I'm Sorry [Hardcover]

Sam McBratney (Author), Jennifer Eachus (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

I have a friend I love the best.

Having a best friend makes life so much better. But even best friends fight, and when that happens, "I'm sorry" is the hardest thing to say.

From internationally acclaimed author Sam McBratney and award-winning illustrator Jennifer Eachus comes a sensitive picture book that will strike a chord with every child who has quarreled with a friend.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-Even the closest friendship must weather the occasional storm. Such is the case with a preschool boy and girl who share in all kinds of creative play. Theirs is a relationship made in heaven until harsh words are spoken and they shout at one another. The boy describes his anger, feigned indifference, sadness, and loneliness all resulting from the spat. He muses that if his friend were as sad as he is "She would come and say, 'I'm sorry,' and I would say sorry, too." While the youngster's desire for reconciliation is admirable, these sentiments give a mixed message about apologizing. Additionally, the cause of the disagreement is not explained in either the pictures or the text. Since many young children are very concerned with issues of fairness, this omission may be troubling, even though the point is clearly not to assign blame to either child. Lovely illustrations represent the preschoolers and their familiar surroundings with a softened realism. Renderings of the children's faces are especially effective in conveying the emotions McBratney describes. Despite some modest quibbles with the story line, this gentle vignette nicely portrays a friendship between the genders.
Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The author of Guess How Much I Love You (1995) offers a simple, straightforward contemporary story about a falling-out between two best friends that hints at a resolution but cleverly leaves it up to young listeners to decide if they agree. Eachus' gauzy, dappled watercolors and 1940s-style English countryside settings convey an old-fashioned, cozy feeling to the story about a subject that might otherwise have been upsetting to youngsters. The young boy narrator tells of his friendship with a little girl--exploring the farm, teaching dolls to read, being doctors and fixing broken bones. Then there's a sudden argument ("I SHOUTED at my friend today, and she SHOUTED back at me"), and the children avoid each other. The friendship seems irreparable until the little boy imagines what his friend would do if she were as sad as he. Gentle and understated in both text and art, this has a great deal to teach about empathy and forgiveness. The rich paper quality allows for repeated reading. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060286865
• ISBN-13: 978-0060286866
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #853,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sam McBratney is the author of the acclaimed picture book Guess How Much I Love You. Sam's distinctive storytelling voice builds on his rich storytelling tradition as a teacher, parent, and grandparent. He lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great apology, June 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: I'm Sorry (Hardcover)

I like this book because it is sweet and simple. It talksabout friendship and love and being hurt and saying "I'msorry". The illustrations are adorable. This is a great book to teach young children about apologizing and would also be a great gift to give as an apology to a friend, sister, brother, husband, or anyone who needs it. It would be hard not to accept such a sweet apology.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars No one actually says "I'm sorry"!, August 30, 2003

By 

newtonscricket (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'm Sorry (Hardcover)

This book is gorgeous. The illustrations will draw in child and adult alike. The emotions are portrayed honestly in a way children will easily identify.

But why, for the love of Pete, can't the book end with an actual apology and resolution instead of an imagined one? The narrator, a little boy, sulks to himself "If she were as sad as I am sad, here is what she would do", namely say she's sorry, even though apparently the little boy SHOUTED at his friend first.

I very nearly bought this book after skimming it at the bookstore, enchanted by the beautiful pictures. I thought my 4 year old could really use a model of an apology, but that's not what this book is. Thank goodnes I read it through carefully.

I gave it two stars to acknowledge the incredible artwork, but I wish it were in a different book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review from Books That Heal Kids, April 14, 2010

By 

Books That Heal Kids "Roxanne" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'm Sorry (Paperback)

Children are not born with language; it has to be experienced, learned, and taught. And that applies to the two simple words: I'm Sorry. Many students in my school live in homes where the words 'I'm Sorry' are not spoken. It's often a task left to the school. Saying 'I'm Sorry" is an alternative to bully or violent behavior. Some kids simply just lack the language and that may mean hitting another kid. To start introducing this concept early - get this book on your shelf. It will come in handy!