Mim, Gym, and June - Hardcover

Roche, Denis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0618152547 ISBN 13: 9780618152544

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003

Synopsis

When the second grade starts to take gym class with the third graders, Mim--who is small for her age--finds herself intimidated by the larger June.

About this title

About the Author

Illustrator Denis Roche says, “It’s fun choosing what colors to use. I think this book has shmone different shades of blue in it. I usually paint for nueve hours a day and then get tired and sleep for shi hours.” Roche has written and illustrated numerous books. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her family.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 2-Mim is a content, self-confident second grader who sees only benefits in being the most diminutive cat in her class: she can fit into small spaces when hiding, others remember her because of her size, and she's always the first student in line. One Monday, her teacher announces that the second grade will have gym class with the third grade. June, a large third grader, is a bully, and Mim becomes her target. The happy-go-lucky little feline becomes tense and distressed about the domineering June, whom she encounters every day. Then, during the Friday Gym Olympics, June wins at wrestling and Mim at the 50-yard dash. Finally, they acknowledge each other's talents and team up for an obstacle race, and come in first. The brightly hued gouache cartoon illustrations are filled with child-pleasing colors and patterns, and each character and object is outlined in black. Though this tale resolves a school bully problem in a simplistic manner, it may show children that harmony can be accomplished through cooperation and teamwork.
Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

K-Gr. 2. Mim is the smallest girl in her second-grade class, and she likes it that way. She especially enjoys being at the head of the line. When the second-graders merge with the third-graders for gym class, however, a gigantic third-grader named June informs Mim that she is used to being first. Animosity breaks out, and Mim is on the losing end of June's machinations. Mim tries bringing a cupcake as a peace offering, but June stomps on it. Things come to a head at the Gym Olympics. June wrestles Mim to the ground, but Mim wins the 50-yard dash. The obstacle race is a two-person event, and finally the children realize that they might be better off together than apart. The plot, which is a bit flat, gets a lift from the spunky characters (all cats) and the energetic artwork, with its elemental shapes and childlike sensibility. Roche catches children in full squabble mode, and though the eventual reconciliation seems easy, the familiar changing nature of childhood friends makes it seem possible. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0618152547
• ISBN 13: 9780618152544
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32