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The Long, Long Line
Come one, come all! If you love excitement and fun, step right up and join the line! Usually the ride itself is more fun than the lineup, but for these fifty animals, anticipation is part of the fun. Each animal is clearly numbered and named and readers will delight in counting the animals and choosing their favorites.
Finally, it's time to board the ride! Through a revealing gatefold spread, readers discover the ride is a giant whale roller coaster! As the whale spins, dips, dives, and splashes, all the animals have too much fun. When the ride ends, the animals can't wait to line up again — just as readers won't be able to wait to read The Long, Long Line again and again!
Finally, it's time to board the ride! Through a revealing gatefold spread, readers discover the ride is a giant whale roller coaster! As the whale spins, dips, dives, and splashes, all the animals have too much fun. When the ride ends, the animals can't wait to line up again — just as readers won't be able to wait to read The Long, Long Line again and again!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published August 7, 2009
1 person is currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Tomoko Ohmura
29 books3 followersTomoko Ōmura (オームラトモコ) was born in Tokyo in 1973, and graduated from Palette Club School on her way to becoming an illustrator.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
September 30, 2015
Plot Summary:
The Long, Long Line by Tomoko Ohmura is a great story for children who are in preschool or Kindergarten. There are 51 animals total, and 49 of them are in line. Each animal is standing in line waiting patiently for something. Until later in the story, we do not know what they are waiting for. Each animal is labeled with what kind of animal they are and what number in line they are located. The animals discuss with ones close to them about how excited they are for whatever they are in line for. The bird flying above is the leader who is coordinating the line and making sure everyone is doing okay. As you turn the page, it continues with the same theme. Sometimes you see animals playing games like #33 Raccoon and #32 Fox are having a jumping contest. The bird go to settle everyone down since they should not be doing this while they are in line. At the end we are finally at the beginning of the line, it is then known where this line is headed! All of these animals get to go on the jumbo coaster. The jumbo coaster is a big whale that goes through the water and does flips with the animals on top of it. In the end, all the animals make a splash in the water and want to do it all over again.
Classroom Connect/Reader Response
I think this book would be great in a preschool or kindergarten classroom because it could be used to teach students how to properly stand in line. It shows different dilemmas that go on while standing in line and how you are not supposed to be acting up. You could give each kid a number to line up and whatever number they are, they are that animal in the story. Also, you could point out patterns in the story like the fact that the line goes from shortest to tallest. One other aspect of the story you could go more in depth on is the characteristics talked about with each animal.
The first time I read through this book, I had a hard time really getting into it. Once I realized a connection though for the students, I thought it was a good book for students to have in a classroom. It has a weird way because it does not have a great in depth story, however, it has a great lesson in it about standing in line while getting along with others and behaving.
Literary Merit:
This book has literary merit through its illustration. It is clear and concise that the animals are in a line and that they are waiting patiently (mostly) for something. The suspense of what this something is makes you want to continue reading the story though too. You get to read all of the animals have their excitements or bickers with the other animals around them.
The Long, Long Line by Tomoko Ohmura is a great story for children who are in preschool or Kindergarten. There are 51 animals total, and 49 of them are in line. Each animal is standing in line waiting patiently for something. Until later in the story, we do not know what they are waiting for. Each animal is labeled with what kind of animal they are and what number in line they are located. The animals discuss with ones close to them about how excited they are for whatever they are in line for. The bird flying above is the leader who is coordinating the line and making sure everyone is doing okay. As you turn the page, it continues with the same theme. Sometimes you see animals playing games like #33 Raccoon and #32 Fox are having a jumping contest. The bird go to settle everyone down since they should not be doing this while they are in line. At the end we are finally at the beginning of the line, it is then known where this line is headed! All of these animals get to go on the jumbo coaster. The jumbo coaster is a big whale that goes through the water and does flips with the animals on top of it. In the end, all the animals make a splash in the water and want to do it all over again.
Classroom Connect/Reader Response
I think this book would be great in a preschool or kindergarten classroom because it could be used to teach students how to properly stand in line. It shows different dilemmas that go on while standing in line and how you are not supposed to be acting up. You could give each kid a number to line up and whatever number they are, they are that animal in the story. Also, you could point out patterns in the story like the fact that the line goes from shortest to tallest. One other aspect of the story you could go more in depth on is the characteristics talked about with each animal.
The first time I read through this book, I had a hard time really getting into it. Once I realized a connection though for the students, I thought it was a good book for students to have in a classroom. It has a weird way because it does not have a great in depth story, however, it has a great lesson in it about standing in line while getting along with others and behaving.
Literary Merit:
This book has literary merit through its illustration. It is clear and concise that the animals are in a line and that they are waiting patiently (mostly) for something. The suspense of what this something is makes you want to continue reading the story though too. You get to read all of the animals have their excitements or bickers with the other animals around them.
May 3, 2013
This is a strange, but entertaining book that depicts a line of animals who interact and complain about the wait until the end scene, which is quite bizarre indeed. Many of the animals seem to be in line with no regard to predator/prey status and it adds a bit of drama to the story.
The illustrations are fairly simple, with a nondescript background and two-dimensional, sideways-facing animals. Not sure what to think about it, but I enjoyed perusing the French version as I shopped for souvenirs during my short stay in Paris.
The illustrations are fairly simple, with a nondescript background and two-dimensional, sideways-facing animals. Not sure what to think about it, but I enjoyed perusing the French version as I shopped for souvenirs during my short stay in Paris.
October 16, 2013
This book made me smile near the end. I think elementary age would appreciate this book rather than the preschool age. Love the illustrations and the text seems perfect to pull you forward this the story, wondering all the while "why is everyone waiting in line"?
October 28, 2017
I am waiting in a long, long line for a free pop-up medical, vision, & dental clinic at key arena in Seattle right now. I got in line at 9PM and the clinic doesn’t open until 5AM. I found this book in a stack of free books. We started passing it down the long, long line and everyone is having a good laugh. Some people are translating it for each other too...
It’s a good book for any long, long line that you might find yourself in...
It’s a good book for any long, long line that you might find yourself in...
January 9, 2018
3.5 stars
best for ages 5-8. It is difficult to keep younger kids to be involved in the story that is more or less are really long countdown with very little plot. It takes about 5 minutes to read without talking prompts.
best for ages 5-8. It is difficult to keep younger kids to be involved in the story that is more or less are really long countdown with very little plot. It takes about 5 minutes to read without talking prompts.
February 14, 2019
Would work better for elementary school kids. Kind of a bizzare counting store where we count down animals from #50 to #1. There isn't much story, just animals making conversation and waiting in line for what? We find out at the end of the story.
May 21, 2021
The payoff is almost not quite worth it, but I'll give it credit. The whale ride is really cute. Definitely a smaller group, lapsit with a toddler or preschooler who really likes animals. I wouldn't personally enjoy listing 50 animals, but ughhh I know some toddlers who would love it.
November 12, 2017
Eines meiner Lieblingskinderbücher.
Wir haben die Ausgabe der Büchergilde.
Wir haben die Ausgabe der Büchergilde.
February 10, 2019
Count down from 50 to 1, learn a lot of animal names, play the word chain game, and then go on a big ride together.
June 6, 2021
I like how long the line of different animals was.
December 19, 2023
This was kind of fun. There are fifty animals all numbered and in line for a ride that is worth the wait! Funny little lines and a nice overall story.
December 19, 2016
Familiar wild animals stand in a very long line killing time while they wait for a very exciting ride.
The text and the pictures are inseparable in this book. From the title page, a bird guides the reader along a line of 50 animals, each of which is labeled with its name and the number of its place in line from 50 (frog) down to 1 (elephant). As the reader moves along the line with each page turn, he or she "overhears" snippets of the animals' dialogue which appears in speech bubbles, or with a quick line connecting the speaker's mouth to its words. Until the bird reaches the front of the line, the illustrations consist of nothing more than the various animals' cartoonish bodies against a white backdrop with a black pathway along the bottom of the page. The animals' personalities and unique choices of how to spend their time in line keep the reader engaged as he or she waits to find out where the line is leading. When the animals finally reach their destination, the thrill of the ride is portrayed almost entirely by the images, with just a few key announcements from the bird to let us know what is going on. The lines are bold, the animals' faces are childlike, and the use of two-page spreads recreates the familiar experience of standing in line for a really long time. Kids will love just looking at this book even if they can't read the words.
I think this would work as a story time book, provided the group was small enough to sit closely and look carefully at the pictures. I would probably use it for an older group of preschoolers, or a class visit to a Pre-K or kindergarten classroom, as this age group would relate to the experience of waiting in line and would be able to discuss what is happening in each illustration. The only thing that might cause me to think twice about reading this to a group is the page near the end that folds out into four panels. That might be difficult to hold in a way that would make it possible for the audience to see.
This book is similar in format to Bruno Munari's Zoo, in which each turn of the page brings the reader to a different zoo exhibit. Because the story focuses on the anticipation leading up to an exciting ride, it also pairs well with Rollercoaster by Marla Frazee.
The text and the pictures are inseparable in this book. From the title page, a bird guides the reader along a line of 50 animals, each of which is labeled with its name and the number of its place in line from 50 (frog) down to 1 (elephant). As the reader moves along the line with each page turn, he or she "overhears" snippets of the animals' dialogue which appears in speech bubbles, or with a quick line connecting the speaker's mouth to its words. Until the bird reaches the front of the line, the illustrations consist of nothing more than the various animals' cartoonish bodies against a white backdrop with a black pathway along the bottom of the page. The animals' personalities and unique choices of how to spend their time in line keep the reader engaged as he or she waits to find out where the line is leading. When the animals finally reach their destination, the thrill of the ride is portrayed almost entirely by the images, with just a few key announcements from the bird to let us know what is going on. The lines are bold, the animals' faces are childlike, and the use of two-page spreads recreates the familiar experience of standing in line for a really long time. Kids will love just looking at this book even if they can't read the words.
I think this would work as a story time book, provided the group was small enough to sit closely and look carefully at the pictures. I would probably use it for an older group of preschoolers, or a class visit to a Pre-K or kindergarten classroom, as this age group would relate to the experience of waiting in line and would be able to discuss what is happening in each illustration. The only thing that might cause me to think twice about reading this to a group is the page near the end that folds out into four panels. That might be difficult to hold in a way that would make it possible for the audience to see.
This book is similar in format to Bruno Munari's Zoo, in which each turn of the page brings the reader to a different zoo exhibit. Because the story focuses on the anticipation leading up to an exciting ride, it also pairs well with Rollercoaster by Marla Frazee.
December 1, 2015
Annotation: Come one, come all, animals of all shapes and sizes. Animals from frogs to elephants and every size in between are standing inline for something super fun. The animals are doing their best to pass the time while waiting patiently in line, for the Jumbo Coaster! All the animals get on the Jumbo Coaster which happens to be a huge whale, and the whale does a somersault going around in a loop and then crashing down under the water, as the animals hold their breathe and hang on tight. They all manage to stay on and all the animals get back to land excited and ready to go again.
Reader Response/Classroom Connection: There are fifty animals all lined up waiting for their turn to ride on the giant whale. All the animals are lined up from smallest at the back to the biggest at the front. Older students may pick this up when reading or looking at this story, and it would be a great way to practice measurements and finding different items in the room to see how tall or long they are, and then putting them in order from smallest to largest, or vice versa depending on the directions given by the teacher. This could also lead to students learning about proportions and fractions, if one item in the classroom is 2 inches long, and another is 10 inches long, students would find out that it would take 5 of the first item to be as long as the 2nd item. Since there are so many animals in the story, each student could choose an animal and do a little research about it, and they could have a walk thru of all the animals that the students have chosen, like a science fair deal. Each student would then share their findings with the teacher, and share any personal experiences if they have any with the animal they have chosen.
Reader Response/Classroom Connection: There are fifty animals all lined up waiting for their turn to ride on the giant whale. All the animals are lined up from smallest at the back to the biggest at the front. Older students may pick this up when reading or looking at this story, and it would be a great way to practice measurements and finding different items in the room to see how tall or long they are, and then putting them in order from smallest to largest, or vice versa depending on the directions given by the teacher. This could also lead to students learning about proportions and fractions, if one item in the classroom is 2 inches long, and another is 10 inches long, students would find out that it would take 5 of the first item to be as long as the 2nd item. Since there are so many animals in the story, each student could choose an animal and do a little research about it, and they could have a walk thru of all the animals that the students have chosen, like a science fair deal. Each student would then share their findings with the teacher, and share any personal experiences if they have any with the animal they have chosen.
February 15, 2017
I wouldn't use this for story time, but it was a delight to read! All of these animals wait in a line. Their conversations are great, but the best part is finding out what the line is for!
February 15, 2016
I was drawn to the cover illustration on this book so I checked it out at the library for my almost-four-year-old. It's very cute. It reminds me a bit of Arlene Dubanevich's "Pigs" books in that the whole thing is dialogue bubbles above the various animals, more like a comic book than a standard story. For that reason it's not the best read-aloud for a very young child, but was perfect for my son because at this point he is old enough to understand that the animals are talking and understand who is saying what. I think my son also enjoys just looking at this one by itself because there are fun details in the illustrations of the animals.
This would be a great book to read before going to an amusement park because it gives some ways to entertain yourself while waiting in line. Plus the "ride" at the end is an amusing surprise.
This would be a great book to read before going to an amusement park because it gives some ways to entertain yourself while waiting in line. Plus the "ride" at the end is an amusing surprise.
February 21, 2014
This book begins with a sign that reads: "Please Line up in single file" and a small frog labeled #50. As you turn each page you see a single line of animals all acting and reacting to the line and the wait. Animals 33 and 32 are having a jumping contest, Sheep (#23) is afraid to move up since #22 is a wolf. A little farther up in line, there are crying youngsters, and animals playing a word game to pass the time…There are threats and boredom….but eventually the reader finds what they are waiting for…and all decide it is well worth the wait! Creative with fun illustrations of all sorts of animals this is a very engaging book for a story time audience and there are many opportunities for counting and animal sounds.
December 30, 2015
Fifty animals are lining up in a single long line to take a ride on the whale. Everybody knows how long and slow lines are... The moles falls asleep, the flying squirrel can't be still, armadillo and porcupine have to endure skunk's smell, the lion gets hungry, what makes the zebra really worried, some play word chain.
And finally is their turn! The adventure is so amazing that everybody wants to get back in the line!
The plot is very simple, but kids love to see all the different animals in the line. After reading this book to them once, they actually would rather to "read" it to themselves.
Check out more children's book reviews in my Reviews in Chalk Blog!
And finally is their turn! The adventure is so amazing that everybody wants to get back in the line!
The plot is very simple, but kids love to see all the different animals in the line. After reading this book to them once, they actually would rather to "read" it to themselves.
Check out more children's book reviews in my Reviews in Chalk Blog!
September 24, 2013
Starting with number 50, a tiny frog, and ending with number 1, an elephant, a group of animals lines up in preparation for the ride of their lives. Readers will be curious about why they're standing in a line and what order is being used since a sheep is right next to a wolf, and a zebra, knees shaking quite a lot, is sandwiched between a hungry lion and an equally starving tiger. Somehow or other, they all manage to step onto a whale and get tossed into the air, and just like happens at human amusement parks, the ride makes the tiresome wait worthwhile. This is a strange book, but I can see how young readers would be amused by the whale's acrobatic skills in the water.
August 20, 2016
A variety of animals are in a long, long line, waiting for something special. Each animal is numbered, starting with #50 Frog. Each turn of the page brings more animals and their humorous comments while a bird solves problems and organizes everyone. Finally, we reach the front of the line to discover that animals are waiting for a Jumbo Coaster -- a whale! The animals all ride on the whale for a variety of tricks and end the story with positive comments and saying they want to do it again.
A fun story with lots of fun comments. Maybe not great for classroom/instructional use, but a story that children aged 4 - 6 will surely enjoy, especially those who enjoy rides.
A fun story with lots of fun comments. Maybe not great for classroom/instructional use, but a story that children aged 4 - 6 will surely enjoy, especially those who enjoy rides.
January 18, 2014
Join the line! (at the back please, of course). From smallest to largest, the eager animals wait in line. Some distract themselves while they wait, others play Word Chain, while others yet start to get hungry, causing some of the creatures to get nervous.
Page divisions show signs of the continuing line in the form of the next beast's tail, which leads to some funny reveals on the other side.
The wait is well worth it once the line finds itself on the largest creature yet, and enjoy a blast of a ride.
Unexpected and fun, the Long, Long Line plays with that ever boring wait, and actually makes it enjoyable.
Page divisions show signs of the continuing line in the form of the next beast's tail, which leads to some funny reveals on the other side.
The wait is well worth it once the line finds itself on the largest creature yet, and enjoy a blast of a ride.
Unexpected and fun, the Long, Long Line plays with that ever boring wait, and actually makes it enjoyable.
September 28, 2013
This book is a fun and interact book that children will love! This book maybe best to read to younger children such as pre-k just because it has a simple number of words. This book allows for the introduction for young readers to work on concepts such as counting 50, as well as acknowledging largest to smallest, and animal names. I don't know if this book would be a good book for a read aloud, but it would be a good reference tool for in the classroom library, maybe in the math counting section.
October 1, 2013
This is a picture book for those thrill-seeking, amusement-park-going, roller-coaster-loving folks of all ages. Honest. My heart raced just a little and my fingers clenched a tad as I turned the pages. This is even more fun than Marla Frazee's Roller Coaster and that's a tough beat, in my opinion.
October 3, 2013
This is a great book for kids who are learning about animals. There isn't much of a story, but lots of narrative skills can be built using only the pictures. There's also a new game that will help with literacy skills for the kids who are interested! Fun characters and lovely pictures help to round out this story.
January 26, 2014
My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library this week.
This book was incredibly fun. Especially the skunk (poor armadillo). It shows counting backward from 50. It shows different types of animals. It teaches a word game. It demonstrates the size of a whale. And, the illustrations and text are hilarious along the way. Just what are they lining up for, anyway?
This book was incredibly fun. Especially the skunk (poor armadillo). It shows counting backward from 50. It shows different types of animals. It teaches a word game. It demonstrates the size of a whale. And, the illustrations and text are hilarious along the way. Just what are they lining up for, anyway?
March 15, 2016
A little bird keeps order as fifty different animals wait in a slow-moving single file line in a surprising place (a whale's back). They are in for quite a ride!
Not much text or story, but would be a really fun book for a parent and child to sit and pore over all the pictures of the animals.
Not much text or story, but would be a really fun book for a parent and child to sit and pore over all the pictures of the animals.
March 19, 2016
A little bird keeps order as fifty different animals wait in a slow-moving single file line in a surprising place (a whale's back). They are in for quite a ride!
Not much text or story, but would be a really fun book for a parent and child to sit and pore over all the pictures of the animals.
Not much text or story, but would be a really fun book for a parent and child to sit and pore over all the pictures of the animals.
June 19, 2023
E: I thought it was a good book. The rhino's smile is just good.i loved it when they were lining up.
Parent: one of those books that are a little pointless, but cute. I guess there are enough animals to go through to make it fun, and I guess the point is to show the size of the whale, but otherwise not much to it. Would have given it 3 stars.
Parent: one of those books that are a little pointless, but cute. I guess there are enough animals to go through to make it fun, and I guess the point is to show the size of the whale, but otherwise not much to it. Would have given it 3 stars.
May 8, 2015
What I loved was the moment I realized the line was done in order from smallest to largest, which made the pull out page that much more of a delight as the author put everything to scale and in perspective. The idea of why the animals were in line was silly and imaginative and not what I expected.
November 20, 2013
This book would be good for kids who cannot yet read. Instead of reading what the animals say to each other in line, young children can make up their own conversations. My child enjoyed guesing which animal was next in line based on the illustration of their back half.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews