about how we can learn from each other's perspectives--even if we don't agree with them. So really, even with my husband's criticism, I think this is a book that keeps on giving.
April 29, 2018
When I first read this book, I was super frustrated by the end of the book, and then I realized that I just needed to think differently. This is a great book for a discussion starter on points of view and the difference between a big idea and supporting ideas. Here's one example from the book:
The important thing about an apple is that it is round.
It is red.
You bite it,
and it is white inside.
I cringed as I read these words. I wanted a red correcting pen. This is wrong! I wondered, 'does anyone agree with this?' Maybe an artist? I realized that these factual statements might differ depending on point of view. A starving person and an artist would not agree on the 'important things' about an apple. Nor would a scientist. The scientist might say ...
The important thing about an apple is that it contains seeds.
It is eaten by many kinds of animals.
It grows when an apple blossom is pollinated,
and there are many varieties of apples.
What's important, is that this technique can help students organize their ideas and focus on what's the most important. For example, if students are studying the digestive system, they might use a frame such as:
The important thing about the digestive system is ...
The important thing about the mouth is ...
The important thing about the esophagus is ...
Got it? Oh, well, I'm getting carried away. But, as you can see, I like the book for its potential, not for how it's actually written.
The important thing about an apple is that it is round.
It is red.
You bite it,
and it is white inside.
I cringed as I read these words. I wanted a red correcting pen. This is wrong! I wondered, 'does anyone agree with this?' Maybe an artist? I realized that these factual statements might differ depending on point of view. A starving person and an artist would not agree on the 'important things' about an apple. Nor would a scientist. The scientist might say ...
The important thing about an apple is that it contains seeds.
It is eaten by many kinds of animals.
It grows when an apple blossom is pollinated,
and there are many varieties of apples.
What's important, is that this technique can help students organize their ideas and focus on what's the most important. For example, if students are studying the digestive system, they might use a frame such as:
The important thing about the digestive system is ...
The important thing about the mouth is ...
The important thing about the esophagus is ...
Got it? Oh, well, I'm getting carried away. But, as you can see, I like the book for its potential, not for how it's actually written.
March 27, 2017
From the classic writer, illustrator Margaret Wise Brown, comes a book with simple yet important facts.
March 14, 2011
I was excited to read this book because I completely agreed with the idea of a book that illustrates how to determine the most important aspects in contrast to other characteristics. I thought the first page was very simple, and true to everyday observations. Many of the examples, however, I did not agree with. For many of the items It said that the most important thing was the color or some other outward characteristic, and I think this is a shallow message to send to children. It also implies that there is one main idea that is the right main idea. It might be a fun read for some students because the way it is written is very captivating. I would only recommend this after talking to students about different perspectives and finding the main idea for themselves. Other than that, it provides good examples of descriptive language.
January 8, 2009
Good grief, is the important thing about a daisy is that it is white? Or the important thing about a grass is that it is green? I think that is a matter of opinion.
I do like the message at the end that what is important about YOU is that YOU are YOU!
I do like the message at the end that what is important about YOU is that YOU are YOU!
September 22, 2009
Great book to use with younger students at the beginning of the year. A follow up activity could be for the class to make their own 'The Important Book' with each child making a page. My instructor read this to us with a group of kids and she made the point of saying during the reading "This is what the author thinks is the most important thing, you might think differently." To me this was perfect because you wouldn't want a child to have a narrow view of what's 'the' most important thing about something because it's highly subjective and open to interpretation. But then again this could be a good discussion point from this story depending on what you want to do with it. In general it's a good story that will make kids think. I love the last page; after talking about the important things about objects like the sky, grass and shoes, the last page reads: 'And the most important thing about you is that you are you."
November 19, 2013
Could use as a jumping-off point for a poetry unit, but most of the things Margaret Wise Brown claims are "important" about objects in the book are pretty subjective. I suppose that would also be something good to discuss in class.. anyway, I recalled not really liking this when it was read to us in a Children's Lit class last year, and now that I've given it a second chance I still am not overly fond of it.
October 23, 2012
I really did not like this book, it is repetitive, and annoying, and lacking in creativity but the most important thing about this book is that I didn't like it.
July 27, 2024
3.7 stars (4/10 hearts). I found this book confusing at first. The text is nice and lyrical, and the illustrations are good, but the premise baffled me. Who says that the important thing about spoons is that they’re hollow, or apples that they’re round? Or snow that it’s white, and rain that it’s wet? After thinking and talking it over, though, I realized the things mentioned are one of the vitalist part of the object. It’s an interesting little book to consider, especially with kids!
September 15, 2024
“Best 📕 ever”
(read aloud at 4yo, no words missed)
(read aloud at 4yo, no words missed)
Read
November 3, 2014This book was written in a formulaic manner. It is not a storybook, because there is no plot. Illustrations on every page are accompanied by a short paragraph that lists facts and details about objects in the pictures. For example, the most important thing about a spoon is that we eat with it. Then follows a description of the spoon that is like a little shovel you hold in your hand and bring to your mouth. It’s not flat, but hollow, and it spoons things up. Finally, the writer repeats “But the important thing about a spoon is that you eat with it.” Other objects that the book describes are daisy, rain, grass, snow, apple, wind, sky, and shoe. In the end, the writer turns to the reader and concludes that “The important thing about you is that you are you.”
This is a picture book because illustrations and text interact to create meaning. Illustrations enable the reader to expand the short paragraph with additional details about the objects. The book follows a pattern where the text on each page begins and ends with a sentence “The important thing about ___ is that it is ___.” This makes it a read-aloud that kindergartners might enjoy because of repetitions, predictable pattern and simple, clear sentences.
It is a versatile book that can be used both with young and older students (K-4, depending on how the teacher would use it in the classroom.) Younger students can share things about themselves (What makes you – you?) and their family members. It can be a good activity for getting to know each other at the beginning of the year. With grades 1-2, this book can be used to teach about main ideas and details (since the book lists facts about objects, it can be used for informational text; ELA 1.2.2.2), describing characteristics/properties of things, and adjectives/descriptive language.
An idea for a class discussion (analysis and evaluation) would be whether students agree with the writer regarding the most important thing about the objects listed. For example, is the most important thing about an apple that it is round, or about grass that it is green? Students can offer their own suggestions of important things, and these can be listed on chart paper.
In lower grades, students can follow this formula to list facts on chart paper and make their own collaborative “Important Book.” As a creative writing task, older students (grades 3-4) can write their own essays about things/persons that are important to them, using the same pattern of listing the characteristics of an object/person and singling out one most important thing about it.
The wonderful thing about this book is that it can outgrow itself through students’ interpretations, and be expanded through their creative contributions. It can be integrated with social studies where students can list details about certain events, identify the most important thing about them and give reasons for their choice.
This is a picture book because illustrations and text interact to create meaning. Illustrations enable the reader to expand the short paragraph with additional details about the objects. The book follows a pattern where the text on each page begins and ends with a sentence “The important thing about ___ is that it is ___.” This makes it a read-aloud that kindergartners might enjoy because of repetitions, predictable pattern and simple, clear sentences.
It is a versatile book that can be used both with young and older students (K-4, depending on how the teacher would use it in the classroom.) Younger students can share things about themselves (What makes you – you?) and their family members. It can be a good activity for getting to know each other at the beginning of the year. With grades 1-2, this book can be used to teach about main ideas and details (since the book lists facts about objects, it can be used for informational text; ELA 1.2.2.2), describing characteristics/properties of things, and adjectives/descriptive language.
An idea for a class discussion (analysis and evaluation) would be whether students agree with the writer regarding the most important thing about the objects listed. For example, is the most important thing about an apple that it is round, or about grass that it is green? Students can offer their own suggestions of important things, and these can be listed on chart paper.
In lower grades, students can follow this formula to list facts on chart paper and make their own collaborative “Important Book.” As a creative writing task, older students (grades 3-4) can write their own essays about things/persons that are important to them, using the same pattern of listing the characteristics of an object/person and singling out one most important thing about it.
The wonderful thing about this book is that it can outgrow itself through students’ interpretations, and be expanded through their creative contributions. It can be integrated with social studies where students can list details about certain events, identify the most important thing about them and give reasons for their choice.
February 22, 2018
This is a wonderful book that I adapted to use for a writing project with my fourth graders. The book highlights the important characteristics of certain items. Students use the same format to highlight who/what is important to them in their lives. The stories are touching.
****
I have been using this book throughout my career to teach characteristics/properties. Other than relying too much on color, this is an excellent book. Students mimic Wise's style. Some years students describe themselves, others they select an object.
Wise finds several properties of an object and then identifies one as the most important. The formula is simple.
****
I have been using this book throughout my career to teach characteristics/properties. Other than relying too much on color, this is an excellent book. Students mimic Wise's style. Some years students describe themselves, others they select an object.
Wise finds several properties of an object and then identifies one as the most important. The formula is simple.
May 21, 2017
This book has a good concept (identifying what is important about something) but the execution is terrible. The author lists various qualities about different things but then seems to pick something random from the list to conclude "what's important is.....". WRONG.
The book should have either left each conclusion as a question, such as "What do you think is most important about this?" or given clues to how one decides which quality is most important.
As written, the book gives children the very wrong impression that what's important about quite a few things is its color!
The book should have either left each conclusion as a question, such as "What do you think is most important about this?" or given clues to how one decides which quality is most important.
As written, the book gives children the very wrong impression that what's important about quite a few things is its color!
August 15, 2013
I like the idea of using this book for what Jeff Anderson calls "sentence stalking." Give students the structure, and try their hand at their own complex sentence construction. The book itself is repetitive to the point of tedium, but that could work in a teacher's favor in getting the rhythm and structure of the model sentences in a student's head so they can create their own.
May 9, 2017
See my review for Hailstones and Halibut Bones if you want to know why I think this book is bad and stupid and boring. https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...
February 23, 2018
I'm afraid this book wouldn't pass today's ideological censors.
May 20, 2019
This could have been so much more interesting and the message has possibility. It felt like an anti-climax as we read why each thing was “important.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2021
I saw this little gem at a used book store and bought it for my grandsons ages 6 and 4. They live on the other side of the planet so once a month I send a package which always contains a book or two.
There isn’t much to this book; but I loved it! There are so much to discuss with children and many imaginative games to be played here. Here’s a few ideas:
1. The text is fairly simple. I think the 6 year old could read this with some help
2. The first sentence is the author’s opinion of what is important. This can lead to discussion…what would you or child choose?
3. Play a type of memory game with each object. What was important? How was it described?
3. What else could be in the description?
4. Play a game: Choose objects, decide what would be important then describe them. This can be played anytime anywhere. A great car game!
Yes, a very simple book that can be very imaginative!
There isn’t much to this book; but I loved it! There are so much to discuss with children and many imaginative games to be played here. Here’s a few ideas:
1. The text is fairly simple. I think the 6 year old could read this with some help
2. The first sentence is the author’s opinion of what is important. This can lead to discussion…what would you or child choose?
3. Play a type of memory game with each object. What was important? How was it described?
3. What else could be in the description?
4. Play a game: Choose objects, decide what would be important then describe them. This can be played anytime anywhere. A great car game!
Yes, a very simple book that can be very imaginative!
January 19, 2026
Normally a big fan of Margaret Wise Brown books but this one was a bit weird. “The important thing about a daisy is that it is white”? I don’t know, I think the important thing about a daisy is that it feeds the bees or that it’s beautiful or that it’s given to loved ones on dates?? “The important thing about an apple is that it is round”? What about that it’s sweet? That it nourishes our bodies? That it can be turned into pie? Who gave you the authority to decide what makes these things important MWB??? I guess maybe that’s the point? To stimulate discussion? We’ll try it again when I’m older, but for now, yah we thought it was a bit weird 🤷♀️
January 20, 2024
I saw somewhere that some people consider this to be Brown’s best book, despite the popularity of Goodnight Moon. I don’t think I agree.
I liked the way each item was described. I did not like ‘the most important thing about’ each item. It might be a nice little conversation starter asking the child what THEY like about each thing.
Nice illustrations.
I liked the way each item was described. I did not like ‘the most important thing about’ each item. It might be a nice little conversation starter asking the child what THEY like about each thing.
Nice illustrations.
July 9, 2019
I love this book. It talks about the "important" parts of certain things. Or, their essence in a way. What is the important thing about the sky? Or a spoon. This book allows children to reflect on the things around them and think about what is important about each and every one of them.
April 10, 2022
Written in 1949 this is a simple book for little children and is easy to follow. The illustrations alternate between black & white and color which is quite unique.
April 7, 2021
How can it be that I never read this book...as child...or as an adult to my darling daughters?! It's delightful and most important. Every child would benefit from snuggling in a lap and hearing it read aloud. And then by reading it to her or himself over and over as she/he ages. Even all the way to age 75 like me!
June 21, 2010
I can not believe I never read this book before. It's absolutely fantastic! What a teaching tool. I plan to use it next year for main idea, descriptive language, and Mother's Day. This year I used it for Mother's Day. One of my friends shared her Mother's Day plan with me, and it was wonderful. Basically, we read The Important Book to our class.... blah, blah, blah..... and end up making a page for our mothers just like the book's pattern. I used a selection of cool glittered scrapbook paper, 3d stickers, and pictures I had taken of each student and each student with their mother to make a scrapbook page - wall hanging thingymabab. The moms loved it. The kids loved making it. It was a hit.
September 13, 2010
It is not necessary to read the entire book during story time. I used only the 6th double-page spread during our recent library story time featuring "apples".
This one page gives a good description of an apple and pictures a whole apple, a sliced apple, and an apple tree. It summarizes that the "important thing about an apple is that it is round." You can ask the children what they believe is the important thing about an apple.
I gave each of the children a small apple to hold, telling them to wait til later to take a bite.
This one page gives a good description of an apple and pictures a whole apple, a sliced apple, and an apple tree. It summarizes that the "important thing about an apple is that it is round." You can ask the children what they believe is the important thing about an apple.
I gave each of the children a small apple to hold, telling them to wait til later to take a bite.
May 2, 2019
Brown writes what she thinks is the characteristic that is important about an object. But she also gives a few other characteristics about each object, and though I may disagree with her choice (I think the important thing about a glass is that it holds liquids), in this book she is introducing very young children to an eclectic variety of things in their world, including drinking glasses, snow, the sky, shoes, etc. I really liked Weisgard's illustrations for this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 313 reviews