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Summary: If you want a good laugh.....
Review: For those of you who have read Cheaper by the Dozen, you know that the antics of the Gilbreth children make even the saddest person attempt to hide their smiles. Well, Belles on Their Toes continues the legacy of laughs and just getting through life.This book begins three days after Cheaper by the Dozen leaves off, three days after the death of Dad. Belles on Their Toes talks about the struggles of a family trying to get back on their feet after such a terrible loss. Mother has to go away to Europe for 5 weeks, to make a name for herself, so Anne, the oldest of the children at age 18, is left in charge. Through chicken pox and hte cook being arrested, the family manages to stick together. In an inspiring story about self sacrifices, and stepping up to fill the shoes of Dad, the Gilbreths pinch pennies to keep the family from splitting up. A rare mix of inspiration and humor, Belles on Their Toes is a must-read for everyone!
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Summary: Awesome sequel
Review: I can't believe I didn't know this book existed till very recently; I would have bought and read it a whole lot sooner had I known, having read the first book about five or six times. It's in the same funny spirit as the first, though the focus has shifted from the antics of the entire family to the mother's struggle to take care of her eleven children after her husband died. And the funny moments aren't as frequent as in the first book, since the children are older. It also seems like the younger children got the short end of the stick--less time was given to writing about their own humourous childhood anecdotes and stories, since time passes really quickly after Anne gets married. The only other thing in this book I wasn't keen on was how some of it was dated. Some of it, like Mrs. Gilbreth trying to find reasons for the oldest two not to smoke and then instantly retracting each reason, or the youngest boys teaching Jane how to be popular and get dates by not being her true self, is to be expected, given not only the era in which that happened but also when the book was published, but there are a few slang words and references that the modern reader might not understand or find as funny or relevant as someone who was a contemporary of the family might. We all know what a sheik is, but who uses the term "wet smack" anymore, for example? Still, overall it's a sweet fun way to wrap up the story of this funny family.
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Summary: A great sequel
Review: I enjoyed this as much as 'Cheaper by the Dozen', the first book by this sister-brother team. I loved that this book featured a strong mother who held things together after the passing of her husband...and became a strong career-woman herself. I think that this type of story is often missing from our libraries of historical classics, but of course these kinds of stories are as much (if not more) a part of our history as other classics we have all read.
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Summary: Caution! This made me want to have 12 kids!
Review: I found this book in my cousin's room and did not emerge until, bleary-eyed, I had read it cover to cover. Since then, I've re-read it dozens of times, along with the prequel, Cheaper by the Dozen. Gilbreth family fans will want to know Frank Gilbreth wrote another, adult book, about his father. Also, the University of Texas at Austin has the Gilbreth motion-study film collection.
Rating:
Summary: Caution! This made me want to have 12 kids!
Review: I found this book in my cousin's room and did not emerge until, bleary-eyed, I had read it cover to cover. Since then, I've re-read it dozens of times, along with the prequel, Cheaper by the Dozen. Gilbreth family fans will want to know Frank Gilbreth wrote another, adult book, about his father. Also, the University of Texas at Austin has the Gilbreth motion-study film collection.
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Summary: THIS IS THE BEST BOOK IVE EVER READ!!
Review: I just want to say that Cheaper By The Dozen was wonderful and Belles on Their Toes is just as great! After reading this a 7th time, I realized that this might just be the best book on the earth! In fact, I think it is! Im gonna go read it again! Bye!
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Summary: I loved the book because it is neat to follow a family.
Review: I loved this book. I read it after I had read "Cheaper By the Dozen" which is a book of the events before the events in this book. This is like a sequal to that. I loved them both and I wish there were a ton more books about this family. I think it would be a dream come true to meet some of them. It is so neat to read a whole families life story and it is even more fun to have such an interesting family as the Gilbreths. Sometimes I don't know how they lived. They are really neat people and they inspired me in the weirdest ways. I would recomend this book to everyone of any age. But first you should read "Cheaper By the Dozen" it is up to you but it is more fun to read it in order. I think you should give at least one of these books a try, they are great I think and they would make great gifts if you need a good gift, also. I hope you take my advise and read these books.
Rating:
Summary: Better Than Cheaper By The Dozen
Review: I tink this book was much better than cheaper by the dozen, because the children where more grown= up and the things that happened weren't as exasterating. I don't like reading about the foolish things little chidren do, so the romances of Anne and Ern kept me happy. I also like reading about the way Mother broke through all the red tape because she was a woman. Great Book, funny escapeds,rayed 5 out of 5
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Summary: This book is funnier (if possible) than its prequel!
Review: If you enjoyed Cheaper by the Dozen, reading this book is a must! After Father Gilbreth dies, Mother is left to carry on with her dozen children. The hilarious (and sometimes ridiculous) escapades in this book range from Tom, (the cook) having trouble dosing the Gilbreth clan with castor oil, to first dates and general instruction for the girls by their brothers on how NOT to get kissed! This book is HILARIOUS! Trust me - this is one you DON'T want to miss! Settle yourself down in your favorite easy chair and laugh yourself silly with the amusing escapades of the Gilbreth Clan!
Rating:
Summary: A great sequel
Review: The raucous riotous ribald sequel to the ever-beloved "Cheaper by the Dozen". Following up the eleven children's wild exploits, the book continues the Gilbreths adventures after their patriarch, Frank Gilbreth, dies of a heart attack. Suddenly Mrs. Gilbreth is off to take his place, speaking across the country and the kids are looking out for themselves. Admittedly, this book isn't as strong as its predecessor. While it does tell some mighty amusing stories (threatening to roast a peeping tom comes to mind), it peters out at the end. But there's a lot to love here. In what other children's book are you going to find a mother trying to find reasons NOT to smoke and failing? As she lists the reasons not to smoke she says, "It's bad for your health. That's open to debate. Not so bad as overeating, or not getting enough sleep". Oh Mrs. Gilbreth. If only you had known. And this little instance is well coupled with the family's handyman bottling his own moonshine in their basement. Now, admittedly I'm picking out the tiny sections here and there in this book which, by today's modern standards, make for pretty risky kiddie lit. My point is, this is an interesting book. Though dated a little here and there, it still tells the story of a woman of extraordinary strength and resiliency. One who walked where few others dared in a male dominated industry. Say what you will of this story, kids reading it will not get bored. There are enough practical jokes and pranks to fill its ample 237 pages. Pick it up, and regret will not enter your mind for having done so.
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