The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
rustbeltjessie's review against another edition
5.0
I got this book for my lil' one for Xmas. It is just as wonderful as I had hoped. Fun and whimsical, yet with a serious underlying message about being yourself and changing the world.
kerost's review against another edition
5.0
A nice introduction to anarchy for kids who are already predisposed to it. Not just a laugh, but has actual use as a way to inspire kids to think outside the box.
antlersantlers's review against another edition
2.0
This book has a lot of unrealized potential. There are definitely ways this could be framed as empowering sort-of opposites. Instead it's just uneven and lackluster. Perhaps therein lies its success as an anarchist book, but it fails as a book for children.
toad_maiden's review against another edition
2.0
Without going into a critique of the principles of anarchy in this review, I will say that the illustrations are delightful, and some of the injunctions in the book ("listen to the smallest voices") are lovely. But so many of them are just chaos-for-chaos's-sake, which isn't very interesting, frankly. I struggle to see what eating cake for dinner has to do with anarchy or happiness.
just_fighting_censorship's review against another edition
1.0
A book on anarchy that is really just a list of woke mandates. Yep, despite the title this is just another book telling kids what to do...in other words the least self-aware and most idiotic book I've ever read.
This book does not encourage free thought, instead it encourages a specific way of thinking:
"Build it don't buy it"
"Give stuff away for free"
"Forget about grocery stores and get dirty in your garden"
Then there are things that are just terrible to tell children in general ranging from stupid to dangerous:
"When someone says work, you say why?"
"No baths ever again"
"Go ahead and be stompy"
"Stay up all night"
"Go the wrong way" ---- what?! Go your own way, I can get behind, but purposefully go the wrong way...
The real kicker is the page with all the exclamations, right beside "No Rules!" is "Be Nice!" and "No Bullies." Dear author...these are rules, great rules in fact. Such great examples of rules that they completely destroy the premise of your entire book.
This book does an outrageously poor job of encouraging children to be creative and think for themselves. I cannot fathom why it has such a high rating other than there are a ton of people out there who are delusional enough to think that the mandates in this book somehow promote independence and free thought....they do not.
I actually wish I could give this no stars. The concept itself is flawed. Children absolutely require guidance and thrive under structure. I think it is healthy to encourage creativity, learning, and independent thought, but that is not at all what this book aims to do.
This book does not encourage free thought, instead it encourages a specific way of thinking:
"Build it don't buy it"
"Give stuff away for free"
"Forget about grocery stores and get dirty in your garden"
Then there are things that are just terrible to tell children in general ranging from stupid to dangerous:
"When someone says work, you say why?"
"No baths ever again"
"Go ahead and be stompy"
"Stay up all night"
"Go the wrong way" ---- what?! Go your own way, I can get behind, but purposefully go the wrong way...
The real kicker is the page with all the exclamations, right beside "No Rules!" is "Be Nice!" and "No Bullies." Dear author...these are rules, great rules in fact. Such great examples of rules that they completely destroy the premise of your entire book.
This book does an outrageously poor job of encouraging children to be creative and think for themselves. I cannot fathom why it has such a high rating other than there are a ton of people out there who are delusional enough to think that the mandates in this book somehow promote independence and free thought....they do not.
I actually wish I could give this no stars. The concept itself is flawed. Children absolutely require guidance and thrive under structure. I think it is healthy to encourage creativity, learning, and independent thought, but that is not at all what this book aims to do.
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