All by Myself
Mercer Mayer
Tandem Library

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Mercer Mayer’s “All by Myself” finds Little Critter is growing up. Little Critter can ride his bike and give his bear a drink, he can kick a ball and roll on the ground, he can even look after his little sister. He helps dad trim a bush and helps mom put frosting on a cake. He reads a book to his little sister and he can color a picture. But, he cannot go to sleep without a story.

There are numerous things he can do for himself. He can get out of bed with no help, he can dress himself and brush his fur, he can put on his socks and tie his shoes. Little Critter can even pour some juice for his little sister, and, he can lend a hand to her as she eats her breakfast.

“All by Myself” is packed with the same child pleasing, colored pencil illustrations that are always a key component of Mercer Mayer works. Little Critter has been a longtime choice for my K – 1 students.

Many Mercer Mayer Little Critter books also feature tiny ‘littler critters’ who move from page to page with Little Critter and take part in his adventures, antics and exploits. “All by Myself” features our old comrade, mouse. The students in my present first grade class get pleasure from watching both Little Critter as his story is told; along with noting the actions of the tiny one too.

Little Critter does many of the things my students do. He dresses himself, brushes his own hair and ties his own shoes. My students regularly come to school with hair wildly awry to proudly announce, I combed my own hair. Numerous first graders tie their shoes, NOT along with shoes on the wrong feet and even now and then one black and one brown. Besides, who said striped shirts cannot be worn with flowered pants?

Mouse trails along with Little Critter from incident to escapade. He watches as Little Critter exerts great effort to button buttons, tie ties and zip zippers. Students in my classroom regularly have struggles with zippers or buttons. Fetching his umbrella mouse waits as Little Critter pours the juice.

My first graders today laugh and remind one another of spills or other mishaps as they water our room plants.

His shoes untied Little Critter plays with little sister. ‘Tie your shoes before you fall.’ Is a common phrase heard in our first grade classroom. ‘I’ll help you,’ is also heard as one child who can tie helps a classmate who cannot.

My Students today, the ones I taught way back when, and even my own NOW adult children as well enjoy/enjoyed hearing the book read to them, and later began reading the work for themselves.

My younger son, now a grown adult noted the book as I was preparing the review and still chuckles as he observes Little Critter carefully whacking the rosebush at the base with the ‘cutters’.

Remember when I pulled all your ‘merry-go—rounds’ out of the ground for a bouquet, Mom?- Marigolds are not really major cut flowers, and trying to replant what little hands have removed with a tug and jerk does not work real good either.

The Mercer Mayer Little Critter books I bought when my own children were tots have now seen use in my K -1 classroom for the greater part of my teaching career. The sturdy, well made editions continue to hold up well even after repeated readings by teacher and Little People.

I think I get pleasure from the books as much as do the students and am happy to recommend for the little people who are the target audience, and the adults or others who will be reading to them.

“All by Myself” is a read-to book for the youngest children, ages baby to 3, it is a read-with-help for K-1 set and a ‘I’ll read-to- you’ for the 7s and 9s.

I find that many older children never lose their affection for Little Critter.

Reading the books to ‘the little kids’ in my room, or in the Kindergarten gives my former 4th graders now 7th and 8th graders permission to continue enjoying the books well past the time the books were ‘meant for them.’

“All by Myself” with its good message of doing all you can for yourself, asking for help when you actually need it, along with the well done illustrations and limited vocabulary is a bastion in my classroom as it was for our home library.

Happy to recommend for children’s pleasure reading, home, classroom, school and public library lists.