Squashed in the Middle (ALA Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards)) - Hardcover

Winthrop, Elizabeth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805064974 ISBN 13: 9780805064971

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2005

Synopsis

"I'm going to spend the night at Rosa's house," said Daisy. But nobody heard her.

Being a middle child isn't easy

Nobody ever listens to Daisy. Her father was chopping carrots. Her mother was talking on the phone. Her big sister was chasing her little brother around and around the kitchen table. So it was no surprise that no one heard where Daisy went, even though she told them.

With humorous text and striking, bold illustrations, this book captures the frustration of a middle child trying to be heard over the noise of a well-meaning family.

About this title

About the Author

Elizabeth Winthrop, a middle child herself, has written more than fifty books for readers of all ages. These include her award-winning picture book Dumpy La Rue (a New York Times Best Illustrated Book), illustrated by Betsy Lewin, and Dog Show, illustrated by Mark Ulriksen.

Pat Cummings is the illustrator of more than thirty picture books, many of which she has written herself. She is a Coretta Scott King Award winner, whose books include Ananse and the Lizard and Angel Baby. Ms. Cummings teaches at Parson's School of Design and lives in Brooklyn with her husband.

Visit Elizabeth Winthrop at her website: www.elizabethwinthrop.com

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 2–Middle children will easily identify with Daisy, who has a know-it-all older sister and a pesky younger brother. Everyone in her African-American family speaks for her. When she tries to speak for herself, no one listens. The breaking point comes when her friend invites her to a sleepover. Mother says that Daisy has never slept at someone's house, and her sister insists she will come home in the middle of the night. Daisy announces that she is going to Rosa's anyway, but no one hears. When the family finally goes in search of her, they discover a Daisy they never knew. The text is brief, extended by the details and facial expressions in the mixed-media, double-page illustrations. In the first spread, Cummings offers an arresting close-up of Daisy, her face split down the middle by the book's gutter, hair flying across both pages, hands up to her head in a gesture of hopelessness. Her family cavorts on either side. The contrast between that picture, on a blue background, and the last one, when "for the first time, everybody listened [to Daisy]," is marvelous. Here she is depicted on a yellow ground, is once again in the middle, her hands are again up, but her expression is one of delight. Pair this engaging read-aloud with Brigitte Weninger's Davy in the Middle (North-South, 2004).– Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT
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*Starred Review* K-Gr. 3. Beginning with the up-close, downcast face on the jacket, this direct picture book personalizes the frustration of a middle child wanting to be heard. Daisy's parents and her older sister and younger brother talk to and about Daisy, and they talk over her head. But when Daisy speaks, nobody listens. When Daisy's friend invites her to sleep over, everyone has a comment: "Daisy has never slept over at someone's house before"; "She won't go anywhere without her stuffed duck." Nobody pays attention when Daisy declares that she's going anyway, and then leaves. Her courage surprises her family into finally understanding how she feels. Cummings' recognizable robust style and intense palette are evident in the engaging design here, a bright amalgamation of bold full-page close-ups that clearly reflect Daisy's feelings; small, square insets; and vigorous, varied double-page spreads--particularly the sweeping picture from which the cover illustration was drawn. All include homey and whimsical details that give Daisy and her African American family a thoroughly modern, familiar look: big sis is glued to her headphones; Dad chops carrots for dinner. Many kids, no matter their family pecking order, will respond to Daisy's predicament; everyone likes to be heard! Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805064974
• ISBN 13: 9780805064971
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Cummings Pat
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32