Customer Reviews

19 Girls and Me

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an adorable story and one I enjoyed reading. I picked it up at our local library hoping to find more gender-even reading for my son-- it seems all his books are about boys and all the books about girls are about princesses! As I said, the overall message is good: "girls can be fun, too", essentially. But my hope is for a book that stops giving children ideas for what biases there ARE to overcome and focus more on books that simply portray the world as it should be in the eyes of a child who does not have those prejudices inborn in them. Labeling little girls as "sissy" and little boys as tougher or more "tomboy" as the author does is exactly the kind of thing many modern parents are trying to avoid. I see what Pattison was going for, and I applaud her intent, but I think she missed the mark.

In addition, as negative as I thought this could possibly be for my little boy, I'd hate to have it around if we ever have a daughter-- 19 little girls who follow one little boy around in a line and let him decide what they do every day at recess? No, thank you. I'm still hunting for egalitarian children books, I guess. If that is not your goal, and you are just looking for a sweet book with a good story and cute illustrations, this is a great one.

I love this book for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that my daughter, in first grade, totally digs the story of John Hercules Po and his adventures with his 19 friends in Mrs. Ray's Kindergarten--19 friends who just happen to be GIRLS! The repetition is fun, and the imaginative adventures that the kids think up delight both of us! I've already taken the book to school twice and read it in a few different classes, and the kids eyes are big--and their smiles are bigger--as I regale them with the developing friendship between John Hercules Po and his 19 new friends! The book imparts an excellent message without clobbering the reader over the head with it--nicely done! Salerno's illustrations add to the fun!

John Hercules Po - can his name get any better? John Hercules has a great imagination and takes his all-female classmates on wonderful adventures during recess. But playing with girls can elicit name-calling from brothers. This is a very enjoyable ride of a picture book with a satisfying ending and illustrations that lushly depict the imaginary world while the real world of school remains dull and drab. Great for entering kindergarteners, early grades and a definite read over and over book!

This book was recommended by a colleague and I liked it when I read it but when I read it aloud to a third grade class (I'm a children's librarian) they laughed in all the right places and seemed to enjoy it but when I was done they asked me what a "sissy" and a "tomboy" were! Lucky for us that kids are not putting these sorts of labels on each other anymore -- let's keep it that way. I won't use it for a class visit again.

Good lesson for children with vibrant, moving illustrations. It's nice to show that boys can have girl-friends at a young age.

This book was read to elementary students grades k-6, every one of the students loved this book and requested it be read again the very next week. We discussed the pictures (first gray and then color when playing and at the end), the connections with siblings and finally friendships. I highly recommend this book.

19 Girls and Me is a story of a kindergartener named John Hercules Po who finds himself in a class of nineteen girls. He is the only boy. His brother worries that he will become "sissified" from playing with all of those girls. In the end, everybody realizes that playing together can be a lot of fun.

19 Girls and Me is a delightful story that shows kids that it is okay for girls and boys to play together. Girls won't become tomboys just because they are playing with boys, and boys won't become sissies just because they are playing with girls. Everyone can get along and have a good time.

My five-year-old daughter likes this story. She also enjoys looking at all of the details in Steven Salerno's playful illustrations.

19 Girls and Me is a story for both girls and boys. Kids will enjoy reading about the wonderful adventures John Hercules Po and his new friends have at recess each day. In addition to a great story, there are glimpses into places around the world that may teach kids a thing or two. This is a book that kids will enjoy again and again.