Customer comments on this selection.
 a different child
oliver button is a very charming, candid, outspoken boy of about seven....he does not possess the usual desires of small american lads; instead he prefers walking in woods,playing w dolls and costuming himself. papa and the kids call him a sissy.Read this delightful tale to see how olivers tauntings change remarkably....And tomie de paolas drawings are the best...
ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD BOOKS !!!
I identified with this book so much as a kid, and i still do now as I read it to my own children.
My mother was always scared to read it to me because she knew I was a little "different" and didn't want to encourage it, but i took a solace in it.... and Oliver Button was my hero.
I wanted to be his friend, Because, through this simple book, he was my friend.
This is an excellent story for pre-k-2nd graders. It is a step beyond the simplicity of Todd Parr, but they play in the same field.
It is real and lives in a real world where the out of the ordinary people don't always fit, and strange looks ensue.
Please buy this and read it to your children, they will thank you for it.
A Great Story for Self-Worth
This book describes how Oliver is happy, not playing sports like all the other boys, but taking dance lessons. His parent support him, but at school, he is called a sissy. After a community talent show, which Oliver does not win, his schoolmates realize he is a winner. Oliver stuck with his dreams and desires, against the odds. To me, this story is great for kids, as it illustrates how to stick with something if it is what you desire. It has a great message for children as well as care-givers. The illustrations are wonderful, too.
 Pretty Good, Not DePaola's Best
Tomie dePaola states in the liner notes that Oliver's story is partly autobiographical. "I could spend hours drawing, and nobody ever asked me to play on their ball teams because I was so bad at it."
Oliver's pursuits are less than gender-appropriate in the eyes of his male peers. He enjoys dancing, dressing up, acting, reading, and drawing. His father doesn't approve, either, but his mother and his female peers come to his aid. This help, however, works to Oliver's detriment: "Gotta have help from girls," the boys say teasingly. In the end Oliver, however, Oliver succeeds on his own terms.
This testimony to being oneself was written in 1979, and includes dePaola's signature drawings using a limited color palette. Though it isn't as charming as the Strega Nona books, it effectively delivers its message.
 Great beginning, but fizzles out
I bought this book because Oliver Button is very much like I was at his age. He is more interested in playing with girls and doing activities that are not usually done by boys. I also thought it would be a good way to teach children that they don't have to conform to gender roles. However, having worked with elementary school children in various settings for years, I found the story to be very unrealistic.
The beginning is good. We are presented with a feel for Oliver's dificulties. Everyone wants him to be more like other boys. His father wants him to play sports, but he wants to dance instead. His mother enrolls him in a dance school, and he learns how to dance. He perseveres despite the fact that his peers are pestering him for being a "sissy"; they even write "Oliver Button Is A Sissy" on the wall (hence the title). The girls defend him by giving the bullies a talking-to. The bullies stop beating him up, which is a bit unrealistic; boys who are bullies hate girls as much as they hate boys like Oliver.
I was disappointed by the ending. Near the end, Oliver signs up for a talent show. His act involves tap dancing. The other children in his class, at the teacher's suggestion, go to see him perform. If you think this seems unrealistic (why would children who hate Oliver go to see him perform?), you will be even more disappointed by the last page, when Oliver goes to school after the talent show (which he didn't win) and finds that the wall no longer reads "Oliver Button Is A Sissy" because the word "sissy" has been crossed out and replaced with "star." Just because he does a performance doesn't mean those who formerly hated him will like him. I know this because I tried it myself at his age!
Though I like the ideals the author was trying to communicate, such a tacked-on happy ending is very misleading. You want a book about teasing, read Chrysanthemum. You want a book about prejudice, read Dr. Seuss's The Sneetches. You want a book about children who become successful, read Ibi Lepscky's Famous People series. You want a book about gender roles, read William's Doll. Anything but this book!
|
