Parents' Guide to

Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue

By Peter Lewis, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

A solid early reader with lots of kid appeal.

Book Maurice Sendak For Beginning Readers 1962
Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

Pierre doesn't care when his parents implore him to do this or not do that, but when a hungry lion comes to call, bratty Pierre changes his tune. This solid early reader, with rhyming text, provides a chuckle and leaves kids with the infectious chant--\"I don't care!\"

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This you-better-watch-out tale is well written for the beginning reader, with a catchy refrain that gives new readers a welcome reprieve from some challenging vocabulary.

Kids can relate to Pierre -- who hasn't been a brat at one time or the other? And they laugh when he is at the mercy of the lion with the same attitude. It's reassuring that Pierre's parents love him, regardless of his caring or lack thereof, and that they defend him against the lion: "They pull the lion / by the hair. / They hit him / with the folding chair." What a hoot when the lion croaks "I don't care!" and Pierre's whereabouts are revealed. "He's in there!! He's in there!!" cried an entire classroom full of 4-year-olds in a chorus of guffaws when that page was read to them.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the consequences of a bad attitude or misbehavior. Do you think Pierre got what he deserved at the end of the story? Why? What message is the story trying to convey?

Book Details

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