4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jingle Bells, Homework Smells, February 14, 2007
A Kid's Review
Book Review
By London Stoll
I read "Jingle Bells, Homework Smells" by Diane de Groat.
This whole book was about a kid named Gilbert and how he does not like doing his homework. He would rather go outside and play or help his mom decorate cookies. He gets homework over the weekend and he gets so distracted by doing fun things that he forgets to do his homework. Monday morning when he gets up for school he remembers that he didn't do his homework and wants to stay home. His mom makes him go to school. Gilbert and his friend make a snowman outside the classroom window for their homework project and are disappointed when the teacher makes them do the project over. Gilbert learns an important lesson.
I liked the book because Gilbert is a lot like me. I would rather do fun things then do my homework.
Gilbert says, "I can do it later" and that is what I always say too.
I give these book 5 stars, because all the details and descriptions this is a quote from the book throwing snow balls at widows. I recommend this book to my family.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gilbert, October 6, 2007
Let me tell you a feel-good story. It involves love - the love of a mother for her daughter, and a child's passionate, exhilarated, uncomplicated love for books. This is the true story of Deb Raymer, and her daughter Sabrina, and how I came to know them. This holiday season, I am grateful that Deb has shared parts of her story, and that through her mom, Sabrina has shared a wonderful cast of characters previously unknown to me.
A couple of months ago, Deb asked me to help her find a series of books. All Sabrina wants for Christmas is "Gilbert". Deb needed to order multiple copies of each book in the collection, she explained. Sabrina loves the "Gilbert" books so much, that she reads them to pieces. Literally. While I am always thrilled to see someone who loves books that much, that's not even the best part of the story. Sabrina is mentally and physically handicapped. She has a job at Partners in Progress that she enjoys. Whenever she rides to work on the bus, she has a "Gilbert" book - or two, or three - in her bag, and she "reads" them to the other passengers. Sabrina has memorized her favorite books. Her mother needs to keep buying new copies of them because Sabrina pages through them so much and so often that they fall apart.
Gilbert, the hedgehog, and his sister Lola, are creations from the paintbrush and pen of Diane de Groat. This author/illustrator started working in children's literature by doing the artwork for some well-known children's authors, such as Lois Lowry and Eve Bunting. De Groat started on her Gilbert series in 1996 with "Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink", which is still Sabrina's favorite.
I hadn't heard of de Groat, and Deb gave my literary ego a boost by reassuring me that I'm not alone. Often, when Deb and Sabrina have searched for Gilbert in libraries and bookstores, he is nowhere to be found. So, it's time to spread the word. Diane de Groat has created a fun, inexpensive series with sympathetic characters, situations that kids can relate to, and a little lesson that doesn't come across like a 2"x 4" to the forehead. The titles themselves produce a smile for kids and adults alike. Now there's a Gilbert for every season in a child's life. A reader can start school with Gilbert in "Brand New Pencils, Brand New Books" and end the school year with the companion volume, "No More Pencils, No More Books! No More Teacher's Dirty Looks!" In these final months of the year, we have been enjoying "We Gather Together, Now Please Get Lost" for Thanksgiving, and "Jingle Bells, Homework Smells" for Christmas.
The Gilbert books have been so successful that now his sister Lola has her own series, books for slightly younger children, that often include Gilbert, but from Lola's point-of-view. When Lola can't decide what to be for Halloween, she finally decides to be "a Gilbert", because she knows he's an original. I think Sabrina and Lola are on to something good.
Author,"Hobo Finds A Home"
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