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laila4343's review against another edition
4.0
I grew up loving the Anastasia Krupnik books but never made it to the books about her little brother Sam. This was great! It starts off with a cute chapter from the POV of Sam as a newborn and goes from there. I would think that this would be a fun read-aloud to elementary school aged kids. Gonna remember this one when my little boy is older.
jokiwi's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
An absolute childhood classic that the whole family will enjoy. See the world from Sam's perspective, starting on the day of his birth. The kids will laugh at his antics, the parents will laugh whilst also crying inside over the antics.
tsundokued's review against another edition
5.0
This kid is soooooooo adorable...I don't know what to say. Iron the pump! #Reference. This deserves 6 stars but unfortunately I'm only allowed to have 5.
erinmp's review against another edition
4.0
Sam Krupnik is best known as Anastasia's brilliant little brother. Sam has his own story, though; and now it's time for him to tell it. We see Sam's life through his eyes--from his birth, to walking and talking, to first pets and scary monsters. Sam has his own mind and his own way of seeing things...that might not be the same way that everyone else sees it.
I loved this book. It was adorable and funny, just like all of the Anastasia books. Sam is quite a character and it is amusing to see the way that he interprets things and see his side of the same stories we saw Anastasia experience--sometimes they are *very* different! Inventive and fun.
I loved this book. It was adorable and funny, just like all of the Anastasia books. Sam is quite a character and it is amusing to see the way that he interprets things and see his side of the same stories we saw Anastasia experience--sometimes they are *very* different! Inventive and fun.
micklemelody's review against another edition
4.0
Eleanor and I both loved this book. Funny and wonderful.
nobookendinsight's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
finesilkflower's review against another edition
3.0
This spinoff of the Anastasia series concerns small childhood events in the life of Anastasia's younger brother, Sam, from birth to about age four (including several incidents that were observed or mentioned in the early Anastasia books.) From Sam's point of view, we understand the logic of actions that may have appeared destructive or troublesome to an outsider. For example, Sam flushed Anastasia's goldfish, Frank, down the toilet because his mother had explained how water evaporates and rains down, and he wanted to make it rain goldfish. Sam is a highly curious kid, prone to mischief, but with his heart in the right place. Like Anastasia, he has a loving relationship with his quirky, artistic family.
One of the most interesting things about this book is its opening at the moment of Sam's birth. It's a device, I think, intended to make it clear how very smart Sam is -- he's conscious and aware right away, and he's himself, and it's implied that he will remember all this later -- but I found myself being taken out of the moment by constantly wondering how he could possibly understand the context and vocabulary to describe what he was seeing. While he can't speak yet, he can apparently understand what people are saying. I get that it's intended in a spirit of fun, not really to be taken too seriously, but I found it distracting.
This is a short, light read, similar in tone to the Anastasia stories but for a younger audience. There's not a ton to it, but as a child, I think I would have found that very comforting; I liked books that were just sort of a series of small incidents. The pen-and-ink illustrations are lovely. Recommended for a kid who may be too young for the later Anastasia books, or a big Anastasia fan who wants more of the family.
One of the most interesting things about this book is its opening at the moment of Sam's birth. It's a device, I think, intended to make it clear how very smart Sam is -- he's conscious and aware right away, and he's himself, and it's implied that he will remember all this later -- but I found myself being taken out of the moment by constantly wondering how he could possibly understand the context and vocabulary to describe what he was seeing. While he can't speak yet, he can apparently understand what people are saying. I get that it's intended in a spirit of fun, not really to be taken too seriously, but I found it distracting.
This is a short, light read, similar in tone to the Anastasia stories but for a younger audience. There's not a ton to it, but as a child, I think I would have found that very comforting; I liked books that were just sort of a series of small incidents. The pen-and-ink illustrations are lovely. Recommended for a kid who may be too young for the later Anastasia books, or a big Anastasia fan who wants more of the family.
kslhersam's review against another edition
4.0
I read this to Isaac (7) and we both really liked it. Sam reminds me a bit of Fudge in the Judy Blume books, though this book is told from Sam's perspective. Cleverly done.
lora_dolly's review against another edition
4.0
I read this forever ago, but am ready all these books again because I have kids nearly old enough to read these. I love that while they do have some great messages, the stories are still fun to read. Lois Lowry knows how to write memorable unique characters and that's such a great tool for kids to learn, both in understanding and retaining the reading, but also to apply to their own writing.