[(The Button Box)] [By (author) Margarette S. Reid] published on

by Sarah Chamberlain

An imaginative little boy explores the many pleasures that can be found in - and made from - his grandmother's button box.

Genres: Mathematics, Picture Books, Childrens, School, Counting

Paperback

First published May 10, 1990

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple story about a boy visiting his Grandmother and looking through her button box. The illustrations weren't to my taste but they were nice enough and the illustrator had done a good job showing what was happening in the text. There were lots of interesting facts about buttons, how they might have been used and what they were made from. I loved looking through a button box when I was little and my children did the same, sorting them into size shape and colour, making pictures, stringing them to make caterpillars, counting and using them for money. A button box is a great thing to have, I hope this inspires some people who don't have one to get one started! A lovely read for young children.

Read on open library.

[Kerrie McLoughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to my kids while they were in the bathtub. Then grabbed them and went to an antique store to buy buttons and a Maxwell House tin to put them in. The kids loved the book but I may have loved it more. I was inspired to make a button box. My kids are getting too old to care much about playing with buttons but I'm thinking ahead to grandparenting years LOL A nice, chill story :-)

[Andrea Ference · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Button Box is written by Margarette S. Reid and illustrated by Sarah Chamberlain. There are just a couple sentences on each page, with most of the page being filled with the illustrations. It is about a boy who loves a box that his grandma has, that is filled with buttons. The boy likes to swirl them around, pick out the ones he likes. He describes some of the differences and how he pretends the jeweled ones belonged to kings and queens. At the end of the story the boy wonders who invented buttons. The very last page tells us more about the history of buttons. The buttons are so varied and colorful. The collection is pretty amazing. Some have animals on them, but mostly it's just cool colors and designs. It really makes you think about all the different kinds of buttons there are out there. I'd recommend this book to children ages 3-7. A book about buttons, which you can choke on, probably shouldn't be read to children under 3 years old. Appreciating older things, things that might even seem a bit mundane is something children in this age range can do pretty well. This book is well written, in a rather factual way, that isn't too dry. The illustrations add a whole lot to the book, so you can actually see all the many different types of buttons.

[Katherine Fountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Button Box introduced the concept of sorting by the main character sorting his grandmother's buttons into different categories based on shape, size and color. For a first grade class, this book would be perfect for a fun activity with actual buttons or other manipulatives that the students could sort themselves. Since buttons are easily accessible and not very expensive, I would love to include buttons for my students so they could sort just like The Button Box,

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be used to teach creativity to students. Making or building things from objects.i would divide students into different groups. Then I would give each group a variety of different objects. I would have students to work together to make something out of the objects that they were given. I would read this book before students begin this activity to help students with ideas of what their group can make.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this adorable, creative, simple book. A little boy sifts through his Grandma's button box and imagines where some came from, learns where others come from and has fun sorting and comparing them. In the back is a little informational blurb about buttons. I just think it's so relatable and imaginative and sweet! It's not my favorite style of illustration but it is engaging and fun.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was young I absolutely LOVED my grandmother's button box, as does the boy in this story. He sorts them and makes games with them and enjoys his grandma's stories about where they might have come from.

This is too long to share with a large story time group but perfect for a cozy time at home.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buttons are fun, and this little book is full of ideas. Best of all, buttons can be sorted in many different ways and no one way is "right."

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought that this was going to be a countdown from 10 book. It's not. Next I thought it was going to be boring. It is saved by the narrator talking about their imagination and wonderment of where the buttons came from, how the narrator plays with the buttons, how some buttons are made and from what materials. At the end there is a short history about buttons. Good for a child who is inquisitive. I'd have a button box on hand to allow a child(ren) to play with buttons after having read the book. I'd also have a string to put a button on to play with. Puppets or other projects with buttons could be done after reading this book.

I imagine that children who don't like to sit still and would prefer to run around might not enjoy this book.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes me think I need a button box!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of sorting collections.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story of a boy who likes to sort thru his grandma's collection of buttons and the stories he comes up with for each button.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy likes to play with the buttons in his grandmother's button box. Good lesson on sorting. We'll use it in my classroom.

[Ashlyn Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might read this book in a preschool classroom during a clothing unit. We would talk about sorting and making patterns with buttons. We might also use the buttons for math.

[Janice Redding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book encompasses a lot of different math topics such as counting, sorting, and patterns. I can use this book in the classroom because I can have the students do a button activity by describing their button; therefore, incorporating writing into the lesson. I can implement a math lesson because by have the students sort out the buttons by colors, textures, etc. This would be a great book for Kindergarten and up.

[Nausheen Ukani]

This book introduces several different math topics, including counting, sorting, and patterns. I would have my students do a post-activity using buttons. They would sort the buttons based on different categories, such as color, shape, number of holes, size, etc. This would be a great book to use in Kindergarten and 1st grade because this book is more age appropriate for those specific grade levels.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a box filled with buttons and even though buttons might seem a little boring, buttons are actually really great and interesting. This book shows how buttons can be fun because of their different size, shape and color. This is a great book to introduce counting, sorting and making patterns. For a hands on activity you could bring in a box full of buttons and have the students complete activities that involve counting, sorting and making patterns.

[Rhonda Whittington]

After reading the book show an assorment of buttons. Model how two buttons are the same and different. Give each student a button. With partner discuss how buttons are the same and different. Reprt back to class. Play "Button, Button who has a button that is ....... Give each child a handful of buttons to sort. Count how many in each group and how many all together. Which group has more? How many more?

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book! Great to read with children to lead into tons of different sorting activities. Buttons can simultaneously similar and different -- kids will each the same buttons so differently focusing on their color or thickness or size or some other attribute. This book is a fantastic segue into a wealth of different math activities.

[Japonika Finch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would use this book during math centers. This book is so relatible to student because everyone has some knowledge of buttons. The students could learn so many different math related topics with the integration of this book.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intergenerational, historical, memorable. Teaches attributes and appreciation to detail.Did for Memory Care Storytime with a real button box.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduce your sorting unit by reading this book to your students. Bring in your own box of buttons and have them sort by color, size, and shape. Make patterns or just simply count the buttons.

[Jennifer]

This is a very good book to introduce or even expand on the concept of sorting Also, it is good for highlighting how some things may fall into more than one category because of its characteristics.

[Luana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great to use to teach students about patterns and sorting. Can also be used to teach counting. Can be used to introduce the use of venn diagrams.

[Sheniqua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to teach students about counting, sorting, and creating different patterns. it would be very useful to use with younger students as they're just staring out.

[Elizabeth Rachow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is adorable! It is great for information on the history of buttons and for a math activity of sorting buttons! :)

[Kelly Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to do sorting and patterns in math. It will help the student with the two concepts. The book is also engaging and fun!!!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Button Box could be used for a math sorting activity. As a teacher, I would bring in a button box for my students to sort on their own after reading this story.

[Christen Griego · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-5
Classification

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boy in this book sorts his grandmother's collection of buttons. This would be a great book to read and then introduce buttons as manipulatives. A simple book but also very factual. Grades K-2.