Cons: Message could be misinterpreted or misused; pricey; illustrations a bit off.
The Bottom Line: This book, aimed at Kindergartners, means well, and almost hits the target, but needs parental input. It is short, colorful, and a bit pricey. Recommended -- guardedly.
dolphinboy's Full Review: John Paul Padilla - Johnny Big Ears, The Feel-Good...
This is a colorful, highly-illustrated book, aimed at readers from ages four through eight. It tells the story of Johnny as he goes to his first day of Kindergarten. Before going to school, Johnny gets a haircut, and that accentuates his unusually large ears. He has concerns that he will be teased and not make friends, but he is loved by his family and is eager to venture out into the big world of school.
Well, Johnny gets both what he feared, and what he wanted. Some of his classmates tease him about his ears, and he gets upset. He also makes a new friend, Charlie Freckles. Johnny keeps reminding himself of how much he is loved by his family, and he talks or thinks to himself in other ways, to end up enjoying his first day of school, and remain optimistic.
Message - This book is relentlessly optimistic, although there are touches of realism (e.g., the bullying, Johnny’s initial response). It is a bit too simplistic for me: If you are loved, you can handle anything. There is tremendous power in that idea, especially if those who love a child also make it clear what they do and do not approve of. The loving should be unconditional, but the liking and the approving are always based on our actions; that distinction goes unmentioned here. I would also like to meet a child with a sense of self-acceptance as strong as Johnny’s, as they are rare. Nonetheless, the concept is valid. Self-talk is a powerful tool in shaping self-image, and a strong, positive, realistic self-image gives tremendous inner strength and leads to improved coping ability.
Nicknames - Johnny Big Ears? Charlie Freckles? Miss Wrinkles the teacher? For an adult, it’s kind of cute. Kids will think it funny. But, doesn’t that go in the wrong direction for this book’s main message? I can see some kids reading this, or having it read to them, and seeing it as mean. Others will laugh -- and pick up the habit, which many will not appreciate.
However, shifting gears and arguing against my own concern, there is the wondrous and powerful advice, in George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones, given by Tyrion Lannister (the eldest son of a powerful noble) to Jon Snow (the eldest, but illegitimate, son of another noble), on how to handle being snubbed and teased and taunted by other nobles, over his illegitimacy. Tyrion tells Jon that, as long as he lets the taunts get to him, he is giving his opponents a weapon to use against him; if he accepts the truth and does not let the taunts bother him, he wins the battle. The bottom line, though, is that many schools have a zero-tolerance policy about teasing, and this book might bang up against that policy.
Writing - The suggested age level is four to eight, but I am thinking that four to six might fit better, unless an older child is struggling with reading. However, the concepts might seem immature to an eight-year-old, although the valid aspects of the message remain valid. The vocabulary, length of the book, and of the sentences, and the numerous illustrations fit a young reader well. The writing is technically fine, with few, if any problems.
Best used for - Given my concerns over the potential over-use of teasing nicknames, I cannot suggest the book as a read-alone book, even if your five-year-old has the reading ability. Instead, I see it as a read-to or read-along book, where the parent has plenty of opportunity to inject their own values, beliefs, and standards, especially if the parent is aware of their child’s school’s policies on nicknaming and teasing. Just before starting Kindergarten, or pre-school, would be ideal timing.
Illustrations - The illustrations, that comprise close to fifty percent of the book, are bright, colorful, and each one fit’s the accompanying pages. However, the proportions of the people are a bit off, almost to a point of becoming caricatures. The heads are too large and, in the one picture of Johnny Big Ears and Charlie Freckles playing together, their legs and feet are so small that they look a bit like ventriloquist dummies.
Value - At $17 for a book, identified as thirty-two pages but actually twenty-five pages, this one is a bit hard to swallow.
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