Jamaica's Find [Hardcover]

Juanita Havill (Author), Anne Sibley O'Brien (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 24, 1986 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Jamaica finds a stuffed dog at the playground and after taking him home without trying to find the owner discovers her conscience as well. Jamaica’s honest and appealing character inspired five more books, each about a childhood ethical dilemma.

Jamaica’s Find celebrates its twentieth anniversary with this new edition featuring an author’s note in the paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Jamaica finds an old stuffed animal in the park, she wants to keep it, but with her mother's gentle prompting, she decides to turn it in to the lost-and-found. Soon after, she meets Kristin, who lost the dog, and takes pride in reuniting the girl with her treasured toy. Children Jamaica's age, struggling with the concepts of right and wrong, will undoubtedly find Jamaica's moral dilemma of great interest. O'Brien's watercolors are warm and appealing. Although no attention is called to the fact that Jamaica is black, the book's depiction of a happy black family will provide a valuable role model for children of all races.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Children Jamaica's age, struggling with the concepts of right and wrong, will undoubtedly find Jamaica's moral dilemma of great interest." Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; Ex-library edition (March 24, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395393760
• ISBN-13: 978-0395393765
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,488,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jamaica's Find, April 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Jamaica's Find (Reading Rainbow) (Paperback)

A story that makes you feel the struggle of a little girl when she finds a stuffed toy and doesn't want to take it to the lost and found. Jamaica finds a hat and a stuffed dog at the playground. She returns the hat to the lost and found easily, but retains the dog bkz she likes it. After she gets home she starts feeling the tugs of guilt that maybe the dog belonged to another child who is missing it. The point of realization is quite poignant - she doesn't feel well or want to do anything bkz she is really thinking over what she should do with her conscience. It is a good lesson that returning items that don't belong is a good idea bkz in the end she meets the child who lost the dog and is able to reunite her with her beloved toy. While the art work is a bit fuzzy it is a wonderful, multi-cultural story with a great morale for children who are often wondering what to do with special things they find on the playground: to return or not return - that is the question.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good product, July 5, 2008

By 

Veg mom (Dothan, AL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jamaica's Find Book & Cassette (Carry Along Book & Cassette Favorites) (Paperback)

This is a good product. I bought it for a listening station in my classroom. The theme goes with another story with my reading program.

5.0 out of 5 stars Positive values, good lessons, cute story and illustrations, October 14, 2011

By 

John Scott "John Scott" (Newark, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jamaica's Find (Reading Rainbow) (Paperback)

Cute story with a nice lesson for children about returning things you find or that don't belong to you. You can ask the child after reading with them this story, what did you learn from this story? It can be the theme of a class assignment. It relates values associated with inter-racial frienship, cooperation, honesty and the happiness in giving. It teaches a child that they will find pleasure in doing the right thing. The illustrations are simple, but fit the motiff and theme. This is a book worth reading to young children in the classroom or at home. Good reading for 1st or 2nd grade. You can read it to Kindergarten or even PreK children. Perfect classroom book. Read it in a K classroom in Newark.