And To Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends [Hardcover]

Mary Ann Hoberman (Author), Kevin Hawkes (Illustrator)

Book Description

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

In a rhyming verse that's a deliberate homage to Dr. Seuss, poet and picture-book author Mary Ann Hoberman shows how making friends rather than fighting can lead to a better world. It all starts with an arguing brother and sister, who make up with the help of another sibling. When their family starts fighting with their noisy neighbors, music brings them together. Soon the whole town is marching in a parade, and eventually the parade swells to include the whole country--even the animals! By the end of this cumulative rollicking rhyme, the whole world is united and everyone agrees to meet once a year to celebrate the spirit of friendship. Kevin Hawkes's jubilant illustrations capture the positive spirit of the text, making this the perfect read-aloud--and shout-along!--for both families and classrooms.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"We thwacked and we whacked and we walloped away..." lilts the Seussian verse of this exuberant, peace-promoting picture book. When a brother and sister start fighting over croquet one day, it seems as though they'll never stop. Then their little sister happens by and offers them soda pop if they'll make up. Since they're thirsty and tired, this sounds like a pretty good idea. And just like that, the fight is over. Later, when new neighbors begin to make a huge racket with all their musical instruments, the family is all set for another fight. But the noisy neighbors invite the family to join in, and soon the biggest, loudest, most joyful parade ever is underway. More and more people join the procession; suddenly enemies become friends, complainers turn into campaigners, and dogs and cats march paw in paw. Eventually the whole world is united in this giant parade of peace and friendship. And to think that they thought they would never be friends!

Kevin Hawkes's jubilant illustrations fill every page with rich color and wild commotion. Grannies with towering beehive hairdos prance with bagpipe-brandishing boys in Mohawks; babies burst out of tubas, blasting English horns; one pajama'd papa floats ethereally by, tooting his trumpet. The message is plain: make music, not war. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

This utopian tale begins with passing discord between siblings and progresses to a vision of world peace through an enormous parade. Inspired by Dr. Seuss's And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, the light-footed rhythms of Hoberman's (One of Each) text skip blithely from easily resolved family squabbles to a quarrel with a neighbor that begins the burgeoning parade joined by townsfolk, police officers and zoo animals. The lion may not lie down with the lamb, but according to Hawkes's (Weslandia) pulsing and swaying spreads, they will cavort together to band music. Although everyone here unites in song, in the book's first examples, music has no role; those incidents merely point to the transience of anger and seem slightly out of step with the rest of the text. But even those aberrations reflect the infusion of Seuss's spirit in Hoberman's fluid rhythms and rhymes. Hawkes's exaggerated perspectives, bustling crowd scenes and loud colors contribute to the carnivalesque gaietyAespecially when the revelers cross the ocean on the backs of sharks and birds. Youngsters will want to jump in before this parade can pass them by. Ages 5-8. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (October 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517800683
• ISBN-13: 978-0517800683
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,714,658 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Ann Hoberman is a poet and the critically acclaimed author of many books for children, including the beloved A House Is a House for Me, which won a National Book Award. She was also the editor of the poetry anthology My Song Is Beautiful: Poems and Pictures in Many Voices. Ms. Hoberman gives readings in libraries and schools, and her poems are included in countless anthologies. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for your 4+ year old - fantastic story/illustrations!, December 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: And To Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends (Hardcover)

I just read this book to my son's 1st grade class - they were captivated - and there was much audience participation! They loved the story and my son said that for the rest of the day everyone in the class wanted to read it over and over again! This is a fabulous book and a must read for you and your children!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, December 8, 1999

By 

Andrea (Bowdoin, ME) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And to Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends (Library Binding)

As a children's librarian, I am constantly perusing the shelves for books to order. I read this book only once and immediately put it on my MUST ORDER list. The pictures are spectacular, the rhyming begs to be read aloud,and the "let's get along" theme is attractive and exactly what we need to teach our children.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My 5 Year Old Loves This Book., March 18, 2003

By 

Nebraska book lover (Omaha, NE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And to Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends (Paperback)

This is a fun, rhyming book that kids love. I've read it to my 5 year old every day for a month now. He just can't get enough!!