Big David, Little David (Dell Picture Yearling) [Paperback]

S.E. Hinton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 1997 | Age Level: 4 and up | Series: Dell Picture Yearling

As he gets into bed on his first day of school, Nick tells his father, "There's a boy in my class named David. He has black hair, like you. He wears glasses too. He's not you, is he?"

Nick's father replies, "Oh, yes, that's me," and so begins a playful battle as Nick attempts to trick his mother and father into revealing the mystery of Big and Little David.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Author of YA classics The Outsiders and That Was Then, This Is Now, Hinton shifts easily into picture-book gear in this genuinely funny look at the unorthodox dilemma facing a likable youngster named Nick. On his first day of kindergarten, the child meets a classmate who, like Nick's dad, has black hair, wears glasses and is named David. "He's not you, is he?" asks a perplexed Nick at bedtime. His jokester father's response ("Oh, yes, that's me")-and his jovial mother's collusion-set Nick off on a string of imaginative musings until Parent's Night at school, when Big David and Little David appear together in the same place. Hinton gives her tale an innovative twist as clever Nick manages to get the last laugh ... and quite a big one at that. Filled with diverting details, Daniel's (Good Families Don't) festively colored, effectively hyperbolic art is high in kid appeal. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?A very funny book. Sadly, the children for whom it is intended may be so close to the humor that they don't get it. On Nick's first day of kindergarten, he notices David, a boy in his class who looks a lot like his father. Big David, Nick's dad, is a joker who teases his son into believing that he makes himself small during the day so he can go to school with Nick. Mom supports the joke until it backfires at Parents' Night when Nick finally sees Big David and Little David together. Not to be outdone by his father, Nick joins the joke by rushing toward Little David's parents shouting "Grandma! ...Grandpa!" (after all, that is who they would be if Little David were really Nick's father). He concludes that "...dad wasn't the only one with tricks on his sleeve." Exuberant mixed-medium illustrations, rich in watercolor and delightful details, will captivate children. The warm fuzzy family story definitely has charm and abounds with clever humor that's sure to tickle adults and may delight gifted children, but it's likely to baffle most kids.?Jody McCoy, Casady School, Oklahoma City
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (February 10, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440413354
• ISBN-13: 978-0440413356
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,659,707 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Susan Eloise Hinton's career as an author began while she was still a student at Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Disturbed by the divisions among her schoolmates into two groups--the Greasers and the Socs--Hinton wrote The Outsiders, an honest, sometimes shocking novel told from the point of view of an orphaned 14-year-old Greaser named Ponyboy Curtis. Since her narrator was male, it was decided that Hinton use only her first initials so as not to put off boys who would not normally read books written by women. The Outsiders was published during Hinton's freshman year at the University of Tulsa, and was an immediate sensation.Today, with more than eight million copies in print, the book is the best-selling young adult novel of all time, and one of the most hauntingly powerful views into the thoughts and feelings of teenagers. The book was also made into a film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featuring such future stars as Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, and Tom Cruise.Once published, The Outsiders gave her a lot of publicity and fame, and also a lot of pressure. S.E. Hinton was becoming known as "The Voice of the Youth" among other titles. This kind of pressure and publicity resulted in a three year long writer's block.Her boyfriend (and now, her husband), who had gotten sick of her being depressed all the time, eventually broke this block. He made her write two pages a day if she wanted to go anywhere. This eventually led to That Was Then, This Is Now.In the years since, Ms. Hinton has married and now has a teenaged son, Nick. She continues to write, with such smash successes as That Was Then, This Is Now, Rumble Fish and Tex, almost as well known as The Outsiders. She still lives in Tulsa with her husband and son, where she enjoys writing, riding horses, and taking courses at the university.In a wonderful tribute to Hinton's distinguished 30-year writing career, the American Library Association and School Library Journal bestowed upon her their first annual Margaret A. Edwards Award, which honors authors whose "book or books, over a period of time, have been accepted by young people as an authentic voice that continues to illuminate their experiences and emotions, giving insight into their lives."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big David litle David, March 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Big David, Little David (Hardcover)

I got this book because i love S.E. hinton, and once again, I was not dissapointed, i loved it, buy it and read it to your children