I'm Number One - Hardcover

Rosen, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763645354 ISBN 13: 9780763645359

Publisher: Candlewick, 2009

Synopsis

How do you deal with a bully? A stellar author-illustrator team shows that a touch of playfulness can go a long way. (Age 3 and up)

Little wind-up soldier A-One is in charge. At least that’s what he tells the other toys: Sally, Maddy, and Sid. When he tells them to turn his key, they do it. When he tells them they’re no good, they feel bad. He calls them all kinds of things: no good, hopeless, the worst. Or was that hope-use, good-no, and less-less? Somehow, stringing all those mean words together makes them start to sound, well, silly — and even though A-One doesn’t mean to, he finds himself smiling too. From the incomparable Michael Rosen and Bob Graham comes an insightful, child-friendly tale about learning how to be one of the gang.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Rosen, the current British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.

Bob Graham is the beloved author-illustrator of many books, including "LET'S GET A PUP," SAID KATE; DIMITY DUMPTY; and HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING. He collaborated with Michael Rosen previously on THIS IS OUR HOUSE. Bob Graham lives in Australia.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 1—Through soft illustrations rendered in pen and watercolor, this simple story offers a helpful message: a bully loses his power when surrounded by friends who rally together. When a girl and her mother leave the house, three toys—a doll named Sally, a duck named Maddy, and a Pig named Sid—must endure name-calling and bossiness from a toy soldier throughout the day. Soon the friends learn that if they can laugh at one another, A-One's message no longer hurts them; in fact, he learns that even he may need friends.—Melissa Smith, Green Valley Library, Henderson, NV
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

When a group of toys is left alone for the day, A-One, a very bossy windup soldier, takes command. Neither his duck, doll, nor pig subjects are able to live up to his expectations, and so he marches them around, makes fun of them, and purloins their belongings. As he continues his attempts to assert his authority, though, he notices that the other toys’ gentle teasing shows that self-assurance is more powerful than his bully’s bravado. As a smile soon cracks on A-One’s face, he realizes he wouldn’t be anywhere without his companions, and so he returns the stolen items and rejoins the forgiving gang as an equal. The pen-and-watercolor illustrations are filled with expressive characters and Graham’s signature, whimsical details, such as the stuffed pig’s snout ring. This simple, affecting story will be welcome anywhere that more than two young kids are gathered together and where laughter, not mean words, is the lingua franca. Preschool-Grade 1. --Andrew Medlar

Edition details

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0763645354
• ISBN 13: 9780763645359
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Graham Bob
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32