The Important Book: A Classic Picture Book Teaching Kids (Ages 4-8) to Appreciate Simple, Everyday Details

Price: $9.99 - $6.50
(as of Oct 09, 2026 10:49:12 UTC – 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 bookhelps 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

From the Publisher

Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 10, 1990
Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 24 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0064432270
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0064432276
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 – 8 years, from customers
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.38 x 0.12 x 10 inches
Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool – 3
Best Sellers Rank: #27,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #34 in Children’s Math Fiction #253 in Stories in Verse #682 in Children’s Classics
Customer Reviews: 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,189) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Customers find the book effective for teaching main ideas, with one noting it serves as a mentor text for all grades and content areas. They appreciate its readability as a good read-aloud, beautiful illustrations, and simple, easy-to-teach content. The writing style receives mixed feedback, with some praising its simplicity while others find the varying typography annoying. The book’s conciseness also draws mixed reactions.