It's Not Fair!

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Tom Lichtenheld (Illustrator)

Overview

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of I Wish You More, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, comes a book that belongs in every home with siblings.

“It’s not FAIR!”

Why'd I get the smaller half? Why don't you yell at her? Why does my team always lose? Why can't we have a pet giraffe? Because that's life.

Life doesn’t always go the way we want it to. But with this delightful and witty book, bestselling duo Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld reassure us that everyone, including pigs, planets, and square pegs, sometimes thinks: It's not fair!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061965128
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	12/07/2010
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Amy Krouse Rosenthal wrote more than thirty picture books, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Dear Girl, (cowritten with her daughter, Paris Rosenthal) and I Wish You More (cowritten with Tom Lichtenheld). A con­tributor to NPR, TED collaborator and speaker, filmmaker, and the author of two groundbreaking memoirs (Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life and Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal), she raised her three children with her husband, Jason, in Chicago. For more about Amy’s life, work, and the foundation formed in her memory, please see amykrouserosenthalfoundation.org.

Tom Lichtenheld makes books for children and people who used to be children. His New York Times bestsellers include I Wish You More and Duck! Rabbit!, created with Amy Krouse Rosenthal; Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, created with Sherri Duskey Rinker; and Stick and Stone, created with Beth Ferry. See all his books at tomlichtenheld.com.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-Gr 1- This attempt to poke fun at one of the most familiar childhood complaints is framed by endpapers clearly aimed at earning grown-up chuckles-they show a pseudo-lawsuit drawn up by the firm of "Fullglass and Milk, P.C." and filed in the "Circuit Court of Fairness." The text consists of questions about particular pieces of bad luck or perceived slights that range from the division of cookies to a child who must wear glasses. "Why does she get brand-new shoes?/"Why does my team always lose?" The joke is stretched, although thinly, to include complaints from animals, inanimate objects, monsters, and planets. The structure and rhythm of the text falter from time to time, but the cartoon illustrations give the narrative a lively yet simple look with lots of emotion-mostly indignation and sadness-captured in just a few lines. This book will be well received by those who know the inherent injustices of childhood all too well, and the repeated refrain will invite participation in groups and one-on-one sharing.-Jane Marino, Bronxville Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

In this wry tale, the familiar refrain of disgruntled siblings is taken to the nth degree of absurdity. The titular complaint becomes the mantra for all creation, from the smallest spider coveting the better web across the way to a green-eyed planet enviously ogling Saturn's rings. Rosenthal reveals the truth of the old adage, "Life's not fair," driving home this bittersweet truth with a healthy dose of humor so readers will feel a sense of sympathetic commiseration rather than ridicule. By acknowledging the universal feeling that sometimes things just do not go the way one would like, the text paves the way to readers' acceptance and resilience. Litchtenheld's cartoon-style illustrations are deftly sketched with tongue firmly in cheek. His placement of brightly colored figures against simple backgrounds conveys the power of the characters' emotions. This funny, philosophical book is a treat to share with children of all ages. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews