The Book of Mean People

Rating:
Summary: Missed the Mark!
Review: I am sadly dissapointed by this book. Toni Morrison is one of my favorite authors--for adults. As a children's librarian, I think this book has missed the mark. My experience with the intended audience for this book, is they will miss the point and take it very literally. The ending appears to quickly close a book that seems to have had no real point from it's inception.

Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing!!!!
Review: I bought this book for my 5 year old daughter hoping it would help with the bully issue, but after reading it, I hid it. I showed the book to three other adults who also thought it was somewhat frightening and depressing for a child. An adult might think the book is somewhat humorous as to how a child labels people who set limits, babies who pull hair, teachers who correct homework etc. all as being mean. A child sees this book as justification that mom is mean if she makes me eat vegetables. It seems to say to the child that everyone in the whole world is mean. A somewhat pessimistic and dark look at humanity. Not cool for kids! Save your money!!!(...)

Rating:
Summary: A chance for discussion
Review: I can certainly see why some would disagree with the portrayl of parents, teachers, etc. as mean but I agreee with some of the other positive reviews. I think the Morrision's give children validation for their experience of these expectations as "mean". As a parent it reminds me to not take it so personally or explain why it's not mean to make my son eat his breakfast but instead to acknowledge that in his experience it is mean. That doesn't make me change my decision but it does let me honor his feelings too. As a family therapist I think it can be a nice opening for parents and children to talk about how our feelings don't always match others intentions. And even more importantly it can be a chance to encourage children to talk about how to deal with feeling like they are being treated unfairly (a common complaint among children of almost any age). I would say that you should give it a chance, if nothing else it's a cute little book that gives your kid someone (even if they're fictional) who really understands their feelings.

Rating:
Summary: Literally speaking
Review: I like to think that in this world there is a difference between being mean and doing mean things. Just because someone might do something that wasn't nice, doesn't necessitate calling them mean. Granted, there are mean people out there, but this book leads you to believe that anytime someone makes a wrong choice, or expects obedience to rules, they are mean. True, when parents yell, they aren't being nice. But most parents aren't mean, they just lose their temper, like most other people do, at times in their life. When you expect your child to eat good food, go to bed, clean their room, etc., that is definitely not being mean. I don't think a book of mean people should be written at all (we don't need more negative in this world), but if it is going to be written, write it about truly mean people. In other words, I don't think this book ought to have been made, let alone be read.

Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing!!!!
Review: Last night I was browsing the children's book section at a local bookstore and I came across a book for very young children entitled "The Book of Mean People."
I couldn't believe what I was reading! Page after page, the story told of how people who yell or tell you what to do, whether it is your teacher, your parents or your grandparents are mean. As I was reading, I was hoping that at some point in the book, the authors would make it clear to the children reading the book or having it read to them the difference between people actually being mean and parents caring for them.
The message I got from this book was to defy authority and withdraw into your own world to escape "mean people." If the authors were trying to be subtle about what was mean and what was caring, they failed miserably. One should not write books for very young children with subtle messages, it is indeed very careless.
It is not only important to filter what your children watch on television and what music they listen to, but also what they read. Bad, or misguided messages lurk in books as well.

Rating:
Summary: Awfully Inappropriate
Review: The book conveys that teachers, parents and other people who try to help you learn the way of things are just as mean as people who yell for no reason. This self-indulgent bit of writing by Toni Morrison's son may be an excellent example of how blind a mother's love can be. She supported him in this publishing effort. We should not.