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Iowa's Tradition: An ABC Photo Album of the Iowa State Fair
Iowa's Tradition: An ABC Photo Album of the Iowa State Fair has over 100
color photos of things you can see and do at the fair. Following an ABC
format, there are at least two photos for every letter along with a
description of who or what is pictured and where it can be found on the
fairgrounds. Fair visitors from several states are shown enjoying activities
including the cow chip throwing contest, ugly cake contest, arm wrestling
championship, belly dancing, Dancin' Grannies and the Ye Old Mill.
color photos of things you can see and do at the fair. Following an ABC
format, there are at least two photos for every letter along with a
description of who or what is pictured and where it can be found on the
fairgrounds. Fair visitors from several states are shown enjoying activities
including the cow chip throwing contest, ugly cake contest, arm wrestling
championship, belly dancing, Dancin' Grannies and the Ye Old Mill.
For more than 150 years, millions of visitors have made life-long
memories enjoying the Iowa State Fair. Whether you dream of childhood
memories, faithfully attend every year, or have always wanted to go to the
fair, this book is for you. So sit back, grab a cold drink and enjoy a few
snap-shots of the Iowa State Fair.
- GenresPhotographyChildrens
64 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published July 28, 2006
1 person want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 16, 2022
I originally noticed this one when I was withdrawing multiple copies from the education curriculum library (we only needed to hang on to one) and I think the concept of an "ABC photo album" from real experiences is definitely interesting. I wanted to read it to psych myself up for the state fair, since this year would be my first time going. I also love alphabet books, and this one looked really unique.
I did start on this one a while ago, and after reading it for a bit, I wasn't sure whether I would classify it as solely a children's book or more as a coffee table book that would be appropriate for children from the age of nine or ten, or as a family read. From a teaching standpoint, it may also be an interesting tool for making connections to students' own experiences, especially if I do end up teaching in Iowa where many kids are familiar with the Iowa State Fair.
One thing I do really appreciate about Iowa's Tradition is that it does manage to capture the vastness of the Iowa State Fair in all aspects. There is an equal amount that touches on agriculture, arts and culture displays, food, just-for-fun contests and/or entertainment, and rides at the fair, all of which I did experience when I attended. The Iowa State fair is among the biggest in the country (top ten) and Iowa's Tradition does manage to capture this without overly focusing on one aspect over the other four. Most of the letters in the book have two words and accompanying photos from the 2005 Iowa State Fair that cover different aspects of the fair that make it a lot of fun, and the two words per letter generally focus on different aspects. The text itself is fairly long, with most of the words/photos having a longer paragraph text to accompany them. I appreciate the information that was carefully curated and the thought and planning that went into this book.
One concern that I do have about Iowa's Tradition is how setting-specific it is, both in terms of location and time. The book chronicles the 2005 State Fair, and the authors acknowledge that many things do change from year to year, especially in terms of the art and performance experiences offered. However, some parts feel almost forced with how much this is based on strictly the 2005 Iowa State Fair. Some of the details zoom in as close as the different buildings that super specific events take place in, and at times it feels more like a guide to a specific event than a collection of memories that could get people excited the way I had hoped it would.
Since we did have four copies we were withdrawing and that were out for donation, I did take a copy of Iowa's Tradition for myself. I'm not exactly sure how I plan to use this book in the future but I do want a copy for myself, even if it does end up becoming a coffee table book instead of a classroom book for me. I think it is super interesting to compare then and now, even if the "then" was less than 20 years ago.
I did start on this one a while ago, and after reading it for a bit, I wasn't sure whether I would classify it as solely a children's book or more as a coffee table book that would be appropriate for children from the age of nine or ten, or as a family read. From a teaching standpoint, it may also be an interesting tool for making connections to students' own experiences, especially if I do end up teaching in Iowa where many kids are familiar with the Iowa State Fair.
One thing I do really appreciate about Iowa's Tradition is that it does manage to capture the vastness of the Iowa State Fair in all aspects. There is an equal amount that touches on agriculture, arts and culture displays, food, just-for-fun contests and/or entertainment, and rides at the fair, all of which I did experience when I attended. The Iowa State fair is among the biggest in the country (top ten) and Iowa's Tradition does manage to capture this without overly focusing on one aspect over the other four. Most of the letters in the book have two words and accompanying photos from the 2005 Iowa State Fair that cover different aspects of the fair that make it a lot of fun, and the two words per letter generally focus on different aspects. The text itself is fairly long, with most of the words/photos having a longer paragraph text to accompany them. I appreciate the information that was carefully curated and the thought and planning that went into this book.
One concern that I do have about Iowa's Tradition is how setting-specific it is, both in terms of location and time. The book chronicles the 2005 State Fair, and the authors acknowledge that many things do change from year to year, especially in terms of the art and performance experiences offered. However, some parts feel almost forced with how much this is based on strictly the 2005 Iowa State Fair. Some of the details zoom in as close as the different buildings that super specific events take place in, and at times it feels more like a guide to a specific event than a collection of memories that could get people excited the way I had hoped it would.
Since we did have four copies we were withdrawing and that were out for donation, I did take a copy of Iowa's Tradition for myself. I'm not exactly sure how I plan to use this book in the future but I do want a copy for myself, even if it does end up becoming a coffee table book instead of a classroom book for me. I think it is super interesting to compare then and now, even if the "then" was less than 20 years ago.
August 16, 2022
I did start on this one a while ago, and after reading it for a bit, I wasn't sure whether I would classify it as solely a children's book or more as a coffee table book that would be appropriate for children from the age of nine or ten, or as a family read. From a teaching standpoint, it may also be an interesting tool for making connections to students' own experiences, especially if I do end up teaching in Iowa where many kids are familiar with the Iowa State Fair.
One thing I do really appreciate about Iowa's Tradition is that it does manage to capture the vastness of the Iowa State Fair in all aspects. There is an equal amount that touches on agriculture, arts and culture displays, food, just-for-fun contests and/or entertainment, and rides at the fair, all of which I did experience when I attended. The Iowa State fair is among the biggest in the country (top ten) and Iowa's Tradition does manage to capture this without overly focusing on one aspect over the other four. Most of the letters in the book have two words and accompanying photos from the 2005 Iowa State Fair that cover different aspects of the fair that make it a lot of fun, and the two words per letter generally focus on different aspects. The text itself is fairly long, with most of the words/photos having a longer paragraph text to accompany them. I appreciate the information that was carefully curated and the thought and planning that went into this book.
One concern that I do have about Iowa's Tradition is how setting-specific it is, both in terms of location and time. The book chronicles the 2005 State Fair, and the authors acknowledge that many things do change from year to year, especially in terms of the art and performance experiences offered. However, some parts feel almost forced with how much this is based on strictly the 2005 Iowa State Fair. Some of the details zoom in as close as the different buildings that super specific events take place in, and at times it feels more like a guide to a specific event than a collection of memories that could get people excited the way I had hoped it would.
Read my full review on my Goodreads account for children's books
One thing I do really appreciate about Iowa's Tradition is that it does manage to capture the vastness of the Iowa State Fair in all aspects. There is an equal amount that touches on agriculture, arts and culture displays, food, just-for-fun contests and/or entertainment, and rides at the fair, all of which I did experience when I attended. The Iowa State fair is among the biggest in the country (top ten) and Iowa's Tradition does manage to capture this without overly focusing on one aspect over the other four. Most of the letters in the book have two words and accompanying photos from the 2005 Iowa State Fair that cover different aspects of the fair that make it a lot of fun, and the two words per letter generally focus on different aspects. The text itself is fairly long, with most of the words/photos having a longer paragraph text to accompany them. I appreciate the information that was carefully curated and the thought and planning that went into this book.
One concern that I do have about Iowa's Tradition is how setting-specific it is, both in terms of location and time. The book chronicles the 2005 State Fair, and the authors acknowledge that many things do change from year to year, especially in terms of the art and performance experiences offered. However, some parts feel almost forced with how much this is based on strictly the 2005 Iowa State Fair. Some of the details zoom in as close as the different buildings that super specific events take place in, and at times it feels more like a guide to a specific event than a collection of memories that could get people excited the way I had hoped it would.
Read my full review on my Goodreads account for children's books
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews