Book Review: Gimme-Jimmy by Sherrill Cannon

SON SAYS

What it’s about: This book is about a boy who every time he says “Gimme”, his hand will get bigger.  He learns to be nice and never say “Gimme”.
What I liked and disliked about it:  I thought that it was funny when Jimmy’s hand grew, but I didn’t feel sorry for him because he was being mean. It was a good thing that he learned to be polite and nice so that his hand could be normal.  I liked the pictures where Jimmy’s hand is really big, especially the one with the kids in the classroom and  the one with the computer because he’s trying to write something on the computer and he ends up smacking his face because he’s frustrated. It was fun to look for the pictures of the other books because it was like a treasure hunt.

My bottom line:  I liked this book and I think that both boys and girls my age and younger and maybe kids a bit older would like it too.

MOM SAYS

What it’s about:  This book tells the wonderful tale of Gimme-Jimmy, a little boy who is in desperate need of a lesson on manners.  Jimmy’s father warns him of the consequences of his greediness and rudeness, but sometimes the lesson can only be learned first hand.  Jimmy soon learns that everytime he says “gimme”, his hand grows a bit bigger.  Soon, Jimmy learns the secret to shrinking his huge hand and also learns the benefits of his newly found politeness.

What I liked and disliked about it: I love rhyming!  I used to live my life in rhyme. When my daughter was little, she would give me a line and I would respond with a rhyming line and vice versa.  So, can I just say that I have a complete appreciation for someone who can write a whole book rhyming every two lines?   As far as I’m concerned it takes a special talent to tell a story through creative rhyming.  Here’s an example:

All of a sudden, he felt his hand swell;

It was slowly enlarging and seemed red as well.

It didn’t hurt much, but it looked very strange,

And Jimmy could see a remarkable change.

I also really like that the story has a strong message regarding bullying and the consequences of bullying.  By the end, Jimmy learns that bullying is bad but he also learns that when you act appropriately, there are other positive consequences.  I like the inclusion of Jimmy’s New Polite Rule which gives kids concrete ideas for how to behave.  It’s so easy to point out what kids are doing wrong, but what this book provides is direction for what behaviours are expected from them instead. LOVE that!

I love the originality of the consequences of the always saying “gimme” – it’s quite funny and it is well illustrated.  I thought it was a brilliant idea to include the covers of the author’s other books (i.e., The Magic Word and Peter and the Whimper-Whineys) as well as a character from one of her other books (i.e., Elizabeth from The Magic Word) in the book as part of a game of hide and seek.  It is really clever marketing.

My bottom line: I actually really, really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to children aged 3+.  I’ve also had the opportunity to read another of Sherrill Cannon’s books, Peter and the Whimper-Whineys, and enjoyed that one as well. I’ve actually found myself asking my kids, “Do you want to go to Whimper-Whiney Land?” when they start complaining!

** Gimme-Jimmy by S. Cannon was provided to us free-of-charge by the author. **

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