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Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal: Not Exactly a Memoir
The bestselling author of Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life returns with a literary experience that is unprecedented, unforgettable, and explosively human.
In the ten years since the publication of her beloved, groundbreaking Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, #1 New York Times bestselling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal has been quietly tinkering away. Using her distinct blend of nonlinear narrative, wistful reflections, and insightful wit, she has created a modest but mighty new work.
Why the title Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal?
• Because the book is organized into chapters with classic subject headings such as Social Studies, Music, Language Arts, Math, etc.
• Because textbook is an expression meaning “quintessential,” as in, Oh, that wordplay and unconventional format is so typical of her, so textbook Amy.
• Because for the first time ever, readers can further engage with a book via text messaging.
• Because if an author’s previous book has Encyclopedia in the title, following it up with a Textbook would be rather nice.
Not exactly a memoir, not just a collection of observations, Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal is an exploration into the many ways we are connected on this planet and speaks to the awe, bewilderment, and poignancy of being alive.
In the ten years since the publication of her beloved, groundbreaking Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, #1 New York Times bestselling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal has been quietly tinkering away. Using her distinct blend of nonlinear narrative, wistful reflections, and insightful wit, she has created a modest but mighty new work.
Why the title Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal?
• Because the book is organized into chapters with classic subject headings such as Social Studies, Music, Language Arts, Math, etc.
• Because textbook is an expression meaning “quintessential,” as in, Oh, that wordplay and unconventional format is so typical of her, so textbook Amy.
• Because for the first time ever, readers can further engage with a book via text messaging.
• Because if an author’s previous book has Encyclopedia in the title, following it up with a Textbook would be rather nice.
Not exactly a memoir, not just a collection of observations, Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal is an exploration into the many ways we are connected on this planet and speaks to the awe, bewilderment, and poignancy of being alive.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published August 9, 2016
153 people are currently reading
8456 people want to read
About the author
Amy Krouse Rosenthal
88 books1,093 followersSHORT BIO:
Amy Krouse Rosenthal was.
She divided her time.
NOT SO SHORT BIO:
Amy Krouse Rosenthal was a person who liked to make things.
Some things she liked to make include:
Children's books. (Little Pea, Spoon, DuckRabbit)
Grown-up books. (Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life)
Short films. (The Beckoning of Lovely, The Money Tree)
Guided journals. (The Belly Book)
Something out of nothing. (see above)
A longtime contributor to WBEZ and to the TED conference,
Amy lived with her family in Chicago and online at whoisamy.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,164 reviews
March 27, 2017
This should have been just another volume in the Amy Krouse Rosenthal collection. Instead, a month after the release of this book, Amy was diagnosed with cancer. She published the article "You May Want To Marry My Husband" at the beginning of March and when it went viral, I avoided it for a while because 1) it sounded depressing as hell and 2) I didn't realize it was written by one of my favorite writers. Then someone made the connection and, well, cut to me clicking on the article in the middle of the night with tears streaming down my face in bed. I ordered this book the next day because my library didn't have it and a few days after that, she was gone.
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life was one of my favorite reads from a few years back and then I discovered her picture books, all of which are in heavy use at my toddler story time. I kind of can't handle the fact that she died so young. Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal is especially poignant as her ultimate work since it's really a retrospective on her life to date. It's broken down into typical class topics, like Geography and Art and Language Arts. Vignettes, observations, math equations, charts, and so much more make up the bulk of the book. It's not quite like anything I've ever read before. There's an interactive element where you can text keywords to a number and send in photos or clues or read an Easter egg story from John Green. She had readers send in suggestions for a tattoo that they would both get--and that really happened! The reader and Amy each got the word "more" tattooed on their arms. The whole experience is fascinating.
The worst/best part is the Midterm Essay, where Amy ruminates on how much time she has left on Earth. "Tell me: How many more times do I get to cut an apple? How many more times will I put on my shoes? Kiss my mother? Use an ATM?" The answer, of course, is not enough. But just as Amy found joy in the ordinariness of regular life, part of finding joy is making peace with the utterly unfair and random cruelness that life sometimes brings. It sucks that she's gone and I'm just some random person, not even a family member or friend. On the flip side, it's miraculous and splendid that I even got to know this radiant human being from her words alone. So, Amy, as you end your book, so I'll end my review.
Bye, Amy.
I love you.
Thank you.
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life was one of my favorite reads from a few years back and then I discovered her picture books, all of which are in heavy use at my toddler story time. I kind of can't handle the fact that she died so young. Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal is especially poignant as her ultimate work since it's really a retrospective on her life to date. It's broken down into typical class topics, like Geography and Art and Language Arts. Vignettes, observations, math equations, charts, and so much more make up the bulk of the book. It's not quite like anything I've ever read before. There's an interactive element where you can text keywords to a number and send in photos or clues or read an Easter egg story from John Green. She had readers send in suggestions for a tattoo that they would both get--and that really happened! The reader and Amy each got the word "more" tattooed on their arms. The whole experience is fascinating.
The worst/best part is the Midterm Essay, where Amy ruminates on how much time she has left on Earth. "Tell me: How many more times do I get to cut an apple? How many more times will I put on my shoes? Kiss my mother? Use an ATM?" The answer, of course, is not enough. But just as Amy found joy in the ordinariness of regular life, part of finding joy is making peace with the utterly unfair and random cruelness that life sometimes brings. It sucks that she's gone and I'm just some random person, not even a family member or friend. On the flip side, it's miraculous and splendid that I even got to know this radiant human being from her words alone. So, Amy, as you end your book, so I'll end my review.
Bye, Amy.
I love you.
Thank you.
August 17, 2016
This is book is very short, when you consider the amount of white space. But it contains so much. So much love, so many thought-provoking passages, so much of all of our lives.
In retrospect, the white space is there to allow you time to think, and to soak it all in.
In retrospect, the white space is there to allow you time to think, and to soak it all in.
February 11, 2018
I LOVED this quirky, fun, sweet, optimistic, highly relatable book. An "experimental memoir," it is a wonderful glimpse into a woman's life and feels like chatting with a best friend. It is an interactive book that contains a pre-test, midterm, and post-test for the reader. It can be read in just a few hours, but if you are like I, you will want to get your own copy, reread it, and give it as a gift to people you love. It is whimsical, poetic and unlike anything I've ever read. It will make you smile, ponder, laugh, and perhaps shed a tear or two. It contains lots of good visuals...photos, diagrams, drawings, illustrations. Don't wait to read this one!
October 11, 2024
You know that one friend who made you feel at ease the second you met and it felt like you've known each other for years? That is this book and Amy is that friend.
This interactive (the book literally texts you back!) memoir will have you sighing happily, move you to tears, and laugh out loud. Amy divides the memoir into textbook type chapters and themes playing on the “textbook” idea.
A fun, light read you will want to revisit or share with a friend. –Sara W.
This interactive (the book literally texts you back!) memoir will have you sighing happily, move you to tears, and laugh out loud. Amy divides the memoir into textbook type chapters and themes playing on the “textbook” idea.
A fun, light read you will want to revisit or share with a friend. –Sara W.
May 31, 2016
How to describe this entirely delightful and lovely book? I guess I’ll call it an interactive memoir. The author shares thoughts and vignettes from her life, sometimes using diagrams and drawings, and invites the reader to participate with texts. She made me laugh and think, and broke my heart a little, and made me glad that the world has Amy Krouse Rosenthal in it. Look for it on its publication date of 8/9/16.
August 25, 2017
Sometimes you mean to read a book. You've heard a few friends and even some patrons mention it, but it just keeps slipping beneath your radar until one day you finally pick it up off the shelf and dig in.
Why did I wait so long to read this? It may be the best book I have ever read, ever. It's a quick read but I found it best to savor each entry. I, of course, am reading it after Amy's death but can FEEL her on every page. I never met her, but I'll be damned if reading this isn't a glimpse into her soul, and what an amazing soul.
Part memoir, part musings, this book is absolutely engrossing. I've never read anything like it. It's set up like a textbook, and the chapters are arranged as "units" and categorized into subjects. It also has an interactive text component so you can receive digital content as you are making your way through each unit. It makes me want to be a better person. To live each day to it's fullest. To give strangers compliments and tell my loved ones just how much I value them. To appreciate each moment, each day for exactly what they are at the exact moment they happen. Look, I know I'm gushing here. It's been a tough year, and this book found me and punched me square in the heart when I needed it the most. It restored a bit of faith in humanity for me. That's a giant assertion, I realize.
There's also a lovely companion website that has extra content on it, most of which is supplied by readers, including a live rainbow feed, readers' self portraits, and serendipitous stories. I dare you to spend a few moments there and not feel a universal connection. Bittersweet, is the fact that the author died in March 2017. Perhaps this was her way of living on in the hearts and minds of her readers.
I hope this book finds its way to you when you need it most. I know it did for me.
Honestly it deserves six stars. It deserves its own rating scale.
Why did I wait so long to read this? It may be the best book I have ever read, ever. It's a quick read but I found it best to savor each entry. I, of course, am reading it after Amy's death but can FEEL her on every page. I never met her, but I'll be damned if reading this isn't a glimpse into her soul, and what an amazing soul.
Part memoir, part musings, this book is absolutely engrossing. I've never read anything like it. It's set up like a textbook, and the chapters are arranged as "units" and categorized into subjects. It also has an interactive text component so you can receive digital content as you are making your way through each unit. It makes me want to be a better person. To live each day to it's fullest. To give strangers compliments and tell my loved ones just how much I value them. To appreciate each moment, each day for exactly what they are at the exact moment they happen. Look, I know I'm gushing here. It's been a tough year, and this book found me and punched me square in the heart when I needed it the most. It restored a bit of faith in humanity for me. That's a giant assertion, I realize.
There's also a lovely companion website that has extra content on it, most of which is supplied by readers, including a live rainbow feed, readers' self portraits, and serendipitous stories. I dare you to spend a few moments there and not feel a universal connection. Bittersweet, is the fact that the author died in March 2017. Perhaps this was her way of living on in the hearts and minds of her readers.
I hope this book finds its way to you when you need it most. I know it did for me.
Honestly it deserves six stars. It deserves its own rating scale.
June 27, 2016
FTC Compliance - this review of of Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal is for an Advanced Reader Copy received from the author.
This author is a textbook case of positivism, and this book is her latest attempt to reach out and touch her audience, making their lives better.
I enjoyed the layout much more than her previous book, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. The various anecdotes and experiences are categorized into "subjects", which could allow the reader to set their own course curriculum. I read it in the presented way, mostly smiling and occasionally laughing out loud.
Similar to earlier projects of Amy Krouse Rosenthal, she wants you to be a part of the fun. Interactive text messages and a website complement the text in an excellent way.
I read this book entirely within the scope of a vacation with friends (of more than 30 years) in Nelson BC. The quirkiness of this town and its scenic environs complemented the text well for me. A reader could easily finish this book in a day, though they may come back to it many times afterwards - I know I will. Highly recommended!
This author is a textbook case of positivism, and this book is her latest attempt to reach out and touch her audience, making their lives better.
I enjoyed the layout much more than her previous book, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. The various anecdotes and experiences are categorized into "subjects", which could allow the reader to set their own course curriculum. I read it in the presented way, mostly smiling and occasionally laughing out loud.
Similar to earlier projects of Amy Krouse Rosenthal, she wants you to be a part of the fun. Interactive text messages and a website complement the text in an excellent way.
I read this book entirely within the scope of a vacation with friends (of more than 30 years) in Nelson BC. The quirkiness of this town and its scenic environs complemented the text well for me. A reader could easily finish this book in a day, though they may come back to it many times afterwards - I know I will. Highly recommended!
January 10, 2019
Oh my gosh, I loved this book!
I picked it up on the recommendation of my nephew. I wasn't familiar with Amy Krouse Rosenthal or her books, and I was so sad to learn that she passed away shortly after writing this one. I obviously never met Amy, but she seems like the kind of person I would have been friends with, or wanted to be friends with. She seems positive, funny, witty and kind. I can't help being sad she is no longer here.
I fell in love with this book on page one. It is different, funny, a quick read, and I instantly knew I needed to have my own hard copy (as I was reading a library copy on my kindle).
This is almost like a stream of consciousness. For instance:
FOR SOME REASON, IT TAKES MY BRAIN A MOMENT TO PROCESS
*That red means hot and blue means cold
*The open-close symbols on elevators, which is which
*That the delivery truck in front of me said "party linens", not "panty liners"
I WOULD REALLY RATHER NOT
*Reciprocate out of obligation
*Sponge the outside of the Cuisinart
*Fall from grace
I LIKE YOU BECAUSE
*You are nice
*You have a way about you
*I feel good when I'm around you
*You GET it
I MAY ALSO LIKE YOU SIMPLY BECAUSE
*You waved "thank you" in the rearview mirror when I let you in the lane
*You like me
....and so it continues.
Her section of SERENDIPITY was spot on...and just after reading it, my very good friend called me, and said she just felt like I needed her too...and I DID! I'd just had a really tough week and needed someone to make me laugh.
Knowing that she died so soon after it was published, makes some parts be especially sad.
This book was set up for you to text her with responses and she would text back. I don't know if this feature was turned off now because of her passing, or if it just wasn't working right now, but this was such a cool idea and set this book off as different from any other that I have ever read. I did go out to the website portion, where people's stories and pictures are stored.
This is a very quick read, with lots of white space and hand drawn pictures...and did I mention that I LOVED it??
I picked it up on the recommendation of my nephew. I wasn't familiar with Amy Krouse Rosenthal or her books, and I was so sad to learn that she passed away shortly after writing this one. I obviously never met Amy, but she seems like the kind of person I would have been friends with, or wanted to be friends with. She seems positive, funny, witty and kind. I can't help being sad she is no longer here.
I fell in love with this book on page one. It is different, funny, a quick read, and I instantly knew I needed to have my own hard copy (as I was reading a library copy on my kindle).
This is almost like a stream of consciousness. For instance:
FOR SOME REASON, IT TAKES MY BRAIN A MOMENT TO PROCESS
*That red means hot and blue means cold
*The open-close symbols on elevators, which is which
*That the delivery truck in front of me said "party linens", not "panty liners"
I WOULD REALLY RATHER NOT
*Reciprocate out of obligation
*Sponge the outside of the Cuisinart
*Fall from grace
I LIKE YOU BECAUSE
*You are nice
*You have a way about you
*I feel good when I'm around you
*You GET it
I MAY ALSO LIKE YOU SIMPLY BECAUSE
*You waved "thank you" in the rearview mirror when I let you in the lane
*You like me
....and so it continues.
Her section of SERENDIPITY was spot on...and just after reading it, my very good friend called me, and said she just felt like I needed her too...and I DID! I'd just had a really tough week and needed someone to make me laugh.
Knowing that she died so soon after it was published, makes some parts be especially sad.
This book was set up for you to text her with responses and she would text back. I don't know if this feature was turned off now because of her passing, or if it just wasn't working right now, but this was such a cool idea and set this book off as different from any other that I have ever read. I did go out to the website portion, where people's stories and pictures are stored.
This is a very quick read, with lots of white space and hand drawn pictures...and did I mention that I LOVED it??
September 5, 2016
If I could write a book like this, I would be happy. It's a perfect memoir/collection of snippets of life. And like my friend said, "small snippets > big stories." I think AKR and I would be friends. I HONESTLY cannot believe there is another soul who looks at boxes of Qtips the same way I do. Very quick read.
March 14, 2017
I just really enjoyed this one. Full review coming.
November 26, 2016
Much like Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, this book is sweet & quirky. It feels like chatting with a friend you don't see very often, but always remember how much you like her when you do bump into her.
I mean, look at the author with her dog:
Who wouldn't want to hang out with this woman?
But notice all that white space? That's not unusual in this book. It's heavy on the cute quirkiness & pretty light on the actual content.*
Organized into "subjects" (Geography, Social Studies, Art, Science, Romance Language, History, Music, Math, Language Arts) with a Pre-assessment, Mid-term, and Final Review, like a textbook, this is also an interactive TEXT book, allowing you to text the author on various topics, like voting for your favorite bracket style {curly} or [straight], or contributing a self-portrait to be shared on textbookamykr.com
You get funny little moments from AKR's life:
From Geography:
From Social Studies:
Contemplations:
Also from Social Studies:
From Final Review:
There's an interesting section under Social Studies about her year-long experiment in wardrobe simplification. (She stuck with it, but didn't enjoy it.)
And then this truth bomb that I had to show my husband:
(This also applies to ice cream bars in the freezer. THROW AWAY THE EMPTY BOX, CHILDREN!)
Overall, it's an optimistic little book that's fun to read, but not life-changing.
*There are longer passages scattered throughout, but on average, I would say (not based on any actual calculations, just my overall impression) this book is 75% blank. If I had paid the $27 retail, instead of checking this out from the library, I would have been a bit peeved.
I mean, look at the author with her dog:
Who wouldn't want to hang out with this woman?
But notice all that white space? That's not unusual in this book. It's heavy on the cute quirkiness & pretty light on the actual content.*
Organized into "subjects" (Geography, Social Studies, Art, Science, Romance Language, History, Music, Math, Language Arts) with a Pre-assessment, Mid-term, and Final Review, like a textbook, this is also an interactive TEXT book, allowing you to text the author on various topics, like voting for your favorite bracket style {curly} or [straight], or contributing a self-portrait to be shared on textbookamykr.com
You get funny little moments from AKR's life:
From Geography:
From Social Studies:
Contemplations:
Also from Social Studies:
From Final Review:
There's an interesting section under Social Studies about her year-long experiment in wardrobe simplification. (She stuck with it, but didn't enjoy it.)
And then this truth bomb that I had to show my husband:
(This also applies to ice cream bars in the freezer. THROW AWAY THE EMPTY BOX, CHILDREN!)
Overall, it's an optimistic little book that's fun to read, but not life-changing.
*There are longer passages scattered throughout, but on average, I would say (not based on any actual calculations, just my overall impression) this book is 75% blank. If I had paid the $27 retail, instead of checking this out from the library, I would have been a bit peeved.
July 6, 2023
Bye.
I love you.
Thank you.
This one was perfect.
I love you.
Thank you.
This one was perfect.
February 19, 2018
This book is one of the most unusual books I’ve ever read. It’s also a wonder, as much a piece of community art as it is a book. It affirms the small joys and mysteries of life while encouraging us to connect with one another, both through the short observational pieces that make up the book and with its central premise.
I somehow missed the introduction of the book. So I was confused when the book instructed you to text certain words at different parts in the book. I thought it was a literary device or a joke. I then realized you were really supposed to text those words to a number provided in the introduction. You are an active participant in the book’s action! In return you get audio of a reading of a poem or the picture you send — of a rainbow, of trees against the sky — is added to the book’s website.
I get it now, I get the double entendre of the book’s title! It is arranged by subject like a textbook, but it is also a book of texts.
Adding to the magic of the book is the sad fact that Amy passed away in 2017. When you are texting the numbers, you feel like you are talking to Amy beyond the grave. “Virtual Amy” sends a response back as if Amy is saying, I’m still here to remind you of the need to love, grow, understand, connect, feel, live in the present, revel in the small moments.
I could see people finding the book too whimsical and disjointed. It’s even hard for me to wrap my head around. Whatever you think, you won’t ever read another book like this.
I somehow missed the introduction of the book. So I was confused when the book instructed you to text certain words at different parts in the book. I thought it was a literary device or a joke. I then realized you were really supposed to text those words to a number provided in the introduction. You are an active participant in the book’s action! In return you get audio of a reading of a poem or the picture you send — of a rainbow, of trees against the sky — is added to the book’s website.
I get it now, I get the double entendre of the book’s title! It is arranged by subject like a textbook, but it is also a book of texts.
Adding to the magic of the book is the sad fact that Amy passed away in 2017. When you are texting the numbers, you feel like you are talking to Amy beyond the grave. “Virtual Amy” sends a response back as if Amy is saying, I’m still here to remind you of the need to love, grow, understand, connect, feel, live in the present, revel in the small moments.
I could see people finding the book too whimsical and disjointed. It’s even hard for me to wrap my head around. Whatever you think, you won’t ever read another book like this.
November 25, 2017
As a reading experience, it's pretty unusual. It's highly interactive, and more than that, it's a memoir that's more interested in connecting readers to each other than it is in connecting readers to the author.
If for no other reason, you should check it out because there aren't a lot of reading experiences that are different from the left to right, ordered text arranged chronologically. Which is weird, right?
I mean, you've got your Houses of Leaves, which is different. You've got your Ships of Theseus. There are a handful of books that do something a little different with the book as an object, that mess with the experience of reading a little bit, but not a whole hell of a lot of 'em are out there, and only a handful of those works.
This one works. It's different. You'll never read anything else like it. And I hope there will be more stuff like this in the future.
If for no other reason, you should check it out because there aren't a lot of reading experiences that are different from the left to right, ordered text arranged chronologically. Which is weird, right?
I mean, you've got your Houses of Leaves, which is different. You've got your Ships of Theseus. There are a handful of books that do something a little different with the book as an object, that mess with the experience of reading a little bit, but not a whole hell of a lot of 'em are out there, and only a handful of those works.
This one works. It's different. You'll never read anything else like it. And I hope there will be more stuff like this in the future.
May 3, 2016
I have no idea how to describe this book, but I know it made me very, very happy.
I was trying to read, text the author, and hold the straps on the train so I don't fall down which meant that...well, fall down it is.
Please don't deny yourself the opportunity to text a self-portrait to the author or vote on the curly/straight bracket bracket game.
Some of my favorite stories were the ones about serendipity. And the purple flower moments--wow. It's so heart squeezey to see an author's interactions with her readers played out in little photo essays and pie charts. So cool. I ❤️ AKR.
ILYTY
I was trying to read, text the author, and hold the straps on the train so I don't fall down which meant that...well, fall down it is.
Please don't deny yourself the opportunity to text a self-portrait to the author or vote on the curly/straight bracket bracket game.
Some of my favorite stories were the ones about serendipity. And the purple flower moments--wow. It's so heart squeezey to see an author's interactions with her readers played out in little photo essays and pie charts. So cool. I ❤️ AKR.
ILYTY
June 4, 2017
This book is utterly magical. I was even more charmed by this than Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. And her death has made this book even more heartbreaking -- and also life giving. A must read, and one I will joyfully return to again and again and again.
May 15, 2017
After I read this book I felt:
a. I liked this book
b. I didn't like this book
c. I am not sure how I feel but I was curious about it
a. I liked this book
b. I didn't like this book
c. I am not sure how I feel but I was curious about it
September 3, 2016
In general I enjoyed this. Some of the anecdotes were great, the tone was consistent and comforting. But it didn't have the cohesion it seemed like it was striving for--often I would be most of the way through a section before realizing why it was written the way it was (oh right, all these pluses and =s are "math"). And a lot of the content felt scattered. At times it felt hollow, like reading someone's facebook feed. At its worst it's an infuriating waste of paper, and I don't mean that in an insulting Waste Of Paper epithet way, I mean it like I couldn't stop thinking, how could a person with such an obvious sensitivity to the life and world around her literally waste so much paper? There are so many little one- or three-sentence snippets that are Fine to Okay...and? to genuinely chuckle or lift-the-veil worthy that are then followed by an entire blank page. Or two!
Don't get me wrong, I like Amy Krause Rosenthal. I still frequently think of her definition of "flahoolick." There's a lot that definitely hits right smack on the Me in this book. But it was more frustrating than memorably enjoyable.
Edited to add:
In the end, I think the underlying source of most of my frustration-symptoms above is the book's form-over-content presentation. I think I'd have a much better reaction to a lot of the anecdotes, blurbs, snippets of life if they weren't forced into this "textbook" format.
Also, this book makes me feel like a real curmudgeonly elitist cynical asshole.
Don't get me wrong, I like Amy Krause Rosenthal. I still frequently think of her definition of "flahoolick." There's a lot that definitely hits right smack on the Me in this book. But it was more frustrating than memorably enjoyable.
Edited to add:
In the end, I think the underlying source of most of my frustration-symptoms above is the book's form-over-content presentation. I think I'd have a much better reaction to a lot of the anecdotes, blurbs, snippets of life if they weren't forced into this "textbook" format.
Also, this book makes me feel like a real curmudgeonly elitist cynical asshole.
March 10, 2017
I LOVE this book. If you are my friend, don't go buy a copy because I am in the process of buying a copy for everyone I know.
Amy Rosenthal's musings are thoughtful and funny and told from a really honest place - for me, what I divulge at dinner with my best friends or on a walk with my soulmate. I love that you can interact with her by texting and that there is a community of people reading this book - and you can link to them as well.
I loved this book so much that I read excerpts of it to my husband who hates being read to.
Finally, as a teacher, I think this book is filled (from start to creative, haunting last page) with ideas for teaching writing - the kind of writing that is substantive and that leaves behind a sense of who we were and how we lived and what mattered to us.
Amy Rosenthal's musings are thoughtful and funny and told from a really honest place - for me, what I divulge at dinner with my best friends or on a walk with my soulmate. I love that you can interact with her by texting and that there is a community of people reading this book - and you can link to them as well.
I loved this book so much that I read excerpts of it to my husband who hates being read to.
Finally, as a teacher, I think this book is filled (from start to creative, haunting last page) with ideas for teaching writing - the kind of writing that is substantive and that leaves behind a sense of who we were and how we lived and what mattered to us.
December 18, 2018
Kind of like a book version of the movie Amelie? Or like the best game of what-shapes-do-you-see-in-the-cloudst? Not really at all like those things, but it gave me the same warm-and-cozy feel. Spoonfuls of whimsy and playfulness.
April 25, 2020
This was just the book to read right now. It was lovely and creative and sweet; it had both lightness and depth. I’ve read so many of her books to my children but had never read her adult books. I’m again reminded: we lost a great one.
March 22, 2021
I absolutely adored this book! Witty, adorable, thought provoking, with the most intriguing format. Highly recommend!
July 5, 2023
Absolutely delightful.
February 7, 2020
I am undecided. On the one hand, I feel like How can this be a book? It is an almost random compilation of thoughts and fragments, curated by their cuteness. It's silly. But some of it taps right into the spine of me, and made me think or feel much more than an ordinary book. I also love her attraction to the serendipitous, and her steady undercurrent of love, fun, and happiness. She seems like a really positive person, and so sincere.
So anyway, throughout I kept weighing my thoughts, and came up squarely on the fence until I suddenly had this acute connection with a part of the book. An exercise that I might've breezed right by became shockingly meaningful.
She is Smiling at Me
I learned what Purple Flower Moments are last night, and set down my book. I dried some dishes, walked the dog, and then realized my infant daughter was gravely ill. We spent the night in the emergency room. This morning, I am back at home, and cracked the book at the breakfast table. My purple flower moment is a rare cold day in Florida (which I love), with the space heater humming, a bowl of my favorite cereal in front of me. It is brilliantly sunny and my kitchen is a mess. I am holding my healthy baby girl's hand. She is smiling at me. And I feel incredibly lucky. I am so glad I didn't turn the page until the morning.
So, indulgent and frivolous, or magical and profound? I'm not really sure, but I come down more on the side of profound after the purple flower moment.
So anyway, throughout I kept weighing my thoughts, and came up squarely on the fence until I suddenly had this acute connection with a part of the book. An exercise that I might've breezed right by became shockingly meaningful.
She is Smiling at Me
I learned what Purple Flower Moments are last night, and set down my book. I dried some dishes, walked the dog, and then realized my infant daughter was gravely ill. We spent the night in the emergency room. This morning, I am back at home, and cracked the book at the breakfast table. My purple flower moment is a rare cold day in Florida (which I love), with the space heater humming, a bowl of my favorite cereal in front of me. It is brilliantly sunny and my kitchen is a mess. I am holding my healthy baby girl's hand. She is smiling at me. And I feel incredibly lucky. I am so glad I didn't turn the page until the morning.
So, indulgent and frivolous, or magical and profound? I'm not really sure, but I come down more on the side of profound after the purple flower moment.
July 14, 2017
Very difficult to even know where to begin about Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Creative playful woman. Wife, mother. Inspiration. Writer. Maker. Community builder. I'm humbled by how alive she was, and yet -- reading this interactive book -- felt like she was still there. She's mysteriously clever, reaching out with interactive texts even though she died in March of ovarian cancer.
I learned of this woman when I was listening to a podcast called The Creative Superheroes Podcast (episode #6). The podcast was actually a replay -- and tribute -- to an earlier interview with Krouse Rosenthal. Afterwards, I went to YouTube and looked up, "The Beckoning of Lovely" which is an entire concept that she constructed, which went on for five years: 08/08/2008, 09/09/2009, 10/10/2010, 11/11/2011 and 12/12/2012. They were spontaneous, creative community gatherings.
I feel myself a little speechless, and also so bereft, because she was so full of life and joy and magic ... and now she's gone and there are so few like her.
I learned of this woman when I was listening to a podcast called The Creative Superheroes Podcast (episode #6). The podcast was actually a replay -- and tribute -- to an earlier interview with Krouse Rosenthal. Afterwards, I went to YouTube and looked up, "The Beckoning of Lovely" which is an entire concept that she constructed, which went on for five years: 08/08/2008, 09/09/2009, 10/10/2010, 11/11/2011 and 12/12/2012. They were spontaneous, creative community gatherings.
I feel myself a little speechless, and also so bereft, because she was so full of life and joy and magic ... and now she's gone and there are so few like her.
July 12, 2017
I read this library book in a day and then promptly got on Amazon and ordered a copy to keep on my bookshelf. This is one of those books that I'll want to read every year. Amy has such a talent for enjoying the moment, for connecting with people. This book is a smattering of thoughts and ideas. There are poems and pictures and interactive portions in which you can text a message or upload a picture. The title Textbook is, in part, a literal description: a book that instructs you to text. One of the things that makes this book so powerful is that Amy died shortly after it was published. She may have even had her cancer diagnosis while she was writing (I'm not sure). To me this makes her messages of noticing things around you and finding joy in the simple, everyday things in life even more poignant.
August 31, 2017
I don't think I can adequately describe how and why I loved this memoir so much. I cried about a billionty times and it was worth every tissue. You can text with Amy (from heaven?). She was remarkable and kind and all I want is to rewind time and know her. Or maybe be her. At a time when I had just had long talks with my friend, Kate, about serendipity and coincidence, Amy KR spoke to me about it, too. I finished the book last night and, after climbing back out of bed to go kiss my babies good night, lay in my bed thinking about her and my place in this world. This morning at work, our request list included two of her picture books: Friendshape and Uni the Unicorn and the Dream Come True. Serendipity, indeed.
December 30, 2018
AKR was a genius. Before her death, I only knew her as a children's picture book author. ("Exclamation Mark" is one of my favorites.) But when I read her Encyclopedia, I realized that she was a quirky, deeply sensitive, inventive, funny person. Textbook is even better. I'm so sad to know that she is gone, and we won't get anything else from her brain. The Art chapter and the Science Experiments were amazing - she was kind of a performance artist as well. Using words mostly.
Definitely go to the web site https://www.textbookamykr.com/ and read the Serendiptiy stories and look at the Blue/Green gallery. Oh, and watch the Beckoning of Lovely video. I am sitting here in tears after viewing it myself.
Definitely go to the web site https://www.textbookamykr.com/ and read the Serendiptiy stories and look at the Blue/Green gallery. Oh, and watch the Beckoning of Lovely video. I am sitting here in tears after viewing it myself.
January 18, 2023
I basically loved almost everything about this book. I was able to get a hold of a physical copy of the book and the audiobook version from the library at the same time. If you can do it this way, I would HIGHLY recommend.
The formatting of the book was really neat and had a number of visuals. Listening to the author narrate the audiobook provided another layer of interest. Knowing the author has since passed away made parts of the book especially poignant.
I went through all sorts of emotions while reading this book. I laughed. I got teary-eyed. I pondered. I love how off-the-wall and random it all was. This is one I would like to own one day.
The texting feature was a unique element. I’ve never seen something like that incorporated in a book!
The formatting of the book was really neat and had a number of visuals. Listening to the author narrate the audiobook provided another layer of interest. Knowing the author has since passed away made parts of the book especially poignant.
I went through all sorts of emotions while reading this book. I laughed. I got teary-eyed. I pondered. I love how off-the-wall and random it all was. This is one I would like to own one day.
The texting feature was a unique element. I’ve never seen something like that incorporated in a book!
January 30, 2018
A beautiful book. Its message of gratitude and being present is made all the more poignant and urgent knowing that the author died shortly after the book's publication. What a lovely person she was. Reading this book is like spending precious time with a wise, forgiving, funny, generous, loving, friend.
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