Let's Play Rough! (Hardcover)

by Lynne Jonell (Author), Ted Rand (Illustrator) "Daddy sits down on the couch..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K-The action begins promptly on the title page as a boy prepares to pounce on his father, who sits quietly reading the newspaper. What follows is an affectionate, rough-and-tumble exchange between the two as they engage in physical play. The little boy pretends to be a bear and his father becomes "a Big Hairy Monster Bear!" Jonell's realistic dialogue and Rand's animated, skillfully rendered illustrations seize what is often unique to a father-son relationship-aggressive yet playful roughhousing. The little boy's enthusiasm as he and his dad morph in and out of their bear bodies is enhanced by the text that rolls and dances across the double-page spreads. The endpapers feature the pair in various poses of rowdy fun. This is an excellent addition to any collection, and would be a terrific read-aloud for small-group storytimes.
Linda M. Kenton, Palo Alto City Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
So closely is Jonell's work associated with Petra Mathers's art (It's My Birthday, Too!, 1999, etc.) that this pairingwith Randseems unfamiliar and disquietingbut only initially. A little boy interrupts his father's reading of the newspaper by pouncing on the couch with a not-to-be-ignored invitation: ``Let's play rough, Daddy!'' As the typography joins in the frolic, Daddy typifies his son as a bouncy puppy and an ear-pulling little monkey, then tops the boy's claim of being a bear with the assertion that he is ``a Big Hairy Monster Bear!'' A spirited free-for-all ensues, with the larger bear grabbing, tossing, tickling, and tumbling the cub in morphing illustrations done to perfection by Rand. The big bear's teeth show alarmingly as he says that he eats small bears, so it's no wonder that the boy calls a halt to the game, welcomes a hug, and then demands to play rough again. That conclusion is not unprecedented; Max, in Rosemary Wells's Max's Birthday, demands another go at a scary situation, but Jonell is undeniably on target. She keeps the tone light, while the animation expressed in the illustrations would not have been possible with the stick figures of the previous books. (Picture book. 2-6) -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (March 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399230394
• ISBN-13: 978-0399230394
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 9.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,831,240 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important book, March 29, 2000

By A Customer

Lots of children like to play rough with Dad but Dads sometimes get carried away. This book shows how children can stop the play when it scares them - but start up again at a lower level of intensity. It's also great fun and wonderfully illustrated.

5.0 out of 5 stars To heck with the kids- your friends won't believe this., October 4, 2005

By	A. Byro "Broklynite" (Manhattan NYC) - See all my reviews

I saw this in the bookstore some years ago and grabbed it and never let go. The book is written innocently enough, for children anyway. But I don't know how any adult can manage to read this without at least cracking a grin. My own joke is that it made NAMBLA book of the year. No, nothing sexual at all happens in the book. However, the ease with which it can be read in such a way makes this a great party prop, and something to read aloud to someone with a great sense of humor.

At the same time, it is somewhat refreshing to see in a way. People today seem to get paranoid about how parents play with their kids, but this book shows how good-natured fun with the kids can be misinterpreted completely. The truth is, this IS how parents talk and play with small children, and there is nothing wrong with it. At the same time, as was noted before, it teaches your child how to say NO. That in any situation where your an adult makes yoru child feel uncomfortable, they should say no and stop whatever is happening.