2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Let's just encourage the things I spend all day telling my son NOT to do!, June 13, 2006
This review is from: Big Brother, Little Brother (Hardcover)
Allow me to preface this review with the statement that I am not some extremist or member of PETA. I also am not overly strict with my son (who is 2 1/2)- he is allowed to watch Spongebob, dinosaur movies and Disney movies as well as Nick and Nick Jr. That being said...
I got this book today in the mail through a program with our library where each child in our county gets a book free every month up to the age of 5. (thanks Dolly Parton!) Usually the books we get are great, however I too have a lot of problems with this one.
First of all, giving the frog a bath on the cover- we are trying to discourage killing critters in our yard by squashing them or tossing them into the kiddie pool. Washing a frog in soap would probably kill it, if not it would certainly be torturous.
Second of all, there is a photo where one brother is pulling the other's pants off and his underwear is completely exposed on his rear end. I would be mortified if my son got the idea from this book and started doing it to kids in the nursery at church or on the playground.
THEN there is the page where one tells the other to tug the dog's tail so that the dog will pull both of them on their skateboard. We have a new puppy, who will soon outweigh my son. I must tell my son once every 10 minutes to stop maiming the dog in one way or another, he needs no positive reinforcement to antagonize the dog. That alone is a great way to get bitten- especially if some kid tried it with a dog they were not famililar with!
Also there is a page where the boys are eating what looks like donut holes. One kid has 1 the other has a handful. The one with the handful taunts the other kid because he has more. I realize this is a situation that will arise in real life, but it would be nice not to TEACH our kids from the start to be selfish and braggarts.
And I almost forgot the page toward the front where one brother tells the other that worms taste like chicken and to eat it. Again, I am teaching my son not to squash worms just because they are on the sidewalk, but my real problem with the book is that I don't want my kid eating worms! I can barely get him to eat chicken, I certainly don't want him associating it with worms. (I will teach him how to fish with worms though!)
On the positive side... the book does feature a number of multi-cultural boys, and has 2 nice little pages about adopted brothers. That I found to be sweet. The graphics in the text were neat and the photos where the boys are being kind to each other (and animals) are good.
So, I do realize that boys will be boys, but there is not need to teach them those things, I am sure they will learn it in their own time. As parents it is our job to teach them to be kind to each other and animals. Testosterone and peers will teach them the rest!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
My son absolutely loves this book, April 8, 2010
This review is from: Big Brother, Little Brother (Hardcover)
My son absolutely loves this book.
We received it from a book of the month club (UW, Dolly Parton)
He has to read it every night before bedtime. He is an only child at the moment. I think it covers all the basics with colorful pictures:
Joking, Helping, Teamwork, Giving, Caring, Teasing, Playing
Plus I think its a great way to break in a new child to the idea of siblings.
Only thing I dont like is the pic of a kid teasing bro - but we all know it happens. Its part of being brothers :) .. So its done in a funny way, now we call it that boys "Silly face" and my 2 yr old does it then giggles.
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