Jamaica and Brianna

by Juanita Havill Narrated by Lynne Thigpen

Overview

Jamaica doesn't like wearing her brother's old hand-me-down boots to school. She's happy when the tiny hole in the toe gets bigger. Now her mother will have to take her shopping for new boots. She wants to buy some beautiful fuzzy pink ones like her friend Brianna's, but Brianna might think she's copying. So she picks out a pair of fancy cowboy boots. When Brianna tells Jamaica that cowboy boots aren't "in," Jamaica tells Brianna that her boots are ugly. Now everyone's feelings are hurt. Juanita Havill has a knack for capturing the real-life struggles of young children learning caring, responsible behavior. Award-winning narrator Lynne Thigpen gives a touching performance as she expresses the pangs of two friends learning valuable lessons about jealousy and friendship.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Peer approval and the need for good communication are the themes of this quietly appealing story. Like many younger siblings, Jamaica is often stuck wearing hand-me-downs, in this case, her big brother's ``old gray boots.'' After her friend Brianna makes fun of Jamaica for wearing ``boy boots,'' the resourceful heroine enlarges a hole in the toe of one of the offending galoshes, thus speeding up the need for a trip to the shoe store. When Jamaica returns to school, resplendent in a brand-new pair of cowboy boots, Brianna is once again ready with a put-down. Hurt, Jamaica retaliates with a remark about Brianna's own footwear. As in her previous Jamaica books, Havill displays a clear grasp of what matters to children. The simple, direct prose finds its complement in O'Brien's cozy, realistic watercolors. The pictures of Jamaica and Brianna are convincing; an additional pleasure are the vividly rendered bit players (Jamaica's classmates and family) who grace the background of nearly every page. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-Another charming book about Jamaica, a young African-American girl. This time, the story concerns what happens when she and Brianna, an Asian-American classmate, allow envy to undermine their friendship. Jamaica has to wear her older brother's outgrown, worn-out boots one snowy day. She is not happy about this, and is not helped by Brianna's unfeeling comments. Nor does she appreciate her friend's mean remarks when she gets new boots. Both girls are upset and angry, but they are able to work things out in a satisfying way. O'Brien's illustrations are realistically and beautifully done. They derive their power from the artist's ability to re-create the whole gamut of emotions that can be reflected in little girls' faces. Her solid watercolor paintings wonderfully complement the text, which is gentle and understated. Never preachy or overly dramatic, Havill's tender and sensitive story can be used to help young children deal with negative feelings.-Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJ

From the Publisher

"O'Brien's warm, realistic illustrations of this vibrant African-American and her lively Asian-American friend are just right." Kirkus Reviews —

JUN/JUL 00 - AudioFile

Ugly boots. Hand-me-down boots. Boots that are not like anyone else's in the class. Friendship broken and rekindled because of a calamitous incident. This is the story of Jamaica and Brianna, two school friends with a timeless winter plight. Lynne Thigpen is masterful as the voice of narrator, mother and children. She is firm but understanding as the mother who must help her daughter through childhood's hurts, straightforward as the narrator, and childlike but respectful as each of the girls. Thigpen convinces the listener of the special friendship between Jamaica and Brianna, which is able to "weather" the crisis. A.R. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170835515
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	05/23/2008
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

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