Children's Book Reviews

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I'll Be You and You Be Me by Ruth Krauss, Pictures by Maurice Sendak
HarperCollins, June, 2001
Picture Book, 48 pages
ISBN: 0060284595
Ages 4-8
Ordering information:
Amazon.com

I'll Be You and You Be Me
by Ruth Krauss, Pictures by Maurice Sendak

I'll Be You and You Be Me is another one of those charming books that an adult can share with a child on a special level. The book is largely a collection of poems, little stories, collections of thoughts, plays and tales illustrated by the intuitive Mr. Sendak with small detailed drawings that can be enjoyed over and over. This is a gentle book for the very young. It is filled with simple little situations and friendly conversation with a general theme of kindness and love.

The play entitled "The Doll In Pink" sounds as if a child had written it. In a way, it is a model for a child learning to pretend and how to invent a story with a beginning, a middle and an end. In this little play a little girl has a great big doll, and it is snowing. The little girl has a problem: the doll is all dressed up, but has no coat. Then a big girl comes along and the little girl tells her that her doll is beautifully dressed, but has no coat. The little girl does not have enough room under her own coat for the big doll. She asks the big girl for help, and the big girl puts the big doll under her own coat and the little girl says "You're my friend." All of the stories and poems are simple and direct. Many opportunities for exploring feelings and discussing small things important only to the very young are expressed and illustrated with great understanding. It is a very good book to read with a very special young child.

--Sarah Reaves White

Junie B., First Grader (At Last!) by Barbara Park
Random House, Nov., 2001
Hardcover, 6 pages
ISBN: 0375802932
Ages 4-8
Ordering information:
Amazon.com

Junie B., First Grader (At Last!) is number eighteen in a series of stories based on the misadventures and misgivings of a lively little heroine who makes all the mistakes that most children make. The story is told in first person by the child herself, so the reader can share in all of Junie's worries and opinions. Young readers will find this book easy to read and absolutely hilarious, as its bedeviled subject stumbles through the beginning days of school with a new class and a new teacher. The reader discovers along with Junie that last year's friends may not be this year's friends and that sometimes the person you do not particularly care for can become a really good friend.

Junie suffers through changing social relationships as she finds herself crowded out of an old friendship from last year, but the really big problem in school comes as a complete surprise to Junie B. Her teacher, Mr. Scary, discovers that Junie's reading problem may be caused by poor eyesight. Only a child can understand the enormous sentence having to wear glasses is. Will people make comments? Even worse, will they laugh? Children will laugh with and at Junie as she goes through the agony of wearing her glasses in class. Junie B., First Grader will be popular with elementary students because it is funny. It is definitely the kind of book that will be recommended by one student to another, and this is the very best recommendation any book can have.

--Sarah Reaves White

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Children's Book Reviews

I'll Be You and You Be Me by Ruth Krauss, Pictures by Maurice Sendak

Junie B., First Grader (At Last!) by Barbara Park