All by Myself! [Hardcover]

Aliki (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Run to the bathroom, fast as an elf. Sit, wash, brush, all by myself.

There are all sorts of things independent children can do--dress, undress, button, zip, scrub, rub, paint, and write--all by themselves. This is Aliki's exuberant celebration of the joys of mastering these skills--morning, noon, and night.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A perky preschooler (or kindergartner) flies solo through his daily routine in this upbeat offering, which begins with a wake-up visit from the boy's pet cat. As the child washes up, gets dressed, eats breakfast, plays at school, goes to the library, etc., he is pictured on his own. Only in frames depicting his drop-off at and pickup from school and at bedtime do his parents appear. The parents' limited role reinforces the book's celebration of children's independence, even if it sometimes presents a skewed perspective of age-appropriate autonomy. The text is simple and the picture clues are ample, but the verse's rhythm and rhyme scheme are intermittently forced (e.g., "Right shoe, left shoe. Tie, comb, done! Breakfast's ready, pour, crunch, yum!"). Aliki's (William Shakespeare & the Globe) brightly hued, unadorned art convincingly conveys the protagonist's high energy and enthusiasm. A cheerful if minor addition to the author/artist's oeuvre. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-Just as the title implies, this jubilant story shows and tells about a child doing all sorts of things independently. "Right shoe,/left shoe./Tie,/comb,/done!/Breakfast's ready,/pour,/crunch,/yum!" The boy goes through a typical day, getting dressed, going to school, visiting the library, practicing his violin, helping with dinner, and getting ready for bed. Aliki's colorful illustrations closely match the moods and energy levels of a five- or six-year-old. The youngster's dog and cat have almost as much personality as he has. The text has a hand-printed appearance, large and easy to read. The back cover features a chart labeled, "What can you do all by yourself?" with verbs such as wash, brush, button, zip, tie, pour, build, and write. A good choice for storyhours and beginning readers.
Sharon R. Pearce, Geronimo Public School, OK
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (August 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060289295
• ISBN-13: 978-0060289294
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 11.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,827,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Aliki is the author and illustrator of more than fifty books for children that are treasured by readers all over the world. Her many well-loved titles include My Visit to the Zoo, My Visit to the Aquarium, My Visit to the Dinosaurs, Wild and Woolly Mammoths, Tabby, and Those Summers. Aliki lives near the Globe theater, in London, England.

In Her Own Words..."Aliki grew up in Philadelphia in a big Greek family where everyone was busy creating and sharing their activities. She knew from the time she was in kindergarten that she wanted to bean artist, although music was also a natural talent. She was encouraged throughout her early life by her parents and by teachers she will never forget."She graduated from the Philadelphia Collegeof Art and started a career in advertising art. After she married Franz Brandenberg, Aliki continued her career in his country, Switzerland, where they lived for three years. It was there that she wrote and illustrated her first book, The Story of William Tell, which was published in England. When they moved to New York, Aliki wrote and illustrated My Five Senses--the book that changed the direction of her career and her life.

Although she had never thought of being a writer, Aliki has been making books ever since. Children's books, she says, are a combination of two things I love: words and pictures. I also love the privacy of books--both reading them and making them. Aliki writes fiction, in which she can express her feelings, and nonfiction research books about subjects she's interested in and wants to know more about. Each book is a new challenge; each is different, she says. The subject directs the way I illustrate a book, the same way friends bring out different parts of us. The challenge is to get the words right and then to make pictures that expand and enhance their meaning.""Besides her own books, Aliki has illustrated many written by Franz Brandenberg and other authors. Her two children are also in the arts. Jason is a filmmaker and Alexa is a children's book author-illustrator. They appear in almost all of her books as cats, mice, or themselves.

Aliki loves music, theater, cinema, museums, children, her cat, Nefertiti, and working in her garden in London, where she lives. She travels frequently to the U.S., Greece, Switzerland, and other parts of the world, though most of the time she is alone in her studio with the books she is working on--and Mozart."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for Toddler Wanting to Do Things for Themselves!, March 25, 2005

By 

Kathy Mae - See all my reviews

This review is from: All by Myself! (Paperback)

My recently-turned-4-year-old absolutely loves this book. We checked it out of the library a few weeks ago. On the due date, he refused to return it, so I renewed it. Now it looks like we will be buying this wonderful book. It teaches toddlers about doing simple everyday things for themselves--getting dressed/undressed, going potty, eating breakfast, helping with chores, going to school and having tub time and preparing for bed. We've read it some many times that he is starting to memorize it and read it back to us. I highly recommend this one!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A favorite for twos and threes, August 23, 2004

By 

Schooly E (Jamaica Plain, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All by Myself! (Paperback)

My three-year old son and I have read this book together since before he was one. The illustrations are charming and the text supports any young child's budding independence. Since receiving this gift, we have checked many more Aliki books out of the library (the latest, Ah Music!, is fantastic). I appreciate the inclusivity of Aliki's drawings. Her books always depict people of many ethnicities and abilities without seeming contrived or forced.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable for parents and children, November 9, 2006

By 

Eric Deitchman (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: All by Myself! (Hardcover)

This is an enjoyable book for both the parents and children, illustrated in a lively way.