Pierre: a Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue

This is a story that is exactly what it says it will be: a cautionary tale, that has five chapters and a prologue. The simple rhyming is funny and begs to be read again and again. A wonderful lesson to learn, 'CARE!'

Care is the moral of this story. Do I care?

This is a very silly little book about a boy named Pierre who didn't say anything except "I don't care." His parents cared a lot about him, but the only thing he said in response was "I don't care!" He didn't care about being left behind and then one evening a Lion came and asked Pierre if he

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wanted to die! Pierre said "I don't care!" and so the lion ate him up! You'll have to read the rest of the story to find out what really happen to Pierre and if he ever spoke another word!

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Personal Response: I laughed a lot while reading this book.
Curricular Connection: This book could be read aloud to a Kindergarten class. Afterwards, students could talk about times they've been naughty to their parents.

Pierre has trouble listening to his parents. Anytime they try and get him to do something he says, "I don't care!". A hungry lion comes along and teaches a Pierre a lesson about following rules and listening. The book is split up into a couple of chapters and is longer than an average picture book.

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The story is written in rhythm and rhyme making it easier for young children to read. It would be a good book for beginner readers to learn to read independently.

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Pierre has a hard time listening to his parents. Every time they tell him to do something, he says, "I don't care!" Until one day a lion comes along and teaches him to care. The story's moral is hidden deep in the lion's belly, but it is clear and simple. Respect can also go along with this tale.

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Just like many other Sendak books, it's small (easy for little hands to hold), it rhymes, and it teaches something. I thought that it was a very cute book and funny too.

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I remember enjoying reading this story to my students, and I also enjoyed the cassette tape (at the time) of the story put to song, sung by Carole King. Cute story about a little boy with an attitude who gets eaten by a lion. When he gets shaken back out of the lion, he has a whole new attitude! :)

Part of my quest to read all of Sendak's books. I don't remember reading this one when I was a child. It certainly is heavy-handed. The nice thing about Sendak's drawings is that they're not too flowery or complicated. There are no background to distract the child. Sometimes over-done drawings in

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children's books are nice, but sometimes it's just as nice to get one's point across.

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This a tale of a quarrelsome lad named Pierre who haughtily responded to every statement of question with "I don't care."

Until one day he responded to the Lion that he did not care if the Lion ate him. After a rescue from the stomach of the lion, Pierre indeed began to care.

The moral of the

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story...you may not appreciate life until you run the risk of losing it.

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This little book by Maurice Sendak is about a naughty little boy whose favorite words are "I don't care!" His whiny apathy leads him to be swallowed by a lion while his parents are in town. Pierre is, of course, freed from the lion, and afterwards he does care about his life and about making

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decisions. While this book is very fantastical and borders on violence, the theme of Sendak's story is the importance of caring and taking control of one's own decisions. It is a little much for younger children to swallow and they may be frightened of the lion, but perhaps for second graders and a little older it would be a fun book to read while teaching them about self-importance and self-esteem. I really enjoyed this book as a child and even now, and I think Sendak's illustrations are funny and engaging.

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I enjoyed this book due to the illustrations and organization of the story. The illustrations, also provided by Maurice Sendak, enhance the story since the facials Pierre makes are very appropriate to his character. Pierre is a rebellious character who replies to everything with, "I don't care."

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Because he does not care, he does what he pleases and his facials are always depicted as sassy with a lot of attitude behind them. The illustrations of his facial expressions enhance his character, thus enhancing the story itself. Once Pierre has a change of heart by the end of the story, his facial expressions drastically change, making his transition very obvious to the reader. I also liked the organization of the book and that although the book is meant for younger readers, it is organized into 5 "chapters" with a prologue. The book also provides a Table of Contents at the beginning, teaching young readers various text features and making them feel like more advanced readers for being able to read what they believe to be a chapter book.

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A little odd. I have to admit, though I love Wild Things, I'm not an unabashed Sendak fan.

This "cautionary tale" is about a young boy who responds "I don't care" to every statement or question directed his way, ultimately leading to him being swallowed up by a lion. Sendak warns that children shouldn't use "I don't care" as a response, which I suppose is a valid point although I haven't

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come across many children who are that indifferent all the time. The illustrations use a fairly muted palette of blues and yellows, which makes for an interesting and pleasing aesthetic effect.

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