Something Special [Paperback]

David McPhail (Author)

Book Description

Surrounded by parents and siblings with remarkable talents, Sam yearns to be good at something himself, and finds his own special niche when he discovers the pleasures of painting.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

McPhail's typically endearing animal characters tell how Sam--the only one in his family without an apparent talent--discovers his special niche. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1 Everyone in Sam's raccoon family has a special talentone sister plays the piano, another plays first base, his brother is a computer whiz, his father is a wonderful cook, his mother carves wooden birds, his grandmother is a knitter, and even his dog can balance a bone on his nose. Sam fails at everything. At last he discovers his own special talentpainting, which wins him self-respect and the admiration of others. Expressive full-color ink-and-wash illustrations are uncluttered yet filled with humorous detail and serve as the perfect extension to the simple text. A reassuring story told with humor and a light touch, sure to be a comfort to young siblings seeking the special string to their bow. Starr LaTronica, North Berkeley Library, Calif.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (Juv Pap) (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316563331
• ISBN-13: 978-0316563338
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,627,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

DAVID McPHAIL is the creator of dozens of wonderful books, including Big Brown Bear's Up and Down Day; Sisters; Mole Music, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year; and several recent Green Light Readers for Harcourt. He lives in New Hampshire.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone can do something special, December 14, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Something Special (Library Binding)

This book talks about a little raccoon named sam that has a family full of talent but he can't find his. He trys his sister Sarah who can play the piano, but he can't play as good as her. Then he goes to Flo, his other sister. She plays baseball on first base and barely ever misses a catch. Yet, when Sam trys he didn't catch anything. Next, he goes to his brother, Eugene who is a computer whiz. Sam found out that working with computers is not his thing either. So he wandered over to his father who was a wonderful cook, but it seemed as though his family wasn't hungry when he made dinner one night. He knew he wasn't good at that so he went to his mother but she used a knife with what she was doing, and he was too young for that. Finally, he went to his grandmother who was knitting. Sam found this job to be way harder than she made it look. He was very sad after this so he goes to talk to his mother and this leads up to him finding his special talent. He can paint! After this happens, his whole family finds this out and Sam starts drawing and painting everything he can. His family thought that being able to paint was something special, and so did Sam. That overall hightlight of the book can have a lesson in it for smaller children as well as adults. You should never give up trying to find something you love to do and you're good at. It may not come right away but it will come soon enough, which means you have to keep looking and trying. I would definitly give this book a thumbs up and suggest this book to parents. It will help your child to really search for something he's good at and not stop until he finds it.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars BUYER BEWARE!!, October 26, 2010

By 

Michelle (Richland, WA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Something Special (Hardcover)

NEVER RECEIVED BOOK. HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE TO MY TWO ATTEMPTS AT CONTACTING SELLER. WISH I HAD READ OTHER REVIEWS. LESSON LEARNED.