Customer Reviews

Raymie, Dickie, and the Bean: Why I Love and Hate My Brothers (Book and CD)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I picked this up at the bookstore I work at and read it on my break one afternoon. Having been delighted in the past by Raymond, I expected a lot more from him. This truly was one of the worst children's books I've read. The Borders I work at is huge, filled with talented artists and writers whose children's picture books will continue to go unnoticed. However, a celebrity can write anything and get full recognition for it. This book plays out merely as a remembrance of a day he took at a family outing. No redeeming quality or sense of entertainment to keep a child's interest in here. Just randomness of a charicature of his childhood that had potential of being interesting, yet fell very short of being just that. Stick with Sendak, Rey, Yolen, or Eric Carle if you want something that will peak interest.

My kids really enjoyed listening to this book on one of our many road trips. They now have many parts memorized and repeat them often. They didn't tire of it as I thought they would. They continued to ask to hear it again and again.

Perhaps it is because my boys are the same ages as Raymie and his brothers in this story, but we found it very humorous. Any family with boys in it should be able to relate to the antics of these brothers as they go through their day. The artwork adds to the story as the illustrator has captured well the expressions on the faces. I recommend it to fun-loving families of sons. Those who wish to bring up genteel, cultured children may prefer to stick with more proper literature.

If Romano weren't famous,this book would have never made it to print. Lacking in almost every element of a good story, it is a great example to use if you are teaching people how to write children's books--how NOT to do it, that is. I imagine it sold a bazillion copies. Oh well.

I love EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, so this book really made me laugh. My sons found it funny but some of the drier humor went over their head. Still, a very funny book.

It was during a trip to my local bookstore that I first encountered this literary waste pile. Romano, along with two other hardly mentioned brothers, recount a fictitious and very 'mild' trip to a theme park. The trio's day goes along quite predictably, with the brothers anticipating the trip, naturally and, upon getting to the park, having to ride annoyingly named 'kiddie rides' with the youngest of the three. C'mon people, 'Chuckie the Choo-Choo'?

The rest of the day, chock-full of wedgies, noogies, and farts, goes on with Ray, called Raymie (pl-ease!), and the other one, Dickie, maybe?, finally going on 'The Vomitizer'. So much for a climax, eh?

Finally the family goes home and...I forgot the rest. But I'm telling you, this book is terrible. No joke. Lacking even a mild plotline, among other thing, the title doesn't even make sense. Raymie, Dickie, and the Bean: Why I Love and Hate My Brothers. If Ray is the narrator, then why does he refer to himself as Raymie and not simply 'Me' or 'I'. Oh wait, I know; because then his name wouldn't be first.

Oh, and the illustrations; why is it that every book written by a comedian, or in Jason Alexander's case, a guy in a funny show, seem to have the same illustrations. Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, the aforementioned Jason Alexander. All feature the same caricature-like illustrations in their books. What's up with that!?

R, your friendly neighborhood reviewer.