Just a Little Bit [Paperback]

Ann Tompert (Author), Lynn Munsinger (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

When an elephant and a mouse try to play on a seesaw, they need help from a vast number of animal friends to balance the scales.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author and illustrator of Nothing Sticks Like a Shadow put a new spin on a timeless theme as two friends deal with their dissimilar statures. Elephant and Mouse try to balance a seesaw in the park, with obvious results. Along come a giraffe, zebra, lion, bear, crocodile, mongoose, monkey and ostrich. One by one they climb onto Mouse's side of the seesaw, "grunting and groaning and grimacing" as they push down as hard as they can in an attempt to get Elephant off the ground. Just as they're about to give up, a small brown beetle flies down from the sky and perches atop Mouse's nose, adding the needed weight to move that seesaw. "Every little bit helps!" declares Elephant as a crowd of animal spectators cheers. Tompert's playful if slight cumulative text gets a lift from Munsinger's amusing watercolors, which portray this assemblage of creatures as an endearing, unusually expressive lot. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-A giraffe, zebra, lion, bear, crocodile, monkey, ostrich, and even a mongoose, all winsomely drawn, walk, trot, prance, lumber, grimace, and groan in turn as each tries to aid Mouse in pushing down on one side of the seesaw to lift elephant on the other. Predictably, with each new creature, nothing happens-until (and equally predictable) from overhead a small brown beetle alights on Mouse. Elephant trumpets, "every little bit helps," as he is hoisted into the air. Pastel watercolors and ink washes in Munsinger's talented hands turn this overworked theme into an endearing piece of whimsy. Clothed bunnies and piglets watch from the sidelines in a pale green park (no modern, rubber-tired, pressurized wood playground here). Repetitive phrasing, the parade of animal types, and the variety of verb actions make this a beginning language pleaser. The facial features and poses are childlike and expressive. Together again (Nothing Sticks Like a Shadow [Houghton, 1988]), author and illustrator introduce a variation on "the straw that broke the camel's back" to a new generation. This is neither as suspenseful nor delicate as Alvin Tresselt's The Mitten (Lothrop, 1964), but still a charming effort.
Harriett Fargnoli, Great Neck Library, NY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (March 27, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039577876X
• ISBN-13: 978-0395778760
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.4 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 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: #237,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #74 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Baby-3 > Basic Concepts > Size & Shape

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Every Little Bit Helps!, July 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Just a Little Bit (Paperback)

Elephant, Mouse, and all their friends work together and have fun. "Just a Little Bit" is a sweet story about friendship and teaches us all a great lesson. As it was inscribed to me by my friend, "Keep this book on hand to remind you at times when you may be tempted to give up on something, that it may just be that next little bit of effort, that little extra push that makes a world of difference." This book made me smile and I loved the illustrations too!

5.0 out of 5 stars We love Lynn Munsinger!, October 26, 2011

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just a Little Bit (Paperback)

From the illustrator of the "Tacky the Penguin" books comes this little visual treasure, a story book that shows-and-tells about balance -- and cooperation!

The animals are a total hoot -- the giraffe sits side-saddle, among other things, and the expressions on their faces as they all cramon the seesaw are just perfect.

(First time I ever saw a lady lion with a mane, though.)

5.0 out of 5 stars A cute story for young children about cooperation, November 4, 2010

By 

AFConnors - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just a Little Bit (Paperback)

This would be a cute story even without a positive lesson, but the fact that it promotes cooperation, teamwork, and "try, try again" makes it even better. The preschoolers in my classes always love it. Remember, what may seem like a cliched, overworked idea to us grownups is still fresh to young children!