Books with title Telephone Tales

Every night, at nine o’clock, wherever he is, Mr. Bianchi, an accountant who often has to travel for work, calls his daughter and tells her a bedtime story. But since it's still the 20th century world of pay phones, each story has to be told in the time that a single coin will buy. Reminiscent of Scheherazade and One Thousand and One Nights, Gianni Rodari’s Telephone Tales is composed of many stories––in fact, seventy short stories, with one for each phone call. Each story is set in a different place and a different time, with unconventional characters and a wonderful mix of reality and fantasy. One night, it’s a carousel so beloved by children that an old man finally sneaks on to understand why, and as he sails above the world, he does. Or, it’s a land filled with butter men, roads paved with chocolate, or a young shrimp who has the courage to do things in a different way from what he's supposed to do. Awarded the Hans Christian Anderson Award in 1970, Gianni Rodari is widely considered to be Italy’s most important children’s author of the 20th century. Newly re-illustrated by Italian artist Valerio Vidali (The Forest), Telephone Tales entertains, while questioning and imagining other worlds.

It's time to fly home for dinner! In this witty picture book from award-winning and bestselling author Mac Barnett, a mother bird gives the bird next to her a message for little Peter. But passing messages on a telephone line isn't as simple as it sounds. Each subsequent bird understands Mama's message according to its own very particular hobbies. Will Peter ever get home for dinner? This uproarious interpretation of a favorite children's game will get everyone giggling and is sure to lead to countless rereads.

It's time to fly home for dinner! In this witty picture book from award-winning and bestselling author Mac Barnett, a mother bird gives the bird next to her a message for little Peter. But passing messages on a telephone line isn't as simple as it sounds. Each subsequent bird understands Mama's message according to its own very particular hobbies. Will Peter ever get home for dinner? This uproarious interpretation of a favorite children's game will get everyone giggling and is sure to lead to countless rereads.

TO THE NARRATORThese stories are written mainly, though not exclusively,for children. Like most such tales, they are designed to be read aloud and theyhave proved very popular with many young audiences. The stories are moreovershort enough to offer entertainment within the brief span of a two to threeminute telephone call and they have in fact been successfully told long-distanceat bedtime over the phone. The more expressively and colorfully they are read,the more they are enjoyed. So, narrators, come out strongly with your sheepbleats, pooch growls, dragon snorts, a good 'yi-ucks'at the smell of garbage, and all the other important sound effects suggested inthe texts; and have fun narrating as you go! Some of the Tales may contain words new to young audiences. -('Grandma - what does 'dawdle' mean, and what is a 'shrew'?) - So a glossary is provided [at P (iv)] for you toconsult if necessary. The stories can in this way usefully serve as effectivevocabulary expanders, without taking substantially longer to read. A few. illustrationsare provided for audiences being read to direct. Listeners may, however, liketo draw their own interpretations of, say, Holy MacRoary,Busybody Sniff or Dog Molecule. In our own family, Captain Trumpet and AuntCrotchety have proved popular subjects for grandsons to Fax back to Grandad. A pleasant surprise has been that despite or perhaps becauseof the quirky nature of these stories, they have been shown to appeal toparents with a sense of humor as well as to offspring.

The Everyday Inventions series clearly explains and explores the history, inventors, and inner workings of everyday marvels. Young readers will discover a world of invention through full-color photographs and engaging, easy-to-read text. A graphic timeline and helpful diagrams clarify and provide quick access to important information that is ideal for research and reports. This book introduces the history of the invention of telephones, including its roots in the telegraph, inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson, Emil Berliner and Thomas A. Edison’s improved transmitters, and Japan’s introduction of cellular telephone service. Other chapters delve into the parts and systems that make telephone technology possible, from handsets and dialers to transmitters and receivers, as well as features such as caller identification (caller ID) and ringtones. Other sections cover different kinds of telephones, including rotary dial telephones, touch-tone telephones, cordless telephones, cellular telephones, camera phones, the use of copper and fiber-optic telephone cables, and the operators, repairers, telecommunications experts, salespeople, and installers who work with telephones. Fun facts discuss Rutherford B. Hayes as the first president to have a telephone installed in the White House, inventor Elisha Grey’s attempt to file a telephone patent, why traditional telephones work during power outages, and the way cell phone towers can blend into the landscape. Full-color photographs, informative diagrams, glossary words in bold, a graphic timeline, and an index enhance this engaging, easy-to-ready text about telephones, a prevalent, portable everyday invention that is vital to international business and the everyday lives of people across the globe. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.

Alexander Graham Bell wasn't the only person trying to invent the telephone, but in the race to the finish he beat Elisha Gray to the patent office, and thereby sealed his place in history. Readers will learn the history of the invention of the telephone in this title that includes information on the key players, the setbacks along the way, and the moments of discovery.