SWEET JASMINE, NICE JACKSON
What It’s Like To Be 2 — And To Be Twins
(GROWING UP STORIES series)
Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Children, August 2004
Illustrated by Michael Emberley
One day while riding my bike along the river, I passed no less than six double strollers with twins in them, it seemed to me that there were twin toddlers everywhere. As I was riding along, it became so clear to me that the third Growing Up Story about 2 year olds had to be about twins. Hence, the subtitle: What It’s Like To Be 2 and To Be Twins. I don’t know where the name Jasmine came from. I think I just loved the sound of that name, and then I felt that the name Jackson would sound so nice with Jasmine. This book was fascinating to do. I already knew a lot about 2 year olds, who I think are so terrific as they go through the year working so hard on doing things “their way” and becoming more independent. I have twin nephews and a niece who has twins, one a girl, the other a boy. And their personalities are so different. I talked to their parents, other parents of twins, parents of 2 year olds, researchers who studied twins’ language, and those who studied their development, as well as those who studied all 2-year-olds. And then I spent a lot of time sitting at my local playground and watching toddlers for many mornings, noting their language and how they played and didn’t play with one another. And of course, I remember my own children as two-year-olds with their strong wills coupled with their need to be taken care of and comforted and many of my memories of them appear in this book. That’s how this book became a book about 2-year-olds and about twins.
- A Bank Street College of Education 2005 Best Children’s Book of the Year- 2004 Bulletin Blue Ribbon, The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books
“The third book in the GROWING UP STORIES series, following Hello Benny! (2002) and Go! Go! Maria! (2003), features two-year-old African American twins as they go about the business of being toddlers: trying to do things on their own, sampling new words like “footsies,” “sockies,” and “no,” and beginning to learn how to use a potty. Acknowledging that there’s some truth to the phrase “terrible twos,” Harris calmly explores the reasons toddlers act the way they do — and also what it means to be a twin — in informative paragraphs interspersed throughout the story narrative. Tantrums and incessant questions can be exasperating, but the empathic approach depicted here will go a long way toward smoothing the ride for everyone. Emberley’s colorful watercolor, pastel, and ink drawings bring the twins to exuberant life; whether throwing a tantrum, running around bare-bottomed, or playing, these two Everykids show realistically, yet cheerfully, just what it’s like to be two. A great book to help older brothers and sisters understand what’s going on with their younger sibs.”
-Booklist, November 2004
“Harris and Emberley continue their GROWING UP STORIES with fictional twins Jasmine and Jackson to represent the two-year-old set; factual information about typically developing two-year-olds is supplemented by a few extra bits on twins. Jasmine and Jackson’s story recounts every day exploits such as sharing toys (or not), getting dressed and undressed (in unexpected places), and enjoying sweet treats (or putting them in your brother’s hair). Emberley’s illustrations, which depict the twins and family as African American, portray the children’s triumphs and troubles with humor and understanding. Their many activities, related in a straightforward, immediate text, reflect the tremendous growth in independence and learning during this year, in language, relationships, motor skills, and cognitive abilities. The accompanying boxed information is aimed at older siblings, but parents will also appreciate the insights into tantrums and those incessant whys. Harris explains that two-year-olds love to interact with babies, “maybe because they can do so many more things than babies-or because they were babies only a short time ago.” In the same way, older children love to hear about little ones, and a family reading is the perfect opportunity to tell stories about “when they were small” — and possibly elicit some empathy for sometimes-frustrating younger brothers and sisters.”
-The Horn Book Magazine, September/October 2004
“The third in a series, this book presents a delightful mix of story, factual text, and endearing artwork. Harris describes scenes from the lives of toddlers Jasmine and Jackson as they engage in everyday activities, encounter new experiences, and reach important milestones. Each spread also contains additional text that uses simple language to explain why the twins-and most two-year-olds-behave as they do. For example, Jackson attempts to dress himself, refusing help even when he puts two feet into one pants leg. The author points out that toddlers are trying to be more independent and that they “think dressing and undressing themselves is fun and feel so proud when they can finally do it-no matter… how they look.” In another instance, Jasmine’s meltdown at the shoe store is elucidated through information about why tantrums happen and how siblings can help to diffuse them. Other issues include language acquisition, emotional and social development, moving into a bed, and potty training. Emberley’s charming watercolor, pastel, and pen-and-ink illustrations depict a loving African-American family and a cast of red-cheeked toddlers. The paintings are filled with action, homey details, and many interesting faces. This guide to two-year-olds and their world is a great choice for sharing with older siblings; the fact that it features twins is an added bonus.”
-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal, September 2004
“Harris and Emberley spin out the third of their “Growing Up Stories,” using an episodic scenario-with-accompanying-commentary format to offer fresh, frank views on what to expect, developmentally speaking, from typical two-year-olds and also twins of that age. The stars in this outing belong to an African-American family, but Emberley adds vignettes on every spread that feature a rainbow of young faces. Addressed as much to parents as to older siblings, this takes Jasmine and Jackson through physical, emotional, and behavioral changes in a characteristically upbeat, nonjudgmental, low-pressure way-also modeling appropriate, nonviolent responses to the twins’ antics. Another solid contribution to the literature of parenting and sibling relationships.”
-Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2004
“Harris and Emberley continue their Growing Up Stories with fictional twins Jasmine and Jackson to represent the two-year-old set; factual information about typically developing two-year-olds is supplemented by a few extra bits on twins. Jasmine and Jackson’s story recounts everyday exploits such as sharing toys (or not), getting dressed and undressed (in unexpected places), and enjoying sweet treats (or putting them in your brother’s hair). Emberley’s illustrations, which depict the twins and family as African American, portray the children’s triumphs and troubles with humor and understanding. Their many activities, related in a straightforward, immediate text, reflect the tremendous growth in independence and learning during this year, in language, relationships, motor skills, and cognitive abilities. The accompanying boxed information is aimed at older siblings, but parents will also appreciate the insights into tantrums and those incessant whys. Harris explains that two-year-olds love to interact with babies, “maybe-because they can do so many more things than babies-or because they were babies only a short time ago.” In the same way, older children love to hear about little ones, and a family reading is the perfect opportunity to tell stories about “when they were small” — and possibly elicit some empathy for sometimes-frustrating younger brothers and sisters.”
-The Horn Book Magazine, September/October 2004
