renwar96's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. The colorful pictures and the description of the 4th of July celebration is spot on!! Now I'm looking forward to July 4th!
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
The first time I read this book, I thought it was just too perfect to be relatable. Yet, there was something I liked about it. So I read it a few more times and then tried it out on my young readers. They loved it even though they had never experienced a Fourth of July celebration like the one depicted in this story. When we talked about it, we all agreed there were aspects of it that we had all experienced - just not all on the same day. For example, there are always parades in NYC, whether they are small neighborhood parades or even street parties that go one for blocks, and of course, there's big parades on Fifth Avenue like the ones on Thanksgiving, the Puerto Rican Day, St. Patrick's Day, and a bunch of others. We had all been on picnics with our family, friends and neighbors in parks about the city. And there's always fireworks all summer long for different reasons.
I don't know how July 4th is celebrated in small communities similar to the one in this book, and although none my young readers had, they still liked this book - they liked the feeling of belonging within their family and being with friends and neighbors. Believe me, I heard lots of great stories while we discussed this book. It may me wonder if in presenting such an idyllic, busy day, Spinelli is saying that no matter where they live or when they really experience the kind of events his narrator does, these shared times are what count and are an important part of childhood.
Or maybe I just read too much into this book.
I don't know how July 4th is celebrated in small communities similar to the one in this book, and although none my young readers had, they still liked this book - they liked the feeling of belonging within their family and being with friends and neighbors. Believe me, I heard lots of great stories while we discussed this book. It may me wonder if in presenting such an idyllic, busy day, Spinelli is saying that no matter where they live or when they really experience the kind of events his narrator does, these shared times are what count and are an important part of childhood.
Or maybe I just read too much into this book.
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