My Brave Year of Firsts: Tries, Signs, and High Fives by Jamie Lee Curtis
Illustrated by Laura Cornell
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3
Pages: 40 Hardcover 11×9
Date Published: September 4th, 2012
Publisher: Joanna Colter Books, an imprint of HarperCollins
The FIRST day I walked straight into FIRST grade.
My teacher, Miss Apple, said, “Don’t be afraid.”
At FIRST I felt like I might not fit in,
till I made my FIRST friends, my very FIRST TWINS.Remember the very first time you rode a bike? Tied your shoes? (Was it bunny ears or loop-over-under-through?) Or the first time you giggled so hard that milk came out of your nose? Jamie Lee Curtis captures those meaningful breakthroughs in childhood that are momentous, exciting, and sometimes a little bit scary, too-making new friends, playing T-ball, falling down and getting a scrape, and more daunting times, like getting caught in your first lie and learning to say you were wrong. With a boisterous family featuring a spunky young heroine, Frankie, her little brother (a baby who just happens to do everything perfectly the first time!), and the beloved and quirky family dog, who’s missing his front teeth just like Frankie, Laura Cornell illustrates one wonderfully funny and poignant year of firsts.
My Brave Year of Firsts, written from the heart and illustrated with hilarity, is the tenth collaboration from this bestselling team. Jamie Lee Curtis reminds us that first times are all about learning and growing. This is the perfect addition to her Books to Grow By series, helping kids navigate childhood and define their own young worlds.
Looking at reviews of their past books I was sure that I was going to love this one. I love Jamie Lee Curtis and the purpose of these books is so important. But I’m not sure how I feel about this one. Yes I think it’s cute and pretty right about experiencing new things both good and bad, but maybe I’m not a fan of this style of illustration. I’m not sure what it is really about this book, but it just doesn’t grab me.
*Thanks to HarperCollins for providing an ARC for review.*
Jamie Lee Curtis is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of My Mommy Hung the Moon; Big Words for Little People; Is There Really a Human Race?; It’s Hard to Be Five; I’m Gonna Like Me; Where Do Balloons Go?; Today I Feel Silly; Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born; and When I Was Little. She lives in California with her family. You can visit her online at www.jamieleecurtisbooks.com.
