Editorial Review
Running Press is proud to offer this beloved 1974 children's classic. It's the original, innovative book that celebrates diversity, challenges stereotypes, and encourages kids to be themselves in a joyful, positive manner, through a collection of songs, poems, and stories to be read aloud and shared with new generations. Also available in a Miniature Edition™
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Customer Reviews
My childhood favorite is now my daughters' favorite 
2008-08-13
I'm convinced that I grew up to be a feminist, independent thinker, and lawyer - open to people from all backgrounds - because of Free to Be You and Me. The issues and songs and images are just as relevant today. It's fun for me to watch and hear the celebrities I grew up knowing and my young daughters don't know it's dated - bell bottoms do not deter them from the wonderful messages in these stories.
Classic 2008-07-28
This is a great item for those that remember when Marlo did this the first time. My daughter's school performed a rendition of the same and she was thrilled to have this classic to listen to their performance. The book is great too as it has the musical scores.
35 years later.... still relevant and powerful 2008-05-11
I have had the great honor and pleasure of working with Marlo Thomas and Carole Hart on the 35th edition of this classic book. The book has inspired millions and it will continue to do so. This book is as powerful today as it was when it was first published. It is often pegged as a book to empower girls, but it speaks to boys equally - after all, isn't that our goal -- to be treated as people, not labels? I am hoping that the human race can evolve into a kinder, more generous and sensitive people. This book, given at an early age, (or ANY AGE, in fact!) will continue to help in that process.
It's more important then ever 2008-04-08
Sharing,equality of the sexes,respect for anothers heritage ,asking for help from your friends, believing that you can do anything and be anyone when you grow up,knowing it's ok to cry when you hurt inside. All this is wrappped up in a beautiful book with print that easy for a new reader to read along with you,illustrations,song lyrics and musical scores too. What reson could you have for not buying this large book for your children or grandchildren?
I think FREE TO BE is a must for kids in 2008... 2008-03-24
...I bought the CD for my 7-year-old daughter for Christmas this year, and she just adores it. I had both the book and record as a child and highly recommend both formats be used together to reinforce each other. FREE TO BE is timeless because of the way it introduces kids to relationships, and how they will develop and grow into adults. It takes them from babies, to childhood friends, to tweens on up to mommies and daddies, showing them in song and poem how we grow into the people we are, and the kinds of choices we have. And, it makes it FUNNY by showing that nobody is perfect and mistakes are OK (not fatal)! FREE TO BE encourages kids to be imaginative and literary by emphasizing poetry, short stories and the like. What a nice change from the current emphasis on celebrity and quick, cheap notoriety as the only way to be successful and important in life. Back when I read this, I know my mom had hopes that gender biases and barriers would be eliminated by the time I had children. Who knew that by the time I had children, things would have gone too far the other way. Now, everywhere I look, people have no shame about exposing themselves just to get attention, literally and figuratively. I disagree that the ideas put forth here are dated. We've lived in 5 separate states, and there are *still* parents out there telling their sons that it's "wrong" to play with dolls, and their daughters should be doing housework instead of trying out for sports. The concepts behind "Atalanta," "William's Doll," and "It's All Right to Cry" still need to be REINFORCED because kids need to understand that it's who they are as people that make them special - with their feelings, ideas, dreams, abilities, and responsibilities - and not how much skin they expose or how many times they are friended by total strangers on MySpace or FaceBook. You can't expect them to just pick this up by osmosis when there is so much out there giving the opposite message. I hope kids continue to be entertained and provoked by certain themes in FREE TO BE because let's face it - as parents, it's difficult to teach children about certain concepts. The more you talk about something you consider important, the more you are tuned out. It's the "Charlie Brown's teacher" syndrome - "Wah, wah wah wah wah." But, these songs are great jumping off points for discussion. And, if you didn't memorize the recording as a child of the 70's (like me), they songs are so easy to remember. If your child plays it as often as mine does, you'll have no choice but to memorize it. ;-)
the gold standard 2008-02-16
Running Press is proud to offer this beloved 1974 children's classic. It's the original, innovative book that celebrates diversity, challenges stereotypes, and encourages kids to be themselves in a joyful, positive manner, through a collection of songs, poems, and stories to be read aloud and shared with new generations. Also available in a Miniature Edition™
Give in to nostalgia 
2007-04-02
Even though some of the message seems a little outdated (really, in this day and age--the "girls can do anything, boys can play with dolls" message seemes almost silly), this is a great book. My kids love the CD so the book is a nice complement to it. Educational but fun for them!
Better for today's kids than the video 2007-01-05
The kids of today, 2007, don't know who Rosie Greer is. Buy this for them and they can have fun reading the stories, especially the dialogues with the babies.
Great to share with my own kids 2006-09-08
I also grew up listening to this music. I bought it for my son and he absolutely loves the silly poems and the upbeat music. I hope my baby girl enjoys it as well. As a female stockbroker who scaled back to 2 days per week in order to spend more time with my kids, I think this is a fabulous collection of songs and stories to make you think outside the box. I know it encouraged me to be strong and stick by what I want to be when I grow up- somedays I wear dresses that show off my knees and other days I wear trousers twice as long (or sweat pants!). As for the poor reviewer who said it robbed her of her femininity- I really don't understand how that's possible. The whole point of the book is to encourage individuality and inner strength to be true to yourself. Cry when you're sad. Be what you want to be. Love everyone as they are. Sounds good to me.
Entertaining, Well-written and Still Relevent 2006-01-02
I grew up with this book and album. I still know many of the songs and stories by heart.
The lessons in this book helped give me a confidence and attitude that my mom couldn't give me, being raised in the 50's with strict gender roles.
As for the reviewer who says this book robbed her of being dinstinctly feminine, I suspect there are other issues at play there. This book does not promote androgeny, but individuality and discourages typecasting based on gender. I am still distinctly feminine, I wear dresses and makeup and heels. But I don't think that because I enjoy looking like a woman, I should be treated as a lesser class. This book helped me to understand the difference.
