I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way [Hardcover]

Thad Krasnesky (Author), David Parkins (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

From carefully aimed pouts and shifting blame to the threat of an all-out tantrum, this laugh-out-loud story for kids and adults focuses on the clever antics, advantage-taking, limit-testing, and childhood shenanigans of three-year-old Emmy. When Emmy spills juice and her dad’s pants get “orange-hosed,” she takes refuge behind Mom’s knee. Expecting a reprimand, Emmy is surprised when Mom tells Dad, “Now, sweetheart, you should let it be. After all . . . she’s only three.” Once Emmy discovers that she’s too young to be punished, she constantly wrangles her way out of trouble by proclaiming, “I’m only three!” and pulls a handy weapon from her arsenal of manipulative maneuvers. With hilarious, rhyming text and energetic ink and watercolor illustrations that capture Emmy’s expressions, from angelic to livid, readers discover that Emmy can’t get away with her outrageous behavior forever and that her actions do eventually have consequences.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS—Three-year-old Emmy wreaks havoc on her entire household. From spilling orange juice on Daddy at breakfast, to adorning her brother's pet iguana in a bathing suit and letting the bathtub overflow, she's got curiosity and mayhem covered. Krasnesky tells the story with flowing rhyme that accommodates the humor of the plot and heightens Parkins's comical cartoon illustrations. "I tiptoed into Tommy's room/and found a way to use the broom/to get the lizard off the shelf,/entirely all by myself." As the star of this story gets into different sticky situations, she continually responds with the adage that "I'm only three," so not much should be expected of her. While her mother seems to respond to the little devil's helpless plea, it isn't long before things snowball and Emmy finds herself in a serious time-out.—Adrienne Wilson, Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, Monroe, CT
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Review

"Parkins'. . . cartoon-style ink and wash vignettes . . . focus on Emmy's yowls of indignation and insouciant smiles. . . . Newcomer Krasnesky writes tightly disciplined verse that never flags. . . . This is a fast-moving crowd-pleaser made for reading aloud."  —Publishers Weekly

"Krasnesky tells the story with flowing rhyme that accommodates the humor of the plot and heightens Parkins's comical cartoon illustrations."  —School Library Journal

"Emmy masterminds a (practically) foolproof plan to avoid trouble . . . Her animated expressions perfectly capture her scheming antics . . . She pouts her way into her family's hearts . . . The verse . . . does . . . partake of Silverstein['s] subversiveness."  —Kirkus Reviews

"Emmy gets away with everything—she's only 3, after all—until her parents reach the limit of their patience, and Emmy must face a new concept: consequence."  —Parent & Child Magazine

"Clever rhymed couplets . . . comic opera . . . lively vignettes . . . You do not have to love cats to enjoy this romp."  —Children's Literature

"Bouncy rhymed text and humorous . . . illustrations follow little Emmy's path of destruction. Mom comes to her rescue, but the mishaps pile up . . . older siblings will be satisfied by the tale's ending."  —Horn Book 2010

"Will resonate with parents everywhere . . . fun to read and fun to listen to . . . a perfect bedtime story . . . capturing the essence of a mischievous three-year-old."  —The Sacramento Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Flashlight Press (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097997464X
• ISBN-13: 978-0979974649
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #576,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My name is Thad Krasnesky. Thank you for visiting my page.

I am currently working as an Army officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point. I have just recently returned from my third trip to Iraq. During my deployments I work as an intelligence officer but I still take time to write and work with children. I have done toy drives on both of my last two deployments to help the children in Iraq.

I am married and have two daughters, Rachael and Isabelle. I have always enjoyed telling them stories. A few years ago I began to write them down. I have over fifty children's stories written down now. They are all written in verse. The first one is "I Always, Always Get My Way". The next one is called "That Cat Can't Stay". I hope that you enjoy them.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suzie Housley, Midwest Book Reviewer, October 2, 2009

By 

Suzie Housley (Oak Ridge, Tn United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way (Hardcover)

Emmy is only three, but what a mess she can be. She spilled juice on Dad's pants but her mom came to her defense. Then when her brother made her trip and fall it was he who was blamed for it all. When she took her sisters glue to build like no one could, it was overlooked.

One afternoon she was feeling up to playing a Pirate Queen. She gathered up everyone's lost loot and buried them by a tree. When her Dad caught her in the act she was unable to get out of all the condemning facts. As punishment he made her clean, didn't he know that she was just three?

One Saturday morning she was a wake before any other; she made her own breakfast and left the kitchen in such a mess. When mother woke and seen what she had done she made her clean, she figured she was too sleepy to realize that she was three.

Emmy wanted to play with her brother's pet lizard. She dressed him up in her dolls clothes, then decided to sail him in a boat, using her sister's shoes she knew they would make a good vessel. When she turned her back, the lizard decided to flew, she wondered where he could be. With a scream from her mother she knew that he had been discovered. Rushing to her side, she seen everyone's accusing eyes. It didn't matter that she was three. For all eyes were focused on she; as punishment for all she did she was banished in her room, she feared she wouldn't be out any time soon.

Thad Krasnesky is a master storyteller. Through the expert illustrations of David Parkins, I Always Always Get My Way is a sheer delight to read and experience. With its rhyming storyline, a cast of loveable characters, this book will quickly become one of your child's all time favorites. Very highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read aloud., May 14, 2010

By 

Y. Fee (Kansas City, Missouri) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way (Hardcover)

Delightfully funny for adults and children. Checked it out from the library and liked it so much we will be getting a copy for ourselves. Great book for little ones.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read Aloud, March 24, 2010

By 

L. Clements (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way (Hardcover)

This is a delightful book - my grandchildren loved it! It's a fun read aloud.