How to Be a Friend (Dino Life Guides for Families) [Hardcover]

Laurie Krasny Brown (Author), Marc Brown (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up | Series: Dino Life Guides for Families

The newest "Dino Life Guide for Families", this book talks about friendship. A reassuring text combined with humorous, full-color illustrations show everyday situations that children can relate to and understand. Best of all, this book presents the many ways to be a friend as well as the ways not to.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though several of their earlier Dino Life Guides for Families have dealt with issues that are ostensibly weightier (death, divorce), the Browns are clearly tuned in to children's universal belief that having friends and feeling included are matters of paramount importance. Here they offer common-sense advice to help preschoolers and early elementary students form social habits that will serve them well in subsequent years, when relationships with peers can be so much more complicated and potentially unsettling. Concrete examples, addressed directly to the reader and cheerfully illustrated with voice-bubble cartoons starring likable dinos, make both positive and negative concepts easy to grasp. The Browns balance "Ways to be a friend" (share, stand up for your pal when people make fun of him, go along with another's idea about what to play, compliment a playmate "even when she wins and you lose") with "Ways not to be a friend" (blame others for mishaps, quit when you're losing, insist that a friend play with you only). Spotlighting some unavoidable trouble spots, they impart valuable tactics for coping with rejection, shyness, arguments, etc. Text and art work well together to underscore the book's bottom line, that being a friend "means treating others the way you would like them to treat you!" Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Similar in style to the Browns' Dinosaurs Divorce (Atlantic Monthly, 1986), this picture book offers kids practical suggestions about resolving arguments, getting over being shy, handling bossy children and bullies, and more. The easy-to-read text contains many examples of how to be a friend, each paired with a picture of two or more dinosaurs in that particular situation. For example, "You can protect a friend if someone starts bothering him" is illustrated with a dinosaur saying, "Stop it! Leave him alone!" to a bully. Marc Brown's colorful, whimsical cartoons are integral to the appeal of the book. The front endpapers feature suggestions from a third-grade class on "Ways to Be a Friend" ("Be helpful," "Take turns," etc.) along with drawings of happy dinosaur faces, while at the back, "Ways Not to Be a Friend" ("Make mean faces," "Call them a name they don't like," etc.) are illustrated with grumpy faces. While there are many wonderful stories that deal with friendship, few give direct advice to children about what to do and what not to do. Sure to be a hit without hitting readers over the head with message.
Esther C. Ball, Carver Elementary School, Newport News, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316109134
• ISBN-13: 978-0316109130
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.4 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #331,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide for all kids., May 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Be a Friend (Dino Life Guides for Families) (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent tool for parents and teachers to use with kids in the often times daunting world of social relatedness. Even kids who are very social would enjoy the way these gentle reminders are presented. Highly recommended for the special needs arena of Aspberger's and High Functioning Autism. Our autistic son loved and responded well to the almost "social story" approach. This truly spelled out a lot of social do's and don't's for him. His typical sister loved it as well. As a parent I highly recommend this book be in every kindergarden and first grade and second grade classroom. I bought several copies.

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great ideas/pictures but a bit confusing to younger kids.., November 2, 2004

By 

Mom-of-Twins (Fairfield, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them (Dino Life Guides for Families) (Paperback)

I really like this book -- it has some GREAT ideas and my 5 year old son (he has a twin sister) likes me to read it to him.. the only problem is there is so much on one page, it's set up sort of like a comic strip with individual "bubbles" for thoughts/words coming from each character so I have to constantly point to who is saying what, which can cause some of the meaning to be lost on a younger child. There is also a lot packed onto each page that is very distracting so I try to fold the book or cover parts of it with my hands so my son can concentrate on each individual part. But all in all, I am happy with it, if only that it creates a storyline for me to follow to explain to my son how to make friends. Book is probably geared more towards 6-7 year olds.

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible for my 3 1/2 year old, November 30, 2009

By 

T. Trewin "Dad of 2" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them (Dino Life Guides for Families) (Paperback)

I do not write reviews often, only when I am unbelievably pleased or completely disappointed. My 3 1/2 has had a tough time making friends with peers. We bought a couple of books and videos as one means for helping her along.

Let me start by recommending the series of books by Cheri J. Meiners. The books don't even compare in regards to teaching my 3 1/2 year old lessons related to friendship and interacting with others...check them out.

As for the book being reviewed, as one reviewer commented the pages are much too busy. In addition, there is a lot of negative content meant to teach children what behavior to avoid, however for a 3 1/2 year old, I think the more exposure they get to negativity the more apt they are to emulate it. Examples:

"You Stupidosaurus!"
"You can't play it's only for boys!"
"Nya, Nya, na, na, na"
"You can't play with her. You're my best friend."
"This game is dumb I quit!"

I'm not naive enough not to realize that my child will be exposed to this, but to be exposed to these concept at 3 1/2 via a book, could be counter productive.

Even the section on ways to be a friend has examples I found asinine:

"My parents are getting divorced. Please don't tell anyone." "I won't"...Can you think of better examples to emulate trust? Yeah me too.

If these quotes haven't deterred you, then spend away, but do check out the Cheri J. Meiners series as I can tell you the books were far and away better for my 3 1/2 year old.