Pierre: a cautionary tale

Pierre: a cautionary tale
By Maurice Sendak
Publisher/Date: Scholastic 1962
# of Pages: 48
Reading Level: ages 4-8
Genre: picture book

Summary:

this is the tale of a boy named Pierre who doesn't seem to care about anything. Whenever his parents say something or ask him a question, all he says is, "I don't care". They end up leaving him at home when they go to town because he doesn't care. while they're gone, a lion comes and asks if he can eat Pierre. Pierre says, "I don't care". so the lion eats him. his parents come home to find the lion sick in bed, and they ask him where Pierre is. the lion says, "i don't care". then they know that Pierre is in the lion. so they take the lion to the hospital and the doctor shakes the lion until Pierre falls out. When he does, he has changed his mind about not caring, and now CARES!



Who benefits from reading this book?

Any child who needs to learn how to care will benefit from reading this book. it's also written in poetry format, and there is actually a song that comes from this story, so it's a fun book to read.

what problems could this book cause?

this book's purpose is to teach the lesson about caring. therefore, at the beginning of the story, Pierre misbehaves and doesn't really respect his parents. I would say that he sets a bad example except for the fact that in the end he learns his lesson and changes his attitude. so i'd say this book is problem-free.

my reaction:

I've loved this book ever since i first read it. The first time i did read it, i played the tape with the song along with it, so i was able to follow along with the words to the song. I remember my mom always quoting it whenever i told her i didn't care. this is one of those books that has stuck with me, and continues to be one of my favorites. I will read this to my children, and i highly recommend it.