I Love You, Blue Kangaroo [Hardcover]

Emma Chichester Clark (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Blue Kangaroo

Young readers will love this endearing story of sibling rivalry, loyalty, and lasting love.

Every night when Lily goes to sleep, she says, "I love you, Blue Kangaroo!"  And Blue Kangaroo cuddles up close to Lily and sleeps the whole night through.  But one day Aunt Jemima brings Lily a new companion, Wild Brown Bear, and Blue Kangaroo has to make room for him.  Then along comes a yellow cotton rabbit, and a wiggly green crocodile.  As more and more furry creatures join Lily, Blue Kangaroo gets pushed to the side!  Blue Kangaroo is left to wonder if Lily would even notice if he was gone.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this warmhearted story of a faithful toy, a girl acquires a menagerie of stuffed animals but declares the first her favorite. Blue Kangaroo, who belongs to Lily, is an aquamarine-hued plaything with a faint smile on his long, pointy face. "Every night, Lily said, 'I love you, Blue Kangaroo!' And Blue Kangaroo fell fast asleep in Lily's arms." This special, one-to-one relationship changes when family and friends begin to bring gifts for Lily, including Wild Brown Bear and Yellow Cotton Rabbit. Lily's good-night list expands to include each arrival, but readers will notice that Lily subtly distinguishes her blue pal from the rest. Even though he still hears the title phrase, Blue Kangaroo worries that he's been replaced. Clark (Little Miss Muffet's Count-Along Surprise) uses authoritative colored-pencil outlines and summertime-bright watercolors to evoke sympathy for the kangaroo in busy family scenes. As Lily cuddles her presents (none of which displays her kangaroo's attentiveness), her baby brother grabs for the lonely toy. In the end, though, Lily would rather donate all her other toys to her brother than part with Blue Kangaroo. Clark considers jealousy from several angles, exploring Blue Kangaroo's feelings and Lily's possessiveness. The reassuring message is that newcomers don't have to displace best friends, but sometimes even buddies need to be reminded that they matter. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-A heartwarming story of a little girl and her beloved stuffed animal. As Lily begins to accumulate an assortment of stuffed toys from relatives and friends, Blue Kangaroo begins to feel rejected. When at last the child's bed becomes too crowded, Blue Kangaroo rolls out and hops down the hall and into the baby's crib. When the baby delightedly claims him the next day, Lily offers her brother all of her other animals in return for Blue Kangaroo. A wholly satisfying story of the bond between a child and her favorite animal, enhanced by large, expressive watercolors.
Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers (January 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385326386
• ISBN-13: 978-0385326384
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 0.3 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,054,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC, WISE, BEAUTIFUL, FUN, August 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I Love You, Blue Kangaroo (Hardcover)

I LOVE YOU BLUE KANGAROO IS A WONDERFUL STORY WITH BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS. ITS PERFECT FOR A FAMILY WELCOMING A SECOND CHILD. ITS A GREAT BOOK FOR KIDS AND ADULTS. BUY IT.THE BLUE KANGAROO WILL TOUCH YOUR HEART

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars sweet and enjoyable for young and old, July 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I Love You, Blue Kangaroo (Hardcover)

My four year old daughter is wearing out the copy we loaned from our local library! Luckily this is a book that even Mom enjoys and doesn't mind rereading. The illustrations are charming, the characters endearing and the message is right on: you have to cherish and make room for those special relationships, even between a little girl and her blue, stuffed kangaroo.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lily, Don't You Love Me Anymore?, September 24, 2000

By 

Paul Martin (Waukesha, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Love You, Blue Kangaroo (Hardcover)

Good for 3-7 yrs. Very similar story to "Nugget & Darling" by Barbara M. Joosse, it's a 'Dont you love me anymore?' story. The story is interesting for children, it moves along quickly, and the illustrations are very good.

Blue Kangaroo is a stuffed animal who belongs to a little girl, Lily. However, Blue Kangaroo begins to feel very worried, and unloved, as friends and relatives begin to shower Lily with other stuffed animals. Soon, Lily's bedtime animals begin crowding Blue Kangaroo out of the bed. What will Blue Kangaroo do? It's a happy ending, I don't want to spoil it for you.