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Summary
Summary
A sweet and fun remedy for young readers reluctant to give up their best thumb. Jake is an expert at doing things with his best thumb. He can walk the dog, watch TV, even ride his bike. Jake and his thumb are happy together until kindergarten begins and the class bully teases Jake, calling him athumb sucker.a Jake doesnat want to give up his habit, but with some help from a new classmate and the realization that everyoneaeven bulliesasometimes need a little extra help to feel brave, Jake might finally be ready to try. Quirky illustrations and a charming story will have readers cheering for winsome Jake and his best thumb.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 1-This story includes some delicious language and a comic look into the complex relationships among family members, friends, and adversaries. Jake's best thumb is the one he sucks-the wrinkled one that's going to push his teeth out like a rabbit's (according to his mother); that will keep him from being a doctor or a dentist (according to his sister); and that makes him a target for ridicule by other kindergartners (mainly his archenemy, Cliff). Unfortunately, there's too much going on in the plot. First, it's about Jake, his thumb, and his relatives' comments and opinions. Then it moves to Jake, his thumb, and his class, including close-ups with his teacher, his friend, and his nemesis. Finally, it's about Jake and Cliff's confrontation and resolution. It's just too long for most young listeners. Also, the message that sucking your thumb is not advisable is lost in the interplay between Jake's own viewpoint and the comments of others. The confrontation between Jake and Cliff is ugly indeed. Jake turns the tables on his antagonist by belittling and humiliating him; this is followed by a highly unlikely-downright unbelievable-rapprochement. Munoz's watercolor-and-ink illustrations suit the text well, but the pictures are cluttered onto each page in muted colors that fail to add zip to the overburdened story. Jake's Best Thumb is not one of Cooper's best efforts.-Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A familiar story line becomes unexpectedly moving in the experienced hands of Cooper (The Golden Rule) and Munoz (Just Another Morning). Kindergarten is on the horizon, and despite the concerns of his family (hipster Uncle Matt is the lone exception), Jake shows no indication of stopping his round-the-clock thumb-sucking. Why should he? "When it came to doing things with one thumb occupied, Jake was a master," writes Cooper (the keenly observant Munoz even shows Jake dexterously putting on a sock with a single hand). But when a kindergarten bully has everyone calling him a thumb-sucker, Jake realizes the stakes have suddenly gotten much, much higher. Cooper never rushes her storytelling--many of the pages have big chunks of text--but every word counts as she illuminates the various psychological dynamics. Her emotional acuity is a perfect match for Munoz, whose watercolors convey a seemingly effortless physicality, immediacy and empathy. Ages 3-up. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Jake's left thumb is his best thumb, wrinkled from sucking, "a prince among thumbs," according to Jake's uncle. He's gotten very good at doing everything he needs to with only his other thumb: Why stop sucking it? But when he starts kindergarten, bully Cliff teases him mercilessly, until the day Jake discovers that a scrap of blankie has fallen out of Cliff's pocket....The text, although lengthy, displays endless warmth and compassion for Jake and his thumb, but it's Mu¿oz's fluid ink-and-watercolor paintings that make this stand out, investing even minor characters with enormous personality. A terrific twist that combines two well-worn plots in one successful tale. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.