When I Was Little. A Four Year Old's Memoir of Her Youth

Customer Reviews

My first Jamie Lee story

2008-01-10
And definitely not my last. Love Jamie Lee's stories. She is a wonderful author and right on the mark! You will not be disappointed in one book written by Jamie Lee. So far, we have 4 and we're not stopping there.

Good Choice

2007-01-07
This book was purchased for our granddaughter. She enjoys the bright illustrations.

Fun and Engaging, but Not her Best

2007-01-04
You know, this is my least favorite read by Curtis and Cornell thus far...and I'm actually of two minds about it. On one hand, it's got all the trademark things we love about her books - wonderful illustrations that are zany, vivid and almost a story in-and-of themselves, and text that is both silly and hits home with kids. I simply adore the idea of a four year old and her Memoir...that's such an unexpected thing, but it's charming and adorable at the same time! I think that this book is an excellent springboard for a larger lesson on memories; giving parents and/or teacher the opportunity to challenge their young readers (or listeners) to make their own memoir in a similar vein or leading to discussion about what the kids in a reading group/story time remember from when they were "still little."

On the other hand, it's got reference to junk food (by name even...Captain Crunch, Cheetoes, ect..) and it give the message that by age 4 they won't have to ride in a car seat which simply isn't true...here in Ohio, kids have to be 4'9" before they can be without a child safety seat, this is NOT a good message for kids to be getting. Overall, I give it four stars, as I said, it'd make a great spring board for additional activities in reading, writing, drawing and a fantastic place to go from for discussion about growing and changing with young children...but the "product placement" and child seat thing make me less than happy with this book as a parent. I suspect with a subtle correction about oh...how silly, you have to be X years old, or X tall or weight X amount, the car seat thing is easy to overcome and the product placement...well, if kids have already been given proper eating information and have a healthy diet at home, the knowledge that they CAN eat Captain Crunch or Cheetoes every now and then is probably not too terrible a message for kids to get.

Very Babyish

2006-07-06
I thought it would be more like I Feel Silly which it is not. Very babyish - one line sentences. I think the illustrations are not as clear as other books and looks like a mish-mash of colors. My just 5 year old is not interested in it.

Mikeya

2006-06-14
This is a really good book and it is good for little kids because they might remember when they was little

When I Was Little a Four-Year-Olds Memoir of Her Life

2005-12-12

"When I was little, I could hardly do anything. But now I can do lots of things, like braid my own hair and go to nmusery school. I'm not a baby anymore. I'm me!"

Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell perfectly capture a little girl's simple, childlike celebration of herself, as she looks back on her childhood from the lofty height of four and a half years. This spirited view of growing up is perfect for the youngest readers.

Cute, but... 2005-12-08
I have to agree with some other reviewers. I just had a really hard time getting past no car seat (and riding up front!) for a 4 year old. What an awful example! I also took real issue with the idea that Cheetos and Captain Crunch are things 4 year olds should be eating.

As adorable as the illustrations and part of the text are, any book where I have to change a good portion of the words when reading aloud is a big NO to me.

Mom of Two 2005-08-25
I originally purchased this book for my four year old daughter and it has become a favorite of my two year old daughter's as well. She knows every word by heart. The fun and silly situations throughout the book along with the wonderful illustrations encourage our embellished reading of each page. From the dog's tongue on the table to names spelled out in noodles to making up songs in the grocery store... this book is constantly entertaining to the young and the young at heart.

When I was Little(A Four-Year-Old's Memoir of Her Youth) 2005-03-01
This book is really good! It is about a little girl who tells about how she acted when she was little and then it says how she acts now. It compares and contrasts about when she was little and now.

No car seat for a 4 year old!?!?!? 2005-01-13
I really like the book, EXCEPT the page that reads "when I was little I rode in a baby car seat. Now I ride like a grown-up..." Most state require by law that a child ride in child-seat until they are 4 or older....our state requires it until a child is 6 years old. No 4 year old should ride in a car "like a grown up". I have to change the words when we get to that part.