My Little Sister Ate One Hare [Hardcover]

Bill Grossman (Author), Kevin Hawkes (Illustrator)

Book Description

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

In this uproariously funny counting book, illustrated by popular artist Kevin Hawkes, a ravenous little sister eats everything from one hare to ten peas. Now in Dragonfly, this is the perfect book for any kid who loves to giggle (and who doesn't?) and parents who love to hear them.  

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this zany, cumulative counting book, the narrator's ravenous sister devours?and manages to keep down?some decidedly unorthodox delicacies: "My little sister ate 3 ants./ She even ate their underpants./ She ate 2 snakes. She ate 1 hare./ We thought she'd throw up then and there./ But she didn't." Four shrews (plus their "smelly socks and shoes"), five bats, six mice, seven polliwogs, eight worms and nine lizards don't interfere a whit with the insatiable child's digestive system... until she makes the mistake of eating 10 peas and everything comes back up, alive and well. Yes, Grossman's (Cowboy Ed) concept is, well, gross, but it's certainly of the kid-tickling variety. The rhyme and zippy rhythm never falter as Hawkes's (The Enormous Snore) equally offbeat art shows the widemouthed girl chowing down in some humorous guises: as a snake charmer swallowing her subjects; as a pirate making the doomed shrews walk the plank... into her mouth; as a cowgirl sauteing leaping lizards in a skillet. Other piquant details include the shocked expressions on the tasty victims' faces and the droll words printed on the girl's sweatshirt, "Save the Whales (For Dessert)." For those who are not quick to get queasy, enjoying this feast will surely be easy. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A counting book that talks about swallowing slimy creatures, ant's underpants, and regurgitation, and has outrageous illustrations is a guaranteed success with the primary-grade crowd. The cumulative rhyme has the irreverence of Silverstein or Prelutsky and the art has the rollicking humor of Lane Smith. A young magician, the narrator's sister, puts on a show, eating one hare, two snakes, etc. She isn't grossed out by consuming any bat or shrew, but give her nutritious food and watch out. The text is enriched by the inclusion of just parts of previous number rhymes, so the narrative doesn't become totally repetitive. The "low fat" worm jar with our heroine dressed as a chicken and the shrews walking the sword "plank" into oral doom are just two of the priceless pictures. The anticipated ending is awesome with stunned critters everywhere, even on the audience of the magic show. One of the biggest treats in teaching is listening to youngsters laugh, and laugh they will at My Little Sister Ate One Hare! Bravo! Encore!-Mollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (July 23, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517596008
• ISBN-13: 978-0517596005
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 0.3 x 11.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,415,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New York City Teacher's Favorite Book, April 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: My Little Sister Ate One Hare (Dragonfly Books) (Paperback)

This book has done more to help my first and second graders learn to enjoy reading than all the books in my school put together! There isn't a week that goes by that someone doesn't beg me to read it to the class. Many of my students have actually gone out and bought their own copies (very rare for the neighborhood in which I teach). Every K-3 grader should have this book in his/her collection!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is wonderfully exciting in text and illustrations., November 2, 1999

By 

Serra Turgay ([e-mail]) (Charlottesville, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Little Sister Ate One Hare (Dragonfly Books) (Paperback)

As children lend an ear to Grossman'e counting book, they will have but one question: "What creature will that girl eat next?!" Through words and images, excitement abounds on every page as the reader witnesses the progressive feast of one ravenous little sister. Grossman's words and Hawkes' illustrations keep the audience in a state of anxious anticipation. With predictable rhythm, Grossman's lines unite with the whimsy of a song and the silliness of a cartoon: "My little sister ate three ants. She even ate their underpants." Children can easily master the repetitive wording, becoming active and eager participants in the telling of the story. Beginning with the consumption of one hare, each page build upon the former, adding more sustenance to little sister's belly. As she eats across the pages, little sister's apparel transforms, providing context for her current meal. Eating eight worms, little sister has donned a bright red chicken suit; outfitted with snorkeling gear, she reaches for seven polliwogs. On almost every page the girl's round, gaping mouth dominates, amplified by her monstrous shadow and her exposed gullet. With vibrant hues in mostly primary colors, Hawkes' illustrations extend Grossman's text. After one edge-of-their-seat journey through the pages, children will giggle with desire to hear this unimaginable tale again and again.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating for beginner readers and pre-readers alike!, January 5, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Little Sister Ate One Hare (Dragonfly Books) (Paperback)

The day after "My Little Sister Ate One Hare" was featured by our library story time, the bookstore in our area had six copies on order. We gave a paperback copy of the book to my son's first grade classroom library. To keep the students from fighting over the book, his teacher had to put up a "waiting list". The book has been so popular, the school purchased a hard back copy for their school library. My daughter just turned five and reads it every day. This is a "must have" book for any child.