"WHAT YOU DO IS EASY, WHAT I DO IS HARD"

by Jake Wolf ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1996

It has been a long spring morning. A bee, an ant, a robin, and a spider take a break. They are weary from their labors: gathering pollen, crumbs, and earthworms, and spinning a web, respectively. Nearby is a squirrel. ""What you do is easy,"" he mocks, boasting that his nut-gathering and nest-building tasks are much more exhausting. He sets out to prove to them how simple their labors are, and is stymied by each and every one of his subsequent endeavors. This ode to humility by the author of Daddy, Could I Have an Elephant? (p. 905) falls short, without any bite. The squirrel isn't arrogant as much as he's simply ignorant, and his companions are each as big a grumbler as he is. The human habit of attempting to out-complain others is due for a humorous treatment, but this book is fairly mild, right down to Dewdney's illustrations.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Greenwillow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1996

Categories: CHILDREN'S