If Everybody Did

by Jo Ann Stover

The hilarious and terrible consequences of everyone doing his own thing are portrayed by author/artist Jo Ann Stover in If Everybody Did. Children and adults alike will enjoy this precautionary tale with its concise rhyming text, and amusing illustrations.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Teaching, Fiction, Humor, School

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me decades to understand the impact this book had on me, but it has formed most of my philosophy about life, human interaction, personal responsibility, and compassion.

[F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's the deal- I read this as a child in the 1960s, I read this to my children in the 1990s, and I just read it again in 2017. It has not lost it's punch. Witty, amusing and yet with a powerful moral without being preachy. Good show!

[Kaylee Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would use this book when I am discussing rules and the difference between right or wrong in a classroom. This book is very entertaining and while it is of lower reading level, the 3rd-5th graders I work with greatly enjoyed and responded to it. I like that the author included funny and interesting images which are very imaginative and creative, keeping the interest of the kids.

[Jennifer Kenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Everybody Did has a fairly simple premise: What would happen if EVERYBODY did it? The story goes through a list of seemingly harmless actions but shows what the world could be like if everyone did it.

I love this story for so many reasons. The language is plain and simple, but it does follow a rhythmic rhyme which keeps it engaging. The way the words are written sometimes varies with the pictures (such as changing size, or letter position) which is a nice touch. I love that the illustrations are black and white because it makes this story feel distinct from other picture books. This is one of my favorite books to read early in the school year as we are talking about classroom procedures because it shows that even when something feels like a small act, it can become problematic when everyone does it. Using stories to teach rules feels less confrontational and this story uses humor and exaggeration to really drive the point home about how we should behave and treat others. I love that it ends with the proper ways to manage all the actions/behaviors we saw through the story and shows how happy the world would be if everyone did the right things. Whenever I’m struggling with a behavior that the whole class seems to be doing (like calling out, whining about turns, etc.) I like to add this story in. It’s a quick read, but it gets the point across well and is always well received.

This story is available in paperback and hardcover.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if everybody stood on Dad's feet? Squeezed the cat? (Hint: think hour-glass on its side with a tail.) Jumped over the chair? Threw their trash on the floor?

I saw this at a friend's house when my eight-year-old was reading it. I took it out by the fire where we were roasting eggplant and peppers for zacusca, and I read bits aloud with the help of the floodlight. Then did the rest of the family reach for it to read...but not all at once, because if everybody did that, the book would have crumpled as surely as the peppers over the flames.

This is a book which, if I can choose, will last longer at this house in the minds of my children, than the canned zacusca will live on our basement shelves.

[Shem Doupé · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remembered this book because I'm reading Kant. This is basically Kantean ethics for toddlers. But in seriousness, I grew up on this book and I often reference it in my own head when thinking about morality. What would happen if everybody did that? It's a great question when you're wondering if you should do something or not. Great book! Cute, funny and a great moral lesson.

[Lillian Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my earliest childhood memories was reading this book to my siblings to resolve a fight. I don’t remember if it worked or not but it was a serious trip down memory lane to read this to my baby :)

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

We had the older version growing up but the pictures inside are the same. This book is hilarious and has a great message without being too didactic. I bought this for a few of my siblings for Christmas because we all loved it as kids. Highly recommend.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple text, cute illustrations, nice message.

[Cheryl Whitmore Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing little book. I especially like the cat!

[Bojan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So true!

[Little Seesaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great little read. It will teach children manners in a subtle way. What if everybody shared this book today?

[camilarossog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seguramente este libro es más profundo de lo que mi cuerpo de adulta es capaz de entender pero me alegra mucho haberlo leído.

Volver a la literatura de la infancia y a la infancia desde la adultez (porque siempre volvemos al útero y a la madre) es algo que también alegraría Rainer María Rilke.

[Liz Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

The point is there.. I prefer What if Everybody Did That? But this is a nice simple, even silly version of the same idea.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cool story. The illustrations put a face to the concept of my mother telling me "Well, what if EVERYBODY did that??"

[Maki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly story about how to be a good citizen and cooperate with others.

[Cheryl Dimof · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can still hear my mom’s voice saying, “If everyone did it…” For years, that phrase was about all I remembered from a book she used to read to me as a child, until I looked it up and, eventually, read it to my kids.

Somehow that phrase, and its message, stuck in my young mind — even if it did not always influence my actions.

Jo Ann Stover’s book, If Everyone Did, full of humorous black and white line drawings, takes a look at one kid’s actions. Then, as the title implies, it looks at the impact of everyone doing that same thing.

Make a track into the house? Maybe OK, but if everyone did, you have a massive mess on your hands.

While the situations here are presented for kids in a funny and appealing way, some of us adults could benefit from reading this book’s simple message.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

We included this in our "Babysitter" themed story time, inspired by Travers' classic Mary Poppins. One of the things Mary does is teach the children proper behavior, and that's just what this whimsical book does. The black and white line drawings hilariously depict what would happen if everybody were to ... squeeze the cat, spill tacks, make a smudge, eat all the fudge, put toys on the stair, hop over the chair, etc. (Notice the rhymes? Notice the pattern?)

Finally, the children see what happens if one child PATS the cat, picks up the tacks, and so forth -- demonstrating that each of us makes a big difference, whatever our choices. The last page shows a big smiling sun with the caption, "THIS IS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF EVERYBODY DID"

Our coloring sheet was a smiling sun.

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The initial chaos of the front cover and the title If Everybody Did intrigued me. As i quickly flipped through the pages I saw the illustrations were in black and white and thought it was interesting there was no color. The story gives examples of what would happen if everybody did what one person does. The illustrations enhance the words of the story and shows that although it is not a big deal if one person does something, like leaving tracks on the floor, when its everybody it gets chaotic! I loved how the font went with the different examples and pictures in the book, it created a nice flow and further enhanced both the words and the pictures. Overall I enjoyed this book and think it would be a great fun lesson for kids to learn.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if everyone did whatever they felt like and didn't follow the household rules? This book humorously imagines the catastrophic state of the house in such circumstances.

A humorous book with a reminder to children to be responsible with their actions, not play with their food, wipe their feet, not make watery messes with the sink, etc. If kids are complaining about the rules, this would be a good book to help them realize why the rules might be good. The illustrations are all in black and white, but I think they should still capture the attention of most children. The worst case scenarios will definitely thrill them (like imagining a tidal wave in their living room).

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps the moral of this book is to think before you act, because "If Everybody Did" IT, things would not turn out so well. For example, "If everybody made tracks," there is a sketch of a living area "filled" with muddy footprints. Stover has used black and white sketches for the story, and filled it with exaggerations to make her point. It's fun to view, and imagine. Luckily, she ends it positively, showing what would happen if only "one" did something. Clever idea for a read aloud, would be great fun to talk about this with a group of kids.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Everybody Did is a fun way to show children the consequences of being lazy or messy or generally making bad (or selfish) choices. Some of the language is a bit odd though -- like "make tracks" rather than "track in mud" or "mash hash" instead of "play with your food". Or the examples are odd, such as the consequences for if everybody stomped and roared: everybody is stuck in the ceiling. That seems more like a consequence for jumping on the couch, or something. But it's still a fun book, and the point still gets across.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sixty, and I remember this book from when I was about five. I was a brainy, independent kid who disliked stories with pointed “morals”, but this book really made sense to me. In fact, for a short while, “This is what would happen if everybody did,” became a sort of in joke between myself and my mother. I actually believe that this book is why I am passionate about the environment and social responsibility – especially the question of overpopulation. This is a GREAT book.

[Jenilyn Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was really funny and it made me laugh. It's about what would happen if everybody did certain things. It would be a good book to read towards the beginning of the year to kind of talk about behavior; obviously, the students can't really do all the silly things they want to, or else even more silly things would happen.

[Cecoiya Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a really great read. Very humorous and fun for 1st graders. This book will be a great read for the beginning of the year. The first 2 weeks of school is very important when setting boundries, expectations and routines for your classroom. Its really great when you have literature to help illustrate expectations.

[Douglas Cosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to turn your child into a considerate adult. The perfect book for teaching kids the golden rule. Exciting and scary, but just enough. My grand mom read this to me over and over. I loved it every time, and it shaped me into a considerate adult.

[Johannes · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Baby's first book on the categorical imperative."

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great way to explain why someone shouldn't!

[Magalys · Rating 3 out of 5]

My public health teacher read this to us to show how group action and collaboration is impactful and how it can relate to the public health career field.

[Julia Garcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite a nonsensical book about what would happen if everyone did certain things.