Just Enough [Hardcover]

Teri Daniels (Author), Harley Jessup (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2000 | Age Level: 4 and up

In Teri Daniels' rhythmic text a child celebrates all the things that he can do just right--he's old enough to feed fish, bold enough to hold a worm, yet sweet enough to give a gift. And that's just the beginning. As the story subtly moves through the day, he discovers that there is so much more that he can do--all by himself! Harley Jessup's innovative use of perspective, color and design playfully convey a small boy's exhilarating steps toward independence.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rather than describe their preschool hero in terms of snips and snails and puppy dog tails, Daniels (The Feet in the Gym) and Jessup (Grandma Summer) rely on 19 simple but evocative and always affirming adjectives for inspiration, such as "small," "strong," "quick" and "wild." For example, as the redheaded boy is seen making a pizza crust and mopping up a glass of juice that he's accidentally knocked over, Daniels writes, "STRONG enough to pound the dough. CLEAN enough to wipe a spill,/ an apple juice/ on the loose/ spill." It's an intriguing narrative conceit, but one that gradually runs out of steam, in large part due to Daniels's word choices ("clean" doesn't feel like the right word for describing the boy's sense of domestic responsibility). Jessup's illustrations are the book's saving grace: with perspectives that range from extreme close-ups (chubby fingers holding a slimy worm) to lyrical panoramas (a family gathered under a starry sky), he captures a world that is a bona fide boy's paradise. Ages 2-5. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-In an appealing series of poetic vignettes, a redheaded boy describes how he is adequately self-sufficient to perform myriad tasks. As he dresses in the morning, he is "SMALL/enough to see my shoes,/below the bed,/very red/shoes." While playing with blocks, he is "BIG/enough to build a house,/a stack it tall,/let it fall/house." At bedtime, he is "BRAVE/enough to say good night,/a pillow puff,/just enough,/feels so right,/tucked in tight-/night." The lad's day consists of ideal childhood experiences: soaring high on a swing, helping in the kitchen, capturing a worm, catching fireflies, and being read to. The gently rhyming, cleverly worded text describes what the large, detailed cartoon illustrations joyfully reveal. Varying perspectives create many surprises for readers as they turn the pages. In many pictures, a younger sibling is shown looking on admiringly at his proficient big brother. A delightful glimpse of a happy, confident child.
Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (October 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670888737
• ISBN-13: 978-0670888733
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #897,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remember the simple joys of childhood, December 1, 2003

By 

Bre - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just Enough (Hardcover)

I fell in love with this book when my three-year-old brought it home from the public library. While it seems to be geared to a slightly older age group (4-6 maybe), she loves it, too, because it describes things that happen in a small child's day that are insignificant to us, but very significant to them. From finding shoes and catching bugs to taking a bath and going to sleep at night, the child (in this case a boy) is just small/quick/calm/etc. enough to do the things he wants to do all by himself. Written in such a way that makes parents see life again from a child's point of view and reminds us to recognize those simple everyday accomplishments of our growing children. I love it.

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read, October 8, 2007

By 

S. Tomich (Flagstaff, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just Enough (Picture Puffin Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

We also discovered this great book at the library. The catchy rhymes are so much fun that my 2-1/2 yr old even remembers bits of them & repeats them throughout the day. A book I don't mind reading to him over & over again.