Reviews

Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo

traci_mm's review against another edition

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2.0

The pictures are so soft and wonderful but the story could have been a little more in depth.

adriansaurus's review against another edition

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4.0

A young girl explores the idea of homelessness when she notices a man sleeping on the corner of the street she lives on. This is a christmas tale with a warm but superficial ending. Good for introducing kids to challenging ideas such as home insecurity and poverty, and a very good intro into the little things we can do to help others.

immovabletype's review against another edition

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reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

stellarae25's review against another edition

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5.0

This story is so sweet and adorable but also kinda devastating. The illustrations are gorgeous.

kkh2025's review against another edition

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5.0

This book truly is a great joy! I loved the ending.

sevenswirls's review against another edition

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5.0

Kate DiCamillo's first picture book... lovely as everything else she writes! I just adore her writing. Beautiful images by Bagram Ibatoulline (who also illustrated Edward Tulane).

marslars11's review against another edition

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5.0

This is so lovely. :)

elisaw5's review against another edition

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5.0

Lovely book!

mestes5's review against another edition

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5.0

I love Kate DiCamillo. This picture book was so lovely telling the story of a little girl curious about where an organ grinder and his monkey sleep at night in the cold. The realistic, impressionist illustrations help to convey the reality of the situation to young readers. My girls all got the lesson and talked about similarities. A sweet way to teach empathy. And, the last page was the epitome of great joy and idealism. So sweet.

nahnisbookz's review against another edition

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4.0

A little girl wonders about the organ grinder and his monkey who play music on the corner by her home. She decides to see where he sleeps at night and realizes that he is homeless. She seeks her mom's help, and the girl can't understand why her mother won't invite him over for dinner. Instead, the girl invites him to her church play, much to her mom's chagrin. The book handles homelessness in a simple way. A nice holiday story with beautiful illustrations.