Review by Booklist Review
Little ones will easily relate to the sister and brother in this charmingly illustrated book, which pictures life as a series of little victories and little disappointments. The children get dressed: ( Sometimes you get to wear what you want. Sometimes you don't. ); go to school ( Sometimes your friends want to do what you are doing. Sometimes they want to do something else. ); and continue through the day. All too soon it's bedtime. Sometimes you have to go right to sleep. . . reads the text accompanying a picture showing the girl looking in on her sleeping brother. But sometimes you don't, it continues, as the children read together in bed by flashlight. With the simplicity of Kevin Henkes' Kitten's First Full Moon (2004) and crisp white backgrounds á la Elisha Cooper, the cartoonlike art reflects the story nicely, using sharply outlined figures, minimal props, and bright colors for the kids and for the cat that follows them nearly everywhere.--Williams, Bina Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Gary's concise text conveys an important life lesson about the need to balance fun, responsibility, and respect for others. As two siblings wake up, dress, and spend a day at school, they learn that sometimes they get what they want, but sometimes they don't. The examples are carefully tailored to speak to young readers: "Sometimes your friends want to do what you're doing. Sometimes they want to do something else," "Sometimes it's your turn. Sometimes you have to wait," or "Sometimes you get to make a mess. Sometimes you have to clean up." Appealing illustrations depict each scenario and keep the tone light. Background scenery, props, and adult characters are portrayed in black lines and white and gray shades, while the children are fully fleshed out with a variety of skin tones and bright-hued clothing. Whether the youngsters are glowing with happiness or scowling in frustration, their emotions are clearly portrayed. This story uses a simple approach to tackle big issues such as relationships with peers, acceptable social behaviors, and dealing with disappointment. A good choice for storytime, classroom use, and parent-child sharing.-Anne Parker, Milton Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool) Mick Jagger may not have been singing about having to wear a raincoat over your ballet costume or wait your turn for the slide, but Gary, using a bit more positive phrasing, successfully applies Jagger's can't-always-get sentiments to these and other familiar childhood indignities. Brown's friendly ink-and-watercolor illustrations follow preschooler twins, a brother and sister, through a day filled with give and take: "Sometimes you can stay outside. Sometimes you need to go in." The simple text provides a succinct one-sentence analysis of each scene, interpreting whether it's an example of a child getting what he or she wants or the opposite. Brown and Gary acknowledge that some unfulfilled desires hurt more than others, as when a school friend chooses to sit by someone else. They also show the get-what-you-need side of the equation. Sure, "sometimes you have to be quiet," because if you weren't, you couldn't hear your teacher read the story at storytime. And sometimes even kids catch a break. Instead of having to "go right to sleep," per usual, the happy twins get to sit up in bed at the end of the day and read a picture book together by flashlight. Sometimes you can get satisfaction. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
