Dee Dee and Me

by Amy Schwartz

Hannah has had it with her older sister! Tired of being bossed around, Hannah decides to run away so she will never have to see Dee Dee again. She packs her suitcase full of things she looks forward to not sharing with Dee Dee. But on her way out the door, Hannah gets a loving present that makes her rethink her plan. With its feisty characters and adorable art, this pitch-perfect portrayal of two sisters has just the right balance of sass and sweetness.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Humor

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Amy Schwartz is the author and illustrator of many picture books for children, including Begin at the Beginning; Things I Learned in Second Grade; Bea and Mr. Jones, a Reading Rainbow feature; What James Likes Best, recipient of the 2004 Charlotte Zolotow Award; and a glorious day. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband Leonard S. Marcus, and their son, Jacob.

Reviews

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good 3+ star book, nice and solid.
I enjoyed the illustrations quite a bit. The patterns on the girls' clothes were a lot of fun, very bright and entertaining. The story itself is a good straightforward one, but nothing exceptional. The lesson itself is a classic - sibling rivalry and sibling love. And a bit about speaking up for yourself too. There's no way Dee Dee's behavior will ever change if Hannah never says anything, right? There are some good lines, too, but nothing particularly unique. A good pick for younger siblings feeling overwhelmed by the older.
Overall I put this in the 3-3.5 star range. Like I said, a solid pick.

[Jitendra Kotai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading it with my son. He is three years old and he understood the pictures and could relate to them. He also has an elder sister and hence it was fun.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told from the point of view of the younger sister, Hannah has had enough of her older sister Dee Dee. Dee Dee always gets her way, gets the best seat, eats the best food. She manages to do it in sneaky ways that seem nice as first but don’t end up that way for Hannah. So Hannah decides to run away and packs up all the things she doesn’t want to share with Dee Dee. In the end, she decides not to really run away because she can’t find her teddy bear. But all alone, she spends time with the things she had packed up. When Dee Dee appears having finally done something really nice for Hannah, Hannah puts her foot down and makes some new rules for them to play together. This is a book that captures sibling relationships to a tee, or perhaps to a Dee.

Schwartz infuses her story with touches of humor that make Dee Dee’s tyrannical attitudes more funny than threatening. Both Hannah and Dee Dee have strong personalities and individual perspectives. Schwartz does a good job of telling Hannah’s story clearly but also making sure that Dee Dee is not vilified entirely. The art is vivid and colorful, displaying a family home filled with small details and lots of flowers. It is a home that you want to visit and play in.

This is a superb telling of two siblings at odds that is filled with humor and charm. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Tiff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book made me feel tickled by all the colorful patterns of Hannah's apron as well as amused by the relationship between Hannah and her sister Dee Dee. Amy Schwartz's illustrations are whimsical and expressive, especially when depicting Hannah feeling "taken advantage" of by her older sister. For example in one illustration, Dee Dee is having fun with the ladybug in the bottle that she helped Hannah catch and Hannah is in the background with quivering hands and her expression looks quite miserable (with open mouth) and helpless. In most of the pictures, Hannah looks left out and sad. The theme would be how sweet it is to have each other as sisters and that we can't express it enough how wonderful it is that we are sisters. Usually, it tends to be the opposite, although Dee Dee is teasing Hannah a little more than she should. I think this is a wonderful book for children of all ages but especially to children with siblings.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hannah's older sister, Dee Dee, drives her crazy. She takes Hannah's favorite apron and makes a purse out of it. When Hannah's best friend comes over, Dee Dee takes over and makes Hannah be the butler while she and Hannah's friend are royalty. Dee Dee asks Hannah if she wants the last chocolate chip muffin for breakfast and then eats it anyway.

Hannah decides she's had enough. She's packing a bag of her favorite things to prepare for running away when she realized that she can't find Brown Bear. She eats the chocolate bar she packed while thinking of where Bear can be. She plays with her pet ladybug. She played dress up and had a tea party all by herself.

Eventually Dee Dee knocks on Hannah's door and offers her Brown Bear. She had sewn the missing eye back on. Hannah asks if Dee Dee will play nice and not hog the jacks and not make her be a butler. Dee Dee agrees and the sisters reconcile.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book about sisters Dee Dee and Hannah is very well done in its realistic portrayal of the issues that arise between big sis and little sis. Hannah (the little sis) is fed up with her older sister Dee Dee because she bosses her around and messes with her stuff. She decides that she will run away, but she can't find her beloved stuffed bear. When Dee Dee returns Hannah's stuffed bear (having sewn a missing button eye back on) Hannah decides to stay.

Ahhhhhhh, I loved this story! It feels like my own sister story. It's got just the right amount of vinegar and sugar. Gouache, pen, and ink illustrations perfectly capture all the drama of the daily lives of sisters. PreK-2.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Younger sister Hannah never seems to measure up, literally or figuratively, to her older sister Dee Dee. Dee Dee takes advantage of her age and height and bosses Hannah around, eating her food and claiming her toys and friends for her very own. Just as Hannah is ready to leave, she changes her mind after a kind act from Dee Dee. Still, there's no way things are going back to the way they were before. Lively gouache and pen and ink illustrations accompany a story with which many siblings may be familiar.

[Teresa Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah is the little sister. Dee Dee is the big sister. What's the problem? Dee Dee is running a benevolent dictatorship. In this story, told from Hannah's point of view, we see Dee Dee hogging the best roles in imaginative games, taking Hannah's stuff, and even co-opting Hannah's friends. Finally Hannah stands up for herself and they change their relationship to a more even keel. This is another delightful book by Amy Schwartz with big, bold watercolor and ink illustrations perfect for sharing. The subject of sibling rivalry never grows old, and Schwartz captures it beautifully.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing particularly unique about Dee Dee and Me, however it is a solid choice for parents looking to help younger siblings come into their own and not feel overshadowed. Dee Dee and Me is a quick but attention grabbing introduction in finding yourself and learning not to let others steal your fun.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Closer to 3 1/2 stars. I appreciate a book about sibling relations that actually deals with the bossy controlling nature of many older siblings. I admire this author/illustrator; Oma and Bobo is one of my favorites. However I found the illustrations seemed a bit young for the age group I thought would most appreciate the message.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sibling rivalry is alive and well with Hannah and Dee Dee and the younger sibling has had it! Readers will enjoy hearing about how young Hannah takes action against her bossy and overbearing older sister.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has Amy Schwartz met my older sister? This is the story of my life. (Except my sister never mended my teddy bear...) This book will provide solace to many a downtrodden younger sib. Very funny and, sad to say, true to the lives of many sisters.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's not much new in this tale of siblings who fight and make up, but I like it anyway. Pair it with Big Sister Little Sister by LeUyen Pham and The Day I Had to Play with My Sister by Crosby Bonsall.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dee Dee is my sister. She is five and half inches taller than me. Dee Dee says those five and a half inches are where a person's brains are."

Cutest book about standing up for yourself against a sibling.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Schwartz never disappoints me, and she hasn't here. Sibling rivalry is as old as Cain and Abel (far older still, I think) and as the mother of 2 girls I've seen plenty of this!

Just perfect, right down to the ending where the girls work things out.
At least for now, that is....

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting humor --- great book, just check out this beginning.

Dee Dee is my sister.
She is five and a half inches taller than me.
Dee Dee says those five and a half inches
are where a person's brains are.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about a bossy and sometimes unkind older sister. Lil sis uses her growing brain to resolve the situation without fighting or tears by first enduring, then ignoring her sister, and finally standing up for herself.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely balanced sibling rivalry story.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Older sister Dee Dee runs younger sister Hannah's life until Hannah realizes that she can stand up for herself.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who is a little sister, will grin at the sibling rivalry and the big sister's comeuppance. The gouche illustrations are simple and delightful.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story a younger sibling who decides that she doesn't always want to play by her older sister's rules.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute book but the ending was a tad abrupt.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

themes: sharing with siblings, wanting to run away from home

[Mel Raschke]

Dee Dee dominates Hannah in every way: she's taller, pushier, and able to gain control of a situation before her younger sister even realizes what is happening.

[Tracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hannah, who is tired of her older sister, Dee Dee, monopolizing everything from snack time to play time, learns to set important limits that remind Dee Dee to take turns.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little sister learns to stand up for herself when a bossy older sister seems to take over.

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story about a bossy older sister and her younger sister.