Customer Reviews

A Chair for My Mother 25th Anniversary Edition (Reading Rainbow Books)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am almost 20 years old and I won this book when I was in pre-kindergarten---I love it as much as I did then. The pictures are (obviously) marvelous and the story is very touching. It's one of those books that an adult can read and enjoy as much as the child. You find something new in it each time you look at the pictures. The story is especially current as it discusses hard financial times, single parenting, and families struggling to make it. All in all, its great!

This book is about a family that lost all of their furniture in a house fire. The family members decide to save coins to buy a new chair for their home. The mother is a waitress and tries to save all of the money she can to help out the family. The mother and daughter take all of the money they save it in a jar. When the jar is full they go out and buy a beautiful chair for the family to enjoy. This book is appropriate for ages 6 to 10. The illustrations are very meticulous with a painted appearance and show exactly what is going on in the text. Each page has an inventive and vibrant border on it that pertains to what is happening on that particular page. This is a Caldecott Honor Book that teaches a valuable lesson on how hard times can always be worked through and that working hard and giving 110% will always make a difference.

This is a small children's book about a little girl and her waitress mother who are saving change in a jar to buy a new chair for their apartment. The book was a 1983 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a book for children. It shows the joy of attaining one's goals after continued effort.

A working-class family consisting of a daughter, mother, and grandmother have lost their house in a fire. Although the community banded together to help them assemble the essentials, they have been saving their change in a jar for a year to furnish their bare living room in their apartment. They dream of the perfect chair and, when the jar is finally full, like Goldilocks (as Grandma said), they go searching for and find a chair that's just right.

This book focuses on three generations of women who are self-reliant. The illustrations are bright and colorful and each spread is embellished with a floral or geometric border. I especially love the illustration of the community showing people of many hues coming out of their houses and lining up to deliver household items to the family in need.

This is one of those books that contain an extremely simple story. There are no apparent conflicts, the story flows along is a simply mellow sort of way and you finish it and say "how sweet," and then sort of go along with your business.
Strangely though, this is one of those stories that once read, absolutely sticks with you for some reason and is much more profound that many a more complex tale I have read.

Simply put, which I feel is appropriate here; this is the story of a little girl and her family. Her mother is a hard working woman who is supporting the family. In the not so distant past, their apartment had burned down and the family lost everything. The entire neighborhood and the little girl's extended family pitched in and helped. Most things were eventually replaced...most thing with the exception of a nice comfortable chair that the mother could set in at night and rest her weary body. Over time the little girl and indeed, the entire family saved and saved their pennies until they were able to buy momma a new chair, or at least a very nice used one.

That's it! That is the story!

When we take this simple tale of love between family members, the neighbors and the relatives, and mix it with the wonderful whimsical art work, we have something very special in this book. Hard times are hard times but the message of everyone pulling together is strong here and is certainly applicable in the hard times many are facing today.

Now I like this story and every kid I have read it to likes it. It is simply pretty special.

Please allow me a small rant here. I note that at least one reviewer; maybe two took exception to this story. They did not like the fact that the woman did not have a husband. They apparently did not like the fact that there were strong women figures in this story. (Apparently the strength of the mother and little girl are all part of some sort of evil anti-Christian feminist agenda). If you read these reviews you find a lot of pure misunderstanding and/or a very twisted philosophy and/or religious view. It is not a `sin' to not have a husband. This story told nothing of divorce. Even it had, that should make no difference what so ever. I know that there are several obscure passages in the bible that tell of how horrid divorce is, but folks...to be honest with you, the vast majority of people I know have been through this process whether they be Christian or otherwise. It is life and we need to deal with it. I also noted in these reviews just a hint of racism here and there. Shame on you! That is pretty disgusting and certainly inappropriate. If your religious views include some sort of racist doctrine, then I strongly suggest you check out some other denomination. It ain't what the bible teaches...trust me.

Thank you for allowing me that little side paragraph.

All in all, this is a great book. Your child will be better for having read it and I dare say you will be too.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

I borrowed this book from the library to read aloud to my 2 year old. He loves it and I'm adding it to my wish list.

The story is about a family of mother, grandmother and daughter (maybe 7 or 8 years old). The mother works as a waitress to support her family. The little girl realizes and appreciates how hard her mother works - she often helps out at the diner herself after school. She's learned from her mother the value of saving - when her mother's boss gives her some money for filling the salt shakers, she puts half in the big jar at home.

The little girl speaks of a fire that detroyed their home and all their possessions. Through the help of extended family and friends they are able to start over. However their new apartment lacks a place for her mother to "take a load off [her] feet" The family saves coins in a big jar for a year to be able to buy a new easy chair - from the mother's tips, from the grandmother's market savings, from the little girl's "earnings".

The pictures are beautiful - colorful, almost luscious. Our favorites are of the mother collapsed in a chair while the little girl counts her tips and a picture of the little girl's fantasy chair - huge, covered in velvet with roses on it.

The words are simple enough that beginning readers will be able to master it, especially after having listened to it being read aloud over and over again. My son has asked for it at least a dozen times in the last week!

This is a classic story by now. I tear up every time I read it when we get to the part about the whole neighborhood helping them move into their new house after the old one burns down. It's a wonderful example of community, and very realistic.

I will note that this book is a bit wordy, and may not hold the attention of children under the age of 5 or so. If your kiddo has a short attention span, wait a year before reading this one.

Vera B. Williams's best known book. In this story a young girl, her single mom, and her grandmother all occupy the same apartment after their home is destroyed by a fire. To fill their empty space the women scrimp and save for a big comfy armchair.

This is a story of perseverance, but it isn't preachy in any way. The family looks to be South American, but this isn't drummed into the readers' heads. All it's trying to do is tell a story about getting what you want when you've faced a disaster of some kind. Though I've never really been a fan of Williams's art, this book is very well done. Ms. Williams works with a rough watercolor style that leaves little room for fine details. Just the same, when the mother in this book sees her house on fire after buying new pumps, the next picture displays the woman, new shoes in hand, sprinting towards the house. It's the little touches that make any book interesting, and this book falls into that category. Finally, it's a bright cheerful story that is smart enough to acknowledge sadness and hardship. An excellent book for kids.

I have used this book over and over again as a teaching tool in classrooms ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. It serves as a great lesson in empathy, tolerance, goal-setting, and gratitude. Too often, so many kids today seem to walk through life with a feeling of grand entitlement. It's our doing, of course. We give them everything and are then upset when they want everything. "A Chair for My Mother" is a story of giving. It is the story of a child who loses everything in a fire, but is most concerned that her mother no longer has a comfortable chair to sink into after a hard day. She saves all she can so they can buy a big, lush, comfy chair. It's also serves as a great lesson in characterization, foreshadowing, and making inferences. And, I have used the book as an introduction for all of those concepts in seventh and eighth grade this year. It seems like I'll use any excuse to share the book with others. Simply put, it's a worthwhile book for kids of any age.

Chris Bowen
Our Kids: Building Relationships in the Classroom

Mama brings home the biggest jar that she can find. They all save their change until the jar is filled. They had a fire and are starting out new again. They really want a big comfy chair. My mom loved to read this to my brother and I when we were young. I love reading it to my son and he loves the book too. This book goes in our book box with just our favorite books.