Customer Reviews

17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I read the reviews before ordering this book and was a bit concerned: reviewers either hated it or loved it. Now I know why. It is a wonderful book if your child has a good connection to reality (that is, they know the difference between fantasy and reality ... they know imaginary friends aren't real) because it is fun. My 5-1/2 year old daughter makes my wife read it to her twice in a row each night. Yes, it does have a page where it mentions showing underwear ... I am sure this horrifies some parents. My kid went by that page and never gave it a thought ... I don't think this book will turn my daughter into a harlot! :-) It is fun. It is interesting. It pushes some boundaries. But I don't worry my daughter will be stapling anyone to a pillow ... I set a good example of appropriate behavior that no book is going to unsettle!

I have come back to add another observation: I believe that censoring everything to which a child is exposed so that only "model" behavior is experienced serves to handicap them. A child must learn to deal with ambiguity, to make right choices, to know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, and this is impossible if the world is always presented in perfection. If one is offended by the book ending it should become a huge opportunity to explore the subtleties involved with a child who is likely at the right age to consider such things relevant.

The girl on the cover is the kind of willful, recidivist imp whose imaginary friends must all be nervous around her. We start with her stapling her brother's hair to the pillow, and it goes downhill from there. She walks backwards to school--stopping traffic--and flashes her panties and, oh dear, just about everything awful. And awfully funny.

Each page repeats, "I had an idea to do X ... I'm not allowed to do X anymore," which gets more brazen and amusing as her calculated terrors add up. The pen-and-ink characters are fully realized, including our mussy-haired protagonist, drawn with a minimalist's attention to each stroke of the pen. They inhabit a digitally remade world of "real" artifacts refitted to the page, even down to their plastic desks or the crossing guard's vest.

This is a brilliantly executed concept, dropping simple figures into a complex environment; even the text was printed out, crumpled and roughed up with an emory board to achieve that faux stressed look that fits the girl's blithely destructive personality.

But will a real kid appreciate all this? Only if she's old enough to pretend not to know better.

I work in an elementary school library, so I'm always looking for new books to introduce the children to. I read this in a bookstore and while I loved the illustrations, no illustrations could compensate for the story.

This is a beautifully designed book. It is intriguing visually, pulling the reader in with an overload of imagery. I could definitely see a child tracing the pages with a finger to figure out where it all starts and ends.

That said, I would never read this to a child. The protagonist is rewarded for being manipulative, destructive, and dishonest. I am horrified that this is being lauded as a best book for kids. This is a book that makes a hero out of a spoiled brat, and instructs a child to lie to enjoy themselves. There are so many good picture books out there; I highly recommend you leave this on the shelf.

The debut children's book of author Jenny Offill, illustrated by award-winning artist Nancy Carpenter, 17 Things I'm Not Allowed To Do Anymore is a humorous picturebook about a mischievous young girl whose bright ideas cause one heap of trouble after another. The rhyming couplets follow how each of her ideas results in a personal ban: "I had an idea to staple my brother's hair to his pillow. / I am not allowed to use the stapler anymore. / I had an idea to order a different dinner from my mother. / I am not allowed to pretend my mother is a waitress anymore." But the precocious young girl gets the last laugh when she figures something out: "I had an idea to say the opposite of what I mean to trick everyone. ('I'm Sorry') / I am allowed to say the opposite of what I mean forevermore." Of especial note is the striking color illustrations that usually incorporate a photographic object, such as a stapler or a glue bottle, into the freehand-style, sketchy main pictures.

What are we teaching our kids? I hated this book. I bought it thinking it would be funny and it was anything but funny. This little girl was mean and deceitful. I am going to get rid of this book after only reading it once. The only thing is I don't want to give to to someone else because I don't want anyone else to read it. It makes me think twice about buying anymore books before I read them.

I had a hard time reading this book to my son in the local bookstore, as I was struggling to master my laughter long enough to get the words out.

I agree with another reviewer that the first few pages really pack a punch, while the rest of the book doesn't sustain the manic intensity. But it's a lovely book, with masterful, innovative illustrations.

A hilarious and cheeky heroine who is creative and original but doesn't have a clue about political correctness. Her love of beavers and walking backwards shows her to be a young lady who will make her unique way in the world as she grows up. Jenny Offill has created a memorable character; I hope we see more of her. Nancy Carpenter's illustrations are wonderful - the mix of media and the use of line and color make me smile every time I open the book.

It's interesting that some reviewers here are so disapproving of the main character's lack of true contrition at the end of the story. Perhaps they prefer the idea of the compliant child who never has an original thought or entertains an outrageous idea. Lighten up a bit, folks; this book is out-and-out, roll-in-the-aisles funny.

The illustrations in this book, an artful combination of digital realistic media and traditional pen and ink are brought together in splashes of color and images that delight the imagination. However, fantastic illustrations alone can not make up for a story line that lacks creativity and warmth.
An almost robotic tone takes the reader through a day in the life of our mischievous protagonist whose actions, such as "showing Joey Whipple my underpants" and setting shoes on fire using the sun and a magnifying glass go a step beyond acceptable childish pranks. The story ends abruptly without closure and without endearing the characters which leaves the reader wondering "what is the point?"

Ingenious and imaginative artwork-a flawless marriage of digital imagery and pen-and-ink is the focus of this hilarious winning title. In it, an incorrigible little girl lists all the bright ideas she's ever had and the various ways they've gotten her into trouble. Some picture books are overdesigned, and generally overdone, but this one is just about picture-perfect

While an argument could be made that this work may not be one of the 10 top best children's books of the year, it never the less would be and should be rank right up there toward the top. Controversy is not new to children's literature nor should it be. In this case though I fear some folks may have gone a bit overboard. First the book and then a short discussion.

This is a series of panels; the first showing a very imaginative and impish little girl performing an act or making a statements which might upset some adults. As an example we have our little twerp gluing her brother's bunny slippers to the floor. We are then told that "I am not allowed to use the glue anymore." We are informed that "I had an idea to do my George Washington report on beavers instead." We are then informed that "I am not allowed to do reports on beavers anymore." "I had an idea to order a different dinner from my mother." "I am not allowed to pretend my mother is a waitress anymore."

There are seventeen of these little scenarios; addressing subjects from misuse of beavers, to walking backward down the hall and to school to throwing cauliflower at her brother to telling her brother that he will be eaten by hyenas. Each item is absolutely hilarious. The illustrations are cute, well executed and appropriate. Adults will find as much humor in this little work as the children who read it.

Now, I have to admit that there was not one instance of our young lass acting out that I did not try myself at that age, including setting a kids sneaker on fire with a magnifying glass. Either I did it or a friend of mine did it. Kids have been doing these things since the beginning of time and they are still doing them. If any parent is so out of touch with their children that they think this work will cause "bad behavior" or teach their children to act out in an inappropriate way, then I must say that parent has lost complete reality as to what goes on in the life of their child, and has lost complete contact with what goes on in the mind of their child.

Kids are not stupid. Even the youngest can recognize irony, even if they cannot actually define the word. Each child, unless they are psychopathic, knows what the little girl is doing is wrong and that there will be consequences to pay. Again, kids are not stupid...they know! One of the reasons the children laugh when this work is read to them is that they instantly recognize what the situation is. In many ways kids are a lot brighter about such things than we big people are.

Now I read a lot of reviews and I am a bit upset over a phenomenon which leaps from the review pages on this book. There seems to be an almost coordinated effort to trash this fine book. There are a handful of reviews giving the book one star and if you read them closely, they all sort of sound a like. They are all written by reviewers who have, for the most part, only one review to their name. If you read the reviews on the many wonderful books in the Junie B. Jones series, you will find the same sort of thing going on. and by the same folks I suspect. It would appear that someone or a group feels rather strongly that all imagination, creativity and individualism should be crushed out of all female children and we should return to the "good old days." Cod-wallop! Now each parent has the ultimate responsibility to monitor and advise as to their child's reading. A concerted effort by a group of people who hold their life views and values as being the "only right ones," is not a good thing. This is called censorship thru written intimidation. It is a form of propaganda. It is bad!

This is a good book. I have read it to well over 200 children of the targeted age group and have yet to find one that did not enjoy it and have yet to find one that felt it was a handbook of sort on how to misbehave. Kids at this age do not need a handbook...they are bright enough to figure out for themselves as to how to get into trouble...trust me, I know!

Again, it is every parent's responsibility to watch out for their child. Caution should be taken though and each parent should make their own mind up. This review is my particular take on this book. Without knowing me personally, I would hate to think that a parent would mindlessly give or read this book to a child on my word alone. As a nonprofessional reviewer it is not my job to do your thinking for you, although I assure you that I have no hidden agenda one way or the other when it comes to this particular work. My views, along with others can be helpful, but ultimately you need to check the work out for yourself. This work is in most public and school libraries and is not that difficult to come by.

And one last thing....I usually do not like taking shots at other reviewers but in this case will indulge myself. For those of you that feel the little girl in this story should be beaten/spanked/trashed or otherwise physically abused for the things she did...shame on you! I would suggest you enroll in a parenting class or anger management class and if you are a teacher who wrote such a thing and actually believe it, then you really need to have a long talk with yourself and question yourself as to whether or not you made the right career choice. If you became known to me, or taught one of my kids or grandchildren, I would do what I could to have your certificated pulled. Bad, bad, bad....horrible in fact. Again...shame on you! Just a tip from someone who knows..beating a child does not work and as a matter of fact only makes the situation worse. Again, shame on you people!

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks