Customer Reviews

Here We All Are (26 Fairmount Avenue Books)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My second grade son enjoyed this book so much he read it in two days. He related to the story because it was about a boy near his age and his trials and tribulations about a younger sister and school etc. Highly recommended.

Here We All Are is the latest chapter book by Tomie dePaola about his childhood. It tells the story of Tomie and his family as they move into their new house at 26 Fairmount Avenue in Meriden, Connecticut, and the exciting things that happen to Tomie during his first year in school. Tomie is a very bright and curious little boy, but he doesn't always follow the rules his strict teacher sets out. He steals the show when the kindergartners put on a play, and often breaks into song when he is supposed to be napping. Things go better for Tomie when he begins taking dance lessons with the kind Miss Leah. The highlight of the book is the birth of Tomie's baby sister "with a red ribbon in her hair", just as Tomie hoped and prayed.

Our favorite parts of the book probably were the parts where Tomie caused trouble in school without really meaning too, especially when he totally derails the class production of "Peter Rabbit". Lots of kids can relate to the experience of getting in trouble for just being themselves. Knowing that young Tomie grew up to be a successful author, artist, and dancer helps kids see that they don't have to be perfect or just like everyone else in order to do well in life.

We would recommend this great book to anyone in grades K through 4. The stories in it are ones that children of that age would love to hear and would definitely be able to connect with, although it would probably need to be read aloud to kindergarten and first graders. The reading level is just about perfect for second and third grade. Fourth graders probably won't find the reading hard, but they will be able to use this book as a way to get a look into how Tomie's other stories and artwork came to be.

By the way, this book is the second in a series of chapter books about Tomie's childhood. The first is called 26 Fairmount Avenue, and it is just as good. The third one should be out later this year.

What makes Tomie de Paola such an endearing (and enduring) children's book writer is the fact that he has never lost touch with the magic of childhood. An autobiography that embodies this quality is bound to appeal to children, especially as Mr. de Paola relates this slice-of-life story from the perspective of a young boy growing up. In this installment of the 26 Fairmount Avenue series, Tomie recounts the arrival of his new baby sister, Maureen; to this day, he is extremely close to his younger sibling. The book, with de Paola's customary gentle wit, provides young readers and writers with an admirable example of the art of autobiography. The author's charming illustrations complement the lyrical text.

I love Tomie dePaola's illustrations. They're so cute, and the characters' faces are incredibly expressive. I love how he can tell a story with a wordless or almost wordless book.

The illustrations in this book are just as good as all his other illustrations. But the writing isn't nearly as great as the drawings, and that's why I'm giving the book two stars. Much of the story about dePaola's childhood is simply boring. The stories are the kind of anecdotes that are fun to remember if they happened to you or your kid but that are less interesting if you don't know the people involved. There are a few funny moments--I laughed when the young Tomie licked the maple furniture, expecting it to taste like syrup--but there are also a lot of humdrum descriptions of the layout of his house and things like that.

DePaola recounts lots of times when he got in trouble in school, in an "isn't it cute how I was bad and had to learn a lesson" kind of way. But the behavior he describs sounds completely normal for a five-year-old, and his teacher's reactions seem excessive. In one story, he starts singing quietly during naptime and the teacher marches him to the nurse's office so he can lie on a cot away from the rest of the class. I would imagine that a gentle reminder to be quiet would have worked just as well. In another story, the teacher won't allow him to spell his name T-O-M-I-E, which was how his parents spelled it, and instead forces him to spell it T-O-M-M-Y. Reading that, I felt like the teacher was acting out of line. Instead of marveling at the cuteness of these stories as I think dePaola intended, I was left thinking that the child was not treated properly in school. DePaola does state that he became better friends with this teacher as the year went on, but that didn't make me feel much more positive about the school stories.

As another reviewer mentioned, there are many religious references in the book. I imagine this could detract from the enjoyment of the book for kids who aren't Catholic. The references are not explained, and kids who haven't themselves attended a Catholic church won't know what he's talking about and may find those parts of the book confusing. If you read this book aloud to a young child, the mentions of Holy Water and priests will probably go right over his head.

In short, this book is okay. There's nothing objectionable or inappropriate in it, and there's no reason kids shouldn't read it. But if you're looking for a captivating read that will hold kids' attention, there are lots of better books out there.

My girls (age 3 and 4) and I read the first book in this series together and they couldn't wait to begin the second! I was a little nervous that the second book wouldn't live up to the first, but it most definitely did! Tomie dePaola has such a wonderful way of describing things to his young (and old!) readers...and evidently he has plenty of fun and misadventures to share! The fact that my very young children so thoroughly enjoyed this book is a testament to the engaging writing style and the timeless, meaningful topics winding through the chapters. There are sweet illustrations on the pages that definitely grabbed the kids' attention (they wonder "Why is he doing that?" or "Is the mommy mad?" so I say, "Let's read and find out!") We all love this series. (Though I have to admit when a new book arrives, I sometimes secretly read ahead!)

Here We All Are (26 Fairmount Avenue)The next book in a wonderful series by Tomie dePaola, this short chapter book written especially for his chosen audience, is the part of his life when his family is completed; his baby sister is born. Parents and children will love the easy way that Tomie blends the real view points of children with the stuff that adults think is so important. Bravo.

This book really brings together all facets of the family that children and young readers can easily understand. I would recommend the book for all ages.

Growing up can be a challenge for any young child and Tomie was no exception to the rule. Tomie took his liability and figured out how to turn it around to his advantage. This book shows that anyone big or small can follow their heart and make their dreams come true. Tome Depaola wrote and illustrated this book for readers to understand that time changes but childhood experiences remain the same for all individuals. I highly recommend this chapter book for any child experiencing the introduction of a new sibling or the adventure of moving to a new environment. Especially for a mischievous young boy who is full of life. I think this book can give them the positive drive to be creative and inspire them to bloom where they are planted.

dePaola's book is a very realisitic view of the world from a kindergartener's point-of-view, but it is laden with Christian symbols and content. Being a religious non-Christian, I can't read this to my own 5-year-old without heavily editing the text. I wish I had known this beforehand....