Customer Reviews

You're Just What I Need

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4 star:		(2)
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A lovely story of a toddler girl hiding under a blanket and playing a game of "what is under the blanket"? Mother makes many guesses as to what it can be and each response is "I don't need (the item)". At the end the girl pops out and declares the lump was "me" and then mother states that is just what she needed. This is very cute and shows love and typical interaction between a loving mother and adoring daughter. I have the board book version and I am sure it will get much repeated use. The theme of love between parent and child is not seen often enough in children's books and I am glad to see it in this book. Often books focus on the child, the child's activities, or objects (cars, trains, toys, etc.) rather than focusing on the expression and communication of love between parent and child.

My 20 month old son has a very eclectic taste in the books he enjoys. I was surprised when he pulled this off of his book shelf amidst many other books. It is now the favorite book and we read it over and over and over again. The text is simple; the illustrations are realistic yet warm; and, we never grow tired of discussing the illustrations on each page. I think he enjoys it because of the above reasons, and because it is predictable, yet the "surprise" ending never becomes boring. This book is truly a "find."

One morning a mother sees a strange bundle under the blankets on her bed. As she wonders aloud what it might be--a monkey? A bundle of carrots? Or Humpty-Dumpty?--the bundle proclaims "No, no, no, no, NO!" until finally it reveals itself: "It's ME!" cries the tousle-headed little toddler.

If you're a baby boomer, you might remember this book from your childhood. It was originally published in 1951 under the title "The Bundle Book." Here it is updated with a new title and brand new illustrations.

Purists, who flinch every time they see remakes of Disney classics like "The Absent-Minded Professor" and "The Parent Trap," will no doubt cringe when they hear that old books are being redone with new pictures. But, as nice as the original pale chalk and charcoal drawings were, they were not irreplaceable illustrations along the lines of Garth Williams' pencil sketches that accompany the "Little House" books. The story doesn't suffer at all, and the updated look just means a new generation of children will be exposed to a tender little story.

Noonan has illustrated the new book beautifully. The cover alone, a touching portrait of mother and child, makes this book stand out from others on the shelf. The rich pastel colors are as warm and inviting as the chenille bedspread under which the child hides.

I think this would make a nice gift for a new mother on Mother's Day and will be a book that toddlers want read over and over again.

The cover of this book is so wonderful that it makes you want to buy it to have in your collection for just that reason. The story is really fun too, but it will probably only interest children under four if it is to be read again and again. A child over 4 might get bored with it if it is read again and again.

This book is a great way for a parent to tell a child how much they're needed & wanted. Opening the door for the parent to express their love for the child.

My boys and I love this book. It is such a sweet story of a child hiding under a blanket and the mother guessing what might be under the covers. At the end, the child pops out and the mom exclaims in love, "You're just what I need!" Even though she does say "what I need" it comes across as sweet and loving, not as clingy or needy. I know that my boys feel very loved while listening to this book and often want to act it out after we read it.

My son and I borrowed both this reissue with new illustrations and the original (Bundle Book) from the library; I came to Amazon to shop for both editions. The original is has a very vintage feel -- the illustrations are two-color and sketchy, the mother wears a 3/4-sleeve sweater, the verbal constructions are a bit dated ("I think I'm sure I don't need Humpty Dumpty"). The text is the same in the newer edition also, but the illustrations are new. In both editions, the illustrations convey the strong bond between the mother and the child (the gender of the child is unclear).

The biggest difference is in the content of the illustrations -- the older edition concentrates on mother/child relationship, illustrating the mother and her blanketed child (my 2-year old son loves to imitate the mother's poses as she ponders what might be under that blanket). The loving illustrations of mother and child in the newer edition are really lovely, but I don't much care for the fantasy illustrations interspersed (monkeys, bundles of carrots, Humpty Dumpty, etc.) -- yes, they illustrate the text, but to my mind, they are distractions from the game that the mother and child are playing and don't advance the story. (A petty quibble -- I couldn't figure out why the mother, who was in a bathrobe, is wearing earings.)

If you can find a copy of the earlier edition, take a look!

I have been reading this book to my lil girl since she was 10 months, she loves it! At the end, when the lil girl pops up from the blanket, my little girl smiles every time! LOVE IT, there needs to me more mother/daughter books like these!

A beautiful book in every way. . . illustrations and text. Our three-year-old never tires of the book nor of hiding under a blanket and having us guess what's under it.

When I was a little girl, my mother and I would spend hours reading the original version of this book. We checked it out of the library since, sadly, the book was out of print. Now a college student, my favorite christmas present this year was the new version of this book. It brought back memories of a wonderful time between me and my mom. I would recommend this book to any new parent who wants to create wonderful memories that their child will cherish well into adulthood