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The Eleventh Hour
by
Graeme Base
When Horace the elephant turns eleven, he celebrates in style by inviting his exotic friends to a splendid costume party. But a mystery is afoot, for in the midst of the games, music, and revelry, someone has eaten the birthday feast! Rhyming text and detailed illustrations provide clues to help readers find out who committed the crime. Full color.
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
September 1st 1989
by Harry N. Abrams
(first published 1988)
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For a curious youngster, this would be a perfect choice. Cool animals. Bright colors. Mystery! Parents certainly should be ready to help out a child with all the clues, some of which are quite obvious and visual, others are complex and coded.
There is a value in reading a less simplistic book, filled with rhymes and clues and creativity to a child. You can introduce complicated concepts, nuance, and develop a better relationship. Children learn to love learning, and how to study. High upside, lo...more
There is a value in reading a less simplistic book, filled with rhymes and clues and creativity to a child. You can introduce complicated concepts, nuance, and develop a better relationship. Children learn to love learning, and how to study. High upside, lo...more
Here is a story about Horace's (an elephant) eleventh birthday party, and apparently there's a mystery to solve! The mystery isn't revealed until near the end, and the book definitely requires that you look back through it to solve the mystery.
Overall, mystery hunting aside, I enjoyed this book, the fun characters, and the whimsical, jam-packed illustrations! For a rhyming book, the rhymes were really pretty good! I didn't find myself tripping over the rhythm or words hardly at all!
For the mys...more
Overall, mystery hunting aside, I enjoyed this book, the fun characters, and the whimsical, jam-packed illustrations! For a rhyming book, the rhymes were really pretty good! I didn't find myself tripping over the rhythm or words hardly at all!
For the mys...more
4 likes · like · see review
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This is a good mystery story for older young kids. My niece and I read it together, and we enjoyed the story. I pre-read the book before I read it with her, and I admit, I had to "cheat" and look at the key in the back of the book to discover the answer to the mystery. I don't think that the clues presented themselves very readily, and that's a good thing in a mystery. If this were an adult mystery, I'd think it was great! In a *children's* mystery story, however, maybe a few *slightly* more obv...more
Sep 28, 2010
Megan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
children
Recommended to Megan by:
Judy
My mom bought this book for my sisters and I after the illustrations caught her eye in a local bookstore. She brought it home, and we had a lot of fun reading it together, pouring over the beautiful illustrations, and trying to decipher the mystery.
When Horace the elephant turns 11 he throws himself an elaborate birthday party, and invites all of his other animal friends to join in the fun. There are games, costumes, and of course an elaborate feast that Horace himself had prepared. Unfortunatel...more
When Horace the elephant turns 11 he throws himself an elaborate birthday party, and invites all of his other animal friends to join in the fun. There are games, costumes, and of course an elaborate feast that Horace himself had prepared. Unfortunatel...more
I was fascinated by this book as a child, and I remain so to this day. It's sort of hard to put into words why certain books made an impact on me as a child. I just loved everything about it: the illustrations, the colors, the story, the intrigue...and the overall "WOW" factor when I had finally put some of the pieces of the mystery together. (My sister and I agreed to never break the seal in the back to reveal the solution, but I'll admit it...I peeked by pulling the pages open a bit. I bet she...more
Wow, what a book! I had read this before, but that time I didn't make the effort to look for clues, solve the mystery, or even read the solution. I always planned to come back and spend more time with this book, so I'm glad I finally did! This time I read the book, looked for clues, deciphered many of the hidden messages, and solved the mystery before ever reading through the solution pages! And wow, the solution pages pointed out many clues I hadn't even noticed. Although some of those clues ar...more
1 like · like · see review
This book is great for kids who are into mysteries, clues, and decoding. Even better, this is great for kids who are into awesome illustrations. Even better, even better, this poem features some pretty sweetly rhyming pages. I was shocked. I owned Animalia as a kid, but didn't realize Graeme Base could be a pretty good writer! Secret aside for parents: If your child is not a decoder, figure out the mystery ahead of time, or look it up on the Internet. Luckily, the "help" pages are now taped toge...more
Age of readership: Ages 9-12
Genre: Poetry
Diversity: Artistic examples from all over Europe, Asia and Africa
Illustrations: Beautiful, busy drawings full of examples of architecture from all over Europe, Asia and Africa, complete with some Roman cathedrals and places from Scotland as well as stone carvings from India. Each page is uniquely framed in art with Egyptian hieroglyphics, anagrams and Morse code and more.
My response to the book: Once I read this book I was reminded of my joy when I read...more
Genre: Poetry
Diversity: Artistic examples from all over Europe, Asia and Africa
Illustrations: Beautiful, busy drawings full of examples of architecture from all over Europe, Asia and Africa, complete with some Roman cathedrals and places from Scotland as well as stone carvings from India. Each page is uniquely framed in art with Egyptian hieroglyphics, anagrams and Morse code and more.
My response to the book: Once I read this book I was reminded of my joy when I read...more
Best for kids ages 5 and up.
Early Literacy Skills: Print Motivation, Vocabulary, Phonological Awareness, Narrative Skills
From cover:
When Horace the elephant turns eleven, he celebrates in style by inviting his friends to a splendid party. Fine music, games, and the promise of a magnificent feast prepared by Horace himself (everyone knows elephants are the world;s best cooks!) make this costume gala a most special event. But little does Horace know that when the partygoers gather for the banquet,...more
Early Literacy Skills: Print Motivation, Vocabulary, Phonological Awareness, Narrative Skills
From cover:
When Horace the elephant turns eleven, he celebrates in style by inviting his friends to a splendid party. Fine music, games, and the promise of a magnificent feast prepared by Horace himself (everyone knows elephants are the world;s best cooks!) make this costume gala a most special event. But little does Horace know that when the partygoers gather for the banquet,...more
I LOVE (in all CAPS) this book. When I read it as a kid, I did not own it, but I was envious of all the kids who did have it and would bring it in. And now, as an adult, I have bought the book to have as my own, to relive the magic in the pictures & to again, find out who ate all the food (being more than 15 years since I last read it, I can no longer remember any of the details)
This is very much a book for I would say, 4th grade and up. Maybe 3rd grade? I forget when I first read this, but...more
This is very much a book for I would say, 4th grade and up. Maybe 3rd grade? I forget when I first read this, but...more
Horace the elephant is having a party to celebrate is eleventh birthday. On the day of the party, something dreadful happens. The reader needs to use the clues in the illustrations to figure out who stole something.
I love the way this story leads to so many things. Children can spend hours trying to find all of the clues and hidden images in the story. You can watch the clock and discuss chronological order, you need to use deductive reasoning to solve the crime. This is a great story for stude...more
I love the way this story leads to so many things. Children can spend hours trying to find all of the clues and hidden images in the story. You can watch the clock and discuss chronological order, you need to use deductive reasoning to solve the crime. This is a great story for stude...more
Jan 03, 2011
Trevor
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone with kids
This was one of my first 'interactive' books. I revisited it recently and was still impressed by the sophistication of the work. The illustrations are luscious, and embedded within each are fun puzzles. The story is good for children, and the puzzles are just hard enough to keep the interest of some brainy kids - of which I was not.
Growing up I couldn't solve the puzzles right away, but my parents told me to try and wait and give it time before tearing into the sealed solution pages. I'm glad I...more
Growing up I couldn't solve the puzzles right away, but my parents told me to try and wait and give it time before tearing into the sealed solution pages. I'm glad I...more
I can actually remember the first time I set eyes upon this book. One of my classmates (the one who went on to win the Vogel, I think!) had brought it in to school to show it off, and everyone was incredibly excited by the fact that there was now a second book to obsess over as much as we'd obsessed over Animalia. It was absolute heaven when I was finally able to borrow it out from the library and read it properly.
Apr 15, 2013
Adam Boehmer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-books
Horace, the main character in the story, throws himself a birthday party and invites all of his friends to join him. He cooks a feast for them to eat at the eleventh hour of the evening. The cast of characters enjoy many different activities throughout the party together. This book ends with a mystery ending and the reader must determine who committed the crime. The students could group together to write their ideas as to who they think committed the crime and the evidence they have to support t...more
Oh my goodness, I did not like this book. I had such high hopes for it, but it failed miserably. I had to read this for my children's lit class in college, and I hated it.
Basically, this is a picture book in which some animals get together for a party, but one of the guests eats their food and it is up to readers to figure out which guest did it by looking for clues in all of the pictures. Sounds good, right? WRONG! Most of the clues ended up being completely irrelevant, and lots of the clues w...more
Basically, this is a picture book in which some animals get together for a party, but one of the guests eats their food and it is up to readers to figure out which guest did it by looking for clues in all of the pictures. Sounds good, right? WRONG! Most of the clues ended up being completely irrelevant, and lots of the clues w...more
If the world were keeping track it would know that my wife has probably set some kind of record for reading to our children. But, alas, the world doesn't keep track of and remunerate such behavior.
Rarely do I get a turn to read to the kids but whenever I do get a turn I often choose this book. The kids are captivated by the amazing artwork while I am more impressed with the sophisticated rhyming. Call me simple, but I love good rhyming. Here is an example from my favorite page:
The Zebra said, '...more
Rarely do I get a turn to read to the kids but whenever I do get a turn I often choose this book. The kids are captivated by the amazing artwork while I am more impressed with the sophisticated rhyming. Call me simple, but I love good rhyming. Here is an example from my favorite page:
The Zebra said, '...more
In this "curious mystery" by Graeme Base, author of Animalia,
Horace Elephant invites 11 friends to his eleventh birthday party. After a great deal of elaborate preparation, games, and sport, the awesome feast prepared by Horace is stolen! Which guest was responsible for this heinous crime? The brilliantly embedded clues and breathtaking illustrations contribute to the clever rhyming tale in this modern masterpiece.
No elementary school classroom or personal library is complete without The Elevent...more
Horace Elephant invites 11 friends to his eleventh birthday party. After a great deal of elaborate preparation, games, and sport, the awesome feast prepared by Horace is stolen! Which guest was responsible for this heinous crime? The brilliantly embedded clues and breathtaking illustrations contribute to the clever rhyming tale in this modern masterpiece.
No elementary school classroom or personal library is complete without The Elevent...more
Since I was too young to even read it myself, I have loved this book. With it's colourful illustrations, fun characters and enticing mystery it is clear that Graeme Base has a gift for creating not just a book, but a work of pure art. This book holds countless hours of my childhood, engrossed in the story and trying to solve the mystery behind who stole the feast. It took me until I was about seven to finally figure it out! Even now, I love curling up every now and then and reliving this beautif...more
A classic picture book for all ages. Every picture contains a hidden message and many things to find. The book is also a mystery where the reader tries to figure out the clues and discover who stole the excellent birthday feast. The myriad of hidden messages and clues makes this book a real treat and easily something that you could spend hours and hours decoding and enjoying. A rare thing to say about a picture book. Truly excellent.
Oct 27, 2010
Marita
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
art-c-table-books,
ya-c
The story alone is just a bit maddening since it leaves you to figure out who's done it, but looking for clues afterwords in these amazing pictures is fun and the explanations make you really appreciate all the hard work that went into this book. Then there is the aspect of finding all the hidden little pictures too, so this book will entertain for hours, specially for those born 11/11 or turning 11.
This was one of the most amazing books I ever had! I always loved whodunnits and this one was seriously one of the greatest! Even though my family and I didn't solve the case correctly, once I opened the solution at the back I still had lots of time finding all the other clues that were there.
I recommend this to anyone with a child in their pre-teens who likes to solve problems!
I recommend this to anyone with a child in their pre-teens who likes to solve problems!
Jun 15, 2009
Gracie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
any literate person with a keen eye
Recommended to Gracie by:
Dad
This book seems a simple story at first, until you look deeper. Hidden clues and codes drive the reader to search diligently until the mystery is solved. I have loved this book since my dad read it to me and my brother in 2001. I recently returned to it to try to solve the mystery on my own- to look into the borders and illustrations to find the clues! It is immense fun for all ages!!!
Jun 05, 2009
Dolly
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
older children and parents reading with them
This is a wonderful book full of gorgeous illustrations, historically accurate architecture, complex puzzles, hidden messages and a mystery too! By iteself, the story is wonderful, but when you look into the mysteries and puzzles, so much more is revealed. We really enjoyed reading this book - and I even pored over some of the pictures after our girls went to bed.
The writing is as good as any children's book, but the illustrations and their connection with the story offer the reader a chance to engage with the book on a whole new level. I have only read a couple books by Graeme Base, but I can't believe that this book is not his masterpiece. If I have kids, they are getting this book, both for my benefit and theirs.
This book is so great for middle readers, possibly a little younger. Although it's a picture book (a poem), there is a mystery within the poem that must be solved.
At the end of the book, there is an entire mini-book that is dedicated to helping you solved the mystery! It was so much fun and my husband and I spent hours trying to figure it out!
At the end of the book, there is an entire mini-book that is dedicated to helping you solved the mystery! It was so much fun and my husband and I spent hours trying to figure it out!
Horace the elephant is turning 11. He decides to have a birthday party for himself with music, games and of course, delicious food that he prepares himself. A mysterious occurrence happens at the party and the reader must come up with answer.
Amazing illustrations! Base is a genius when it comes to illustrating a picture book whodunnit. I had trouble finding the clues in his pictures.
Amazing illustrations! Base is a genius when it comes to illustrating a picture book whodunnit. I had trouble finding the clues in his pictures.
Sep 13, 2012
Becky B
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those tired of silly rhyming books, All ages, Mystery lovers
Shelves:
children-s-ficiton,
excellent-vocabulary,
humor,
mystery,
picture-books,
poetry,
animal-stories
A combination mystery and picture book in rhyme. It is extremely rare to find such a skilled and creative illustrator/poet that makes children's books. I remember working on solving all the different puzzles hidden in this book with my siblings when we were young. It took us quite a while, but we felt very accomplished when we figured them out.
This is a way fun children's book. It is easy to read and is a rhyming book. The only thing that I didn't particularly like about this book is that it said it was a mystery but no mystery happened until the last 3 pages. It's great because the children are asked to solve it themselves and this can help them in their problem-solving skills.
I remember loving the challenge of unravelling the mystery when I was younger. Fortunately my memory was not good enough to remember any of the clues or whodunnit, so I got the joy of working it out all over again.
As an adult working out whodunnit isn't a huge challenge - maybe half an hour to an hour of flicking back and forth and removing possibilities. As a child though I remember it being a significant challenge. But even as an adult working out the layer upon layer of clues, messages and hi...more
As an adult working out whodunnit isn't a huge challenge - maybe half an hour to an hour of flicking back and forth and removing possibilities. As a child though I remember it being a significant challenge. But even as an adult working out the layer upon layer of clues, messages and hi...more
The illustrations are amazing. I would have loved to go to this elephant's birthday party. He really knows how to entertain his guests. I also like that there is a mystery to solve and it is encoded in the pages. I look forward to reading this book again when my son is a little older so we can spend time investigating the pages.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Goodreads Librari...: Need some help with this seriously confused book | 9 | 46 | Feb 17, 2013 02:22pm |
Graeme Rowland Base is a successful Australian author and artist of picture books that have been sold internationally. He is perhaps best known for his second book, Animalia published in 1986, and third book The Eleventh Hour which was released in 1989.
He was born in England but moved to Australia with his family at the age of eight and has lived there ever since. He attended Box Hill High School...more
More about Graeme Base...
He was born in England but moved to Australia with his family at the age of eight and has lived there ever since. He attended Box Hill High School...more
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