Friday, April 26, 2019

I AM THE BOSS OF THIS CHAIR by Carolyn Crimi & Marisa Morea – A story about making rules and learning to share


I was surprised at how much my students liked this book!  

Summary from Amazon:

Oswald Minklehoff Honey Bunny III has always been top cat. Then Pom Pom the kitten comes along and suddenly Oswald isn’t the boss of everything anymore—not the toilet paper, food dish, back door, toy mouse, or even his own special chair. Will Oswald realize that life is more fun when you have a friend—and that, really, there’s plenty of room on the chair to share? A fun picture book with a comforting message for any kid with a new sibling.

I Am the Boss of This Chair was written by Carolyn Crimi and illustrated by Marisa Morea. It was published in 2018 by Sterling Children’s Books.


Opening:    
 
I, Oswald Minklehoff Honey Bunny III, am the boss of this chair.
You may look at it, and you may walk by it, but you may not sit in it.


My Thoughts as a Writer:

The theme of bossiness is very clear from the very first line, but the story doesn’t come across as didactic. The cat characters and use of exaggeration make this a fun read! Because the characters are cats, they can get away with a lot of naughtiness. I especially liked the ending, because it seemed realistic and I think it would be comforting to a child.


My Thoughts as an Educator:

Children can easily relate to this book. In a classroom setting, there are often some students who attempt to “make rules” for other students about play. This book provides a great opportunity to discuss some ways to be kind and to talk about one of the key principles in preschool and kindergarten – sharing! It is also a fun way to help children explore their feelings about siblings (new or ones that were already there when they arrived).

Ages: 3-7

Grades: PreK – 2

Themes: bossiness, sharing, cats

Activities:

Predict: What would happen if a third cat came along and wanted to use the chair? Draw or write about what might happen.

STEAM: Can you build a new chair for the cats?

Think like an illustrator: Look closely at how the illustrator made the cats in the illustrations. How did she create the cat faces? Their fur? Using pastels, paints and black marker, create your cat character. Or try creating a character for a different animal!

Discuss: What can you do if someone is bossy? Have you ever been bossy yourself? Are there some things that belong to you that you don’t want to share?



15 comments:

  1. This sounds like a fun story. We have a dog who is trying to be king of a chair. It's quite funny to watch as she tries to tell us she is alpha dog. I enjoy Carolyn Crimi's books so much so I can't wait to read this one.

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    1. Oh, I bet that is funny! I wonder if Carolyn Crimi's book is based on a real life cat!

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  2. Love your review, Andrea! Especially the STEAM connection in activities!

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    1. Thank you so much! I love thinking of activities to go along with books!

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  3. What a fun book about sharing -- perfect for children. Love your discussion questions.

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    1. Thank you, Patricia! It is so much easier for kids to discuss issues when it comes from a story!

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  4. How fun to this book reviewed on your blog! I just checked out this book from my library last week. This is definitely a picture book that needs to be read in classrooms year after year after year.

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    1. What a lovely coincidence! I agree. It may be one that I purchase for my classroom.

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  5. Andrea, this book sounds like a good one for my little two-year-old neighbor. I'll definitely check it out. And I think your activities are awesome.

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    1. Thank you so much, Maria! I really enjoy thinking up the activities!

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  6. I love that cover illustration. It tells a story all by itself. I look forward to finding this one. It will be interesting to see what my 15-yr-old son who loves cats thinks about this. I do think that creating a story with animal characters helps an author "get away" with behavior that wouldn't fly if it were kids. A great way to "coach" kids about "good" behavior.

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    1. Yes, that's true--about the cover and the characters! It has inspired me to play with some of the characters in my stories.

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  7. Ooh, you're right. This would be a great book for the classroom. There's always one little monkey who has to be making ALL the rules :)

    The title immediately reminded me of when my youngest son, at the age of 3, would stand his ground, cross his arms, and say, "You're not the boss of me!". Haha! Sorry little guy, but I actually am!

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    1. The challenge is when there is more than one little monkey who thinks their rules are the right ones....Ooooh, I think I just got a new picture book idea there! Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to comment!

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  8. Wow! I really enjoyed reading your thoughts and breakdown of this PB. It sounds wonderful. I can see how children will love it.

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