Customer Reviews: Read 40 more reviews...
 Getting a Handle on Yourself at Five November 14, 2008
When one of my sons was five, he would get very angry about virtually anything. If you were in the vicinity, it was dangerous. He was kicked out of three pre-schools before we found one where he felt comfortable and peaceful. Whew!
It's hard to know how to talk to a child at that stage. I wish that It's Hard to Be Five had been around for that year.
The book opens on a sympathetic note:
"It's hard to be five. I'm little no more. Good old days are gone. 'Bye one, two, three, four." Across the way, a tiny brother is happily playing. "It's hard to be five. Just yelled at my brother."
The boy reveals that his mouth has a mind of its own, his clothes don't fit because he's growing, he can't stand being told "no," he loves to be dirty while his parents want him clean, school is scary, he wants to hit when someone cuts in line, he bit someone else for cutting in line, and he hates sitting still.
The boy also shares a rich fantasy life as a ninja chopping bad guys.
A major reversal occurs when the boy decides that his body is a car and he's licensed to steer. Then, it's fun to be five. He works, builds, and grows plants.
It's clear when to walk and when to run, when to stop and when to go, and when to push and when to tow.
He also becomes more forgiving of himself:
"And when I mess up or do right, it's a start 'cause I have my own mind and I have my own heart."
He concludes, "It's hard fun to be five so strong and so loud. Give me five 'cause I know it. I'm here and I'm proud!"
The illustrations add a lot of fun and depth to the messages. The two page spread at the front bound inside the cover shows a control panel on the boy that's turned off with a big panic button in the middle. There's a meltdown meter tied to an alarm clock that gives second warnings and finally a China Syndrome alert while steam seems to be emerging from his ears. The back inside cover has a parallel two page spread that shows the control panel is A-OK, he is running smoothly, he's not afraid, and there's no need to worry.
If your child knows a boy who has similar problems, your child might even enjoy sharing the book with the troubled boy.
A book that helped my 5-year old! September 13, 2008
This book was perfect for my 5-year-old son. Why? When I read it to him, you could almost see him nodding. That's how he felt! It helped him to put words to his emotions of starting full-time kindergarten to having a younger sibling. Made him feel normal and hopeful that things he was having trouble with, friends, temper, school... would get better, and because being 5 is great! The illustrations are awesome, because while you read the book or after, you and your child can look for the small details within the illustrations to discuss. Overall, this is the book that I would buy again and again for a 5-year old!
BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW! June 13, 2008
As a four and five year old preschool teacher, I was amazed at this book's exact representation of what a five-year-old is feeling! It pegged them perfectly! The important thing is that this book helps the child see that ALL five year olds feel similar to how they are feeling, and experience the same struggles. Yet, it teaches this in such a FUN way! The pictures are great...I would especially suggest this book for one-on-one reading, because of the detail on the pages, but it worked very well for my circle time as well. If you care about your child's emotional and social development (which I know you do), BUY THIS BOOK!
We love J.L. Curtis books April 6, 2008
We have most of Jamie L. Curtis books. The illustrations are wonderful and the stories are great. I had my daughters full attention when I read her this book. The kid perspective that Jamie takes is great. Kids can definately identify and reminds parents that it's not all that easy to be a kid.
Great self-esteem book for kids! February 10, 2008
Another wonderful contribution from Curtis. We read this book to our daughter until she could read it to herself changing the age to fit her age, from three until five when she read it herself. This book "normalizes" the behavior of children. It helps them and parents to understand our children have difficulty controlling their impulses but are nonetheless wonderful and loveable. I read this book to my daughter's class in Kindergarten and it was a huge hit as well.
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