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Telling Time: How to Tell Time on Digital and Analog Clocks
Telling time becomes clear and easy for young readers in this bright and lively introduction to measurements of time. From seconds to minutes, hours to days, exploring what time is and discovering why we need to tell time, helps young readers understand more than 'the big hand is on the one and the little hand is on the two'. Megan Halsey’s playful illustrations depict imaginative digital and analog clocks that range in design. With the help of a whole lot of clocks, a dash of humor, and a few familiar circumstances, learning to tell time is a lot of fun. It's about time.
32 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 1, 2020
There was just so much information in this book, it was overwhelming. One very surprising omission was how to divide 60 minutes into half and then quarters. How do you teach a kid "quarter after" without that explanation? I also didn't care for the fact that the book started with digital clocks. There was some good information, for sure, but overall, I thought it was poorly presented.
February 3, 2019
A helpful book about time for kids. It’s explains a lot and then is a bit too much. I’m trying to teach time to fist and second graders. The first graders I’m hoping for them to get a feel for it and the second graders are ready to tell basic time. This book will be helpful for both.
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December 4, 2015Title: Telling Time: How to Tell Time on Digital and Analog Clocks
Author: Jules Older
Illustrator: Megan Halsey
Genre: How-to Book
Theme(s): Time, telling time, concept of time
Opening line/sentence: "When people talk about telling time, they don’t mean, “Hey, Time, I’ve got something to tell you!”
Brief Book Summary: This book teaches children how to tell time by first defining what time is and why telling time is important. It does through many clocks and describing different situations we tell time from.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Emily Schuster (Children's Literature)
When people talk about telling time, they don't mean, 'Hey, Time, I've got something to tell you!" So begins this wonderful, funny book. Using an offbeat sense of humor, it takes a subject that could be dry or difficult, and makes it really fun. The book engages the reader, by asking questions and rewarding with smiley faces. It also shows kids why telling time is important. After all, knowing how to tell time can keep you from showing up to school 2 hours early, or missing the beginning of a movie. Taking a wide definition of time, it covers "big chunks" of time, like months and years and millenniums, as well as the "shrimps," like seconds and minutes. The book explains both digital and analog clocks. Colorful cartoons, featuring ethnically diverse characters and lots of clocks in fun shapes, complement the humor in the text. A poem at the end reminds children how many seconds are in a minute, how many minutes are in an hour, and so on. The book includes a list of time websites for kids and another list for their parents and teachers.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: SPM (librarian) A simple, highly pictorial look at a variety of times and their measurements. From seconds and minutes to years and centuries, Mr. Older light-heartedly describes the chunks and chunklets of time humans feel necessary to count, and the way we keep track of them. (Both analog and digital clocks are included.) Less complex than, say, Llewellun's oversized, colorful My First Book of Time (Dorling Kindersley 1992) and more complex than Tankel's equally colorful What's the Time? (Dorling Kindersley 1995) -- both of which are equipped with analog clock faces with moveable hands- Mr. Older's nicely medium work (with its clear, colorful art work) strikes a cheerful, approachable note. Appraisal Rating: Very Good, Fully adequate; a desirable purchase.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both of the reviews like the book and find the humor to be helpful when teaching time. Personally I liked the book because it teaches children about the importance of knowing time at different parts of the day. I also found the book to be boring and not as humorous as the reviews found the book to be.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The poems in the book of the book are a great addition to literary elements of helping children learn how to tell time. This book does not have an interactive analog clock face would help the learners by giving them interaction. Also, the book doesn’t follow one character and it does not describe any of the characters represented in the book.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book in my classroom to teach my students about why telling time is important. Students can learn to read time, but they also need to understand the concept of time. I think this book would be a great way for students to hear why knowing time at different parts of the day is important.
Author: Jules Older
Illustrator: Megan Halsey
Genre: How-to Book
Theme(s): Time, telling time, concept of time
Opening line/sentence: "When people talk about telling time, they don’t mean, “Hey, Time, I’ve got something to tell you!”
Brief Book Summary: This book teaches children how to tell time by first defining what time is and why telling time is important. It does through many clocks and describing different situations we tell time from.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Emily Schuster (Children's Literature)
When people talk about telling time, they don't mean, 'Hey, Time, I've got something to tell you!" So begins this wonderful, funny book. Using an offbeat sense of humor, it takes a subject that could be dry or difficult, and makes it really fun. The book engages the reader, by asking questions and rewarding with smiley faces. It also shows kids why telling time is important. After all, knowing how to tell time can keep you from showing up to school 2 hours early, or missing the beginning of a movie. Taking a wide definition of time, it covers "big chunks" of time, like months and years and millenniums, as well as the "shrimps," like seconds and minutes. The book explains both digital and analog clocks. Colorful cartoons, featuring ethnically diverse characters and lots of clocks in fun shapes, complement the humor in the text. A poem at the end reminds children how many seconds are in a minute, how many minutes are in an hour, and so on. The book includes a list of time websites for kids and another list for their parents and teachers.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: SPM (librarian) A simple, highly pictorial look at a variety of times and their measurements. From seconds and minutes to years and centuries, Mr. Older light-heartedly describes the chunks and chunklets of time humans feel necessary to count, and the way we keep track of them. (Both analog and digital clocks are included.) Less complex than, say, Llewellun's oversized, colorful My First Book of Time (Dorling Kindersley 1992) and more complex than Tankel's equally colorful What's the Time? (Dorling Kindersley 1995) -- both of which are equipped with analog clock faces with moveable hands- Mr. Older's nicely medium work (with its clear, colorful art work) strikes a cheerful, approachable note. Appraisal Rating: Very Good, Fully adequate; a desirable purchase.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both of the reviews like the book and find the humor to be helpful when teaching time. Personally I liked the book because it teaches children about the importance of knowing time at different parts of the day. I also found the book to be boring and not as humorous as the reviews found the book to be.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The poems in the book of the book are a great addition to literary elements of helping children learn how to tell time. This book does not have an interactive analog clock face would help the learners by giving them interaction. Also, the book doesn’t follow one character and it does not describe any of the characters represented in the book.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book in my classroom to teach my students about why telling time is important. Students can learn to read time, but they also need to understand the concept of time. I think this book would be a great way for students to hear why knowing time at different parts of the day is important.
June 12, 2014
My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library this week. We THOUGHT it would help him understand the concept of telling time.
This had to be the worst book about telling time that I've ever read (and I've read some pretty bad one). There is WAY too much information in it; it should have focused on telling time on the clock, but instead it was all over the place.
The illustrations were worse than ineffective; they were inaccurate. The analog reading for 12:30 was actually much closer to 12:25. The digital numbers were confusing and hard to read. And why, why, why would you draw in a second hand when trying to teach very young children about hours and minutes?!
This had to be the worst book about telling time that I've ever read (and I've read some pretty bad one). There is WAY too much information in it; it should have focused on telling time on the clock, but instead it was all over the place.
The illustrations were worse than ineffective; they were inaccurate. The analog reading for 12:30 was actually much closer to 12:25. The digital numbers were confusing and hard to read. And why, why, why would you draw in a second hand when trying to teach very young children about hours and minutes?!
April 7, 2012
This is a really great book to read to students who are learing about telling time. It talks about the time on a clock, the days of the week and months of the year. This book shows the difference between a digital clock and an analog clock. It really goes into detail about the parts of a clock and shows the big hand of the clock and the little hand of the clock. I could definetly use this book when I have to make a lesson plan concerning time.
August 27, 2014
This book could be a good tool to help teach students. I have a few problems with this book, one is that this book could be confusing for new learners. Also it covers to much information for this little book.
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April 13, 2009All things having to do with time are discussed in this simple text. Bright illustrations accomany the multitude of concepts. A poem included.
February 17, 2012
One of the best books I've seen on telling time. It's probably a little too advanced for my 4 year old, but not by much.
April 15, 2012
This book is great for telling time. It shows how to tell time on both digital and analog clocks. It also shows calendars!
April 19, 2012
Many times time is explained only as a clock, but it is acutally days, months, and years as well. This book shows these as well as the typical "time" on a clock.
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June 14, 2016The book has great illustrations that help you understand how a clock works and how you can tell time.
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August 18, 2016Time is a concept that is learned. This book helps children learn to tell time and why time is relevant. It also teaches them why we need to tell time!
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April 24, 2017I felt that this book was a fun way to introduce kids to learning how to tell time, which is why I picked it for one of my informational selections. The cover art does not show here on goodreads, but the illustrations are also fabulous which adds fun to the content.
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April 23, 20191. Awards the book: none
2. Appropriate grade level(s): 5+
3. Original summary: This book shows young students how to tell and measure time. It also helps students to know why they need to know time and understand the concept of hour hand and minute hand.
4. Original review: It's easier to teach students about time through reading. They can grab a general idea of how clocks work then apply what they have got into practice.
5. 1-2 possible in-class uses:
Have students practice subtraction and addition by reading clocks.
2. Appropriate grade level(s): 5+
3. Original summary: This book shows young students how to tell and measure time. It also helps students to know why they need to know time and understand the concept of hour hand and minute hand.
4. Original review: It's easier to teach students about time through reading. They can grab a general idea of how clocks work then apply what they have got into practice.
5. 1-2 possible in-class uses:
Have students practice subtraction and addition by reading clocks.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews