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Misery
Did you ever bring the class hamster home and have it disappear down the mouse hole? Or strike out on the last of the ninth with the bases loaded? Do you remember how it felt the day you came home from school and found out your mother had just thrown away your grasshopper collection when she didn't even know you were collecting grasshoppers?
These, and dozens of other miserable situations like them, are here depicted in deceptively simple line drawings with psychologically sensitive captions, in warm and nostalgic terms, turning misery then into warm and eye-moistening laughter now.
These, and dozens of other miserable situations like them, are here depicted in deceptively simple line drawings with psychologically sensitive captions, in warm and nostalgic terms, turning misery then into warm and eye-moistening laughter now.
95 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 11, 2024
Miséria
é quando o teu papagaio está a voar mais alto que os outros
porque largaste o fio.
Ainda que sejam a preto e branco, os desenhos de Suzanne Heller fizeram-me lembrar Pipi das Meias Altas, a minha heroína de infância, o que não é de estranhar, porque também este livro é de uma era muito distante, os anos 60, mas recuperado pela editora Bruaá em 2018.
Miséria
é quando a tua coleção de gafanhotos cai da prateleira
e nunca disseste à tua mãe que colecionavas gafanhotos.
Seguindo o mesmo princípio que um cartoon muito antigo, “Amor é…”, estas situações de desilusão e frustração de crianças fazem sorrir e suscitam a empatia com as crianças da nossa vida e/ou a criança que já fomos ou até que ainda habita dentro de nós.
Miséria
é quando partilhaste segredos com a tua melhor amiga
e descobres que ela já não é a tua melhor amiga.
A última página, com somente “Miséria é quando…”, convida o leitor a completar o pensamento. Muito fácil: miséria é quando se possui uma estante de livros até ao tecto e só se tem tempo para ler livros com bonecos.
é quando o teu papagaio está a voar mais alto que os outros
porque largaste o fio.
Ainda que sejam a preto e branco, os desenhos de Suzanne Heller fizeram-me lembrar Pipi das Meias Altas, a minha heroína de infância, o que não é de estranhar, porque também este livro é de uma era muito distante, os anos 60, mas recuperado pela editora Bruaá em 2018.
Miséria
é quando a tua coleção de gafanhotos cai da prateleira
e nunca disseste à tua mãe que colecionavas gafanhotos.
Seguindo o mesmo princípio que um cartoon muito antigo, “Amor é…”, estas situações de desilusão e frustração de crianças fazem sorrir e suscitam a empatia com as crianças da nossa vida e/ou a criança que já fomos ou até que ainda habita dentro de nós.
Miséria
é quando partilhaste segredos com a tua melhor amiga
e descobres que ela já não é a tua melhor amiga.
A última página, com somente “Miséria é quando…”, convida o leitor a completar o pensamento. Muito fácil: miséria é quando se possui uma estante de livros até ao tecto e só se tem tempo para ler livros com bonecos.
May 1, 2022
Miseria es un libro que expone de manera sensible, divertida y con un humor extraño, los infortunios que viven los niñxs. Es difícil ser niñx, y lo es aun más, en un mundo adultocentrista, en donde se cree o se piensa que un niñx no padece tragedias, ni tiene qué lidiar con la frustración que representa la pérdida, el aprender a convivir, el poner límites y que te llamen egoísta por eso, el tener qué ser buen hijx, el no crecer y desarrollarte de la misma manera que los otrxs y creer que hay algo extraño en ti.
Bien lo dice la autora, "Miseria es cuando los adultos no se dan cuenta de lo miserable que podemos sentirnos los niños".
No dejen de adquirirlo. Alboroto ediciones demuestra que el libro como objeto es bellísimo y es parte de la experiencia lectora. Ideal para leerlo con los niñxs. Incluso para reconciliarse con su niñx internx, al que muchas veces le hemos hecho lo mismo que nos hicieron los adultos: trivializar nuestras tragedias. Sean amables con ustedes mismxs, agradezcan al niñx resiliente que habita en ustedes y que, gracias a ella/él, hoy son quienes son. Tratemos en la medida de lo posible, ser un espacio seguro para todxs lxs niñxs.
Que su sensibilidad, el cuidado, su compromiso y su comprensión de la niñez les acompañen.
¡Felices lecturas!
Bien lo dice la autora, "Miseria es cuando los adultos no se dan cuenta de lo miserable que podemos sentirnos los niños".
No dejen de adquirirlo. Alboroto ediciones demuestra que el libro como objeto es bellísimo y es parte de la experiencia lectora. Ideal para leerlo con los niñxs. Incluso para reconciliarse con su niñx internx, al que muchas veces le hemos hecho lo mismo que nos hicieron los adultos: trivializar nuestras tragedias. Sean amables con ustedes mismxs, agradezcan al niñx resiliente que habita en ustedes y que, gracias a ella/él, hoy son quienes son. Tratemos en la medida de lo posible, ser un espacio seguro para todxs lxs niñxs.
Que su sensibilidad, el cuidado, su compromiso y su comprensión de la niñez les acompañen.
¡Felices lecturas!
September 19, 2025
uno de los libritos más divertidos que he podido leer.
April 30, 2013
Not the Stephen King best seller where Kathy Bates takes her sledgehammer to James Caan's foot.
(Wait, am I supposed to say SPOILER before or after? I always forget. Sorry...)
Bought this in one of Chicago's many late great used bookstores when I was in college. It was published the year before I was born, and is one of those little gift books my maternal grandmother seemed to enjoy more than any other type of book, except she probably wouldn't have liked this one. Uncle Monkeybutt and I used to howl over the simple yet deeply eloquent illustrations of little kids bumming out over such situations as:
Misery is when you are going to play hockey with the boys and you have to wear your sister's white figure skates because yours don't fit.
Misery is when your grasshopper collection falls off the shelf and you never told your mother you collected grasshoppers.
Misery is when your mother throws away the empty Corn Flakes box and there was a coupon on it for a Yogi Bear mask.
Its origins probably have something to do with Love Is - either the Snoopy one, or the one with the genital-less naked couple who look like kids.
The great thing about this is the kids' expressions. Not at all operatic, virtually identical, kind of an existential, "Oh sh*t..."
(Wait, am I supposed to say SPOILER before or after? I always forget. Sorry...)
Bought this in one of Chicago's many late great used bookstores when I was in college. It was published the year before I was born, and is one of those little gift books my maternal grandmother seemed to enjoy more than any other type of book, except she probably wouldn't have liked this one. Uncle Monkeybutt and I used to howl over the simple yet deeply eloquent illustrations of little kids bumming out over such situations as:
Misery is when you are going to play hockey with the boys and you have to wear your sister's white figure skates because yours don't fit.
Misery is when your grasshopper collection falls off the shelf and you never told your mother you collected grasshoppers.
Misery is when your mother throws away the empty Corn Flakes box and there was a coupon on it for a Yogi Bear mask.
Its origins probably have something to do with Love Is - either the Snoopy one, or the one with the genital-less naked couple who look like kids.
The great thing about this is the kids' expressions. Not at all operatic, virtually identical, kind of an existential, "Oh sh*t..."
November 16, 2024
Misery is the river of the world. (Tom Waits)
This was originally published in 1964, when the onslaught of BE HAPPY, KIDS was freakin' everywhere. This showed you how bad childhood could be ... and still is. Although looking like a kids's comic or Scholastic Weekly Reader book, it was actually aimed at adults. You find that out on the last two pages.
I couldn't give this five stars, since many of these are dated. Who plays jacks anymore? Since when is gym class one day a week? Are kids weighed at their schools anymore? But many of them are timeless. Some are even good advice.
My favorite?
Misery is the way you feel after your first cigarette.
Preach!
There is a whole series of Misery books, but I've got a feeling none will have measured up to the first.
This was originally published in 1964, when the onslaught of BE HAPPY, KIDS was freakin' everywhere. This showed you how bad childhood could be ... and still is. Although looking like a kids's comic or Scholastic Weekly Reader book, it was actually aimed at adults. You find that out on the last two pages.
I couldn't give this five stars, since many of these are dated. Who plays jacks anymore? Since when is gym class one day a week? Are kids weighed at their schools anymore? But many of them are timeless. Some are even good advice.
My favorite?
Misery is the way you feel after your first cigarette.
Preach!
There is a whole series of Misery books, but I've got a feeling none will have measured up to the first.
January 24, 2019
O livrinho engraçado sobre as "misérias" que as crianças enfrentam. No fim tem um espaço em branco para preencher. Talvez indicado para aqueles país que não conseguem entender as dificuldades da infância.
August 29, 2024
Adorable only because I’m remembering some of these miserable things happening to me as a child. My favorite is having to wear a coat over my cute Halloween costume. That is indeed the definition of misery!
December 26, 2019
Infantil mas inteligente. Acrescentaria mais.
October 21, 2021
Misery is a book about the miseries that can happen in childhood or adulthood.
Let's begin - Shall we:
This book takes you through all the miseries - accidents - disasters that can happen in a child's life. These miseries can also show up in adulthood if the child doesn't know how to let go.
A child buys their favorite treat, then - it falls off the stick. Or eating lunch without a glass of milk - can all ruin one's day.
All - can be a sad day for anyone. This book shows the miseries of childhood - feeling accepted or left out - can truly make one feel bad. It can ruin one's day or their week.
It also shows how you have to give in to peer pressure if you want friends and how remaining silent is a sign of defeat if you - want to have friends.
The last page in the book shows how parents are too busy to notice that their children are - just miserable.
Let's begin - Shall we:
This book takes you through all the miseries - accidents - disasters that can happen in a child's life. These miseries can also show up in adulthood if the child doesn't know how to let go.
A child buys their favorite treat, then - it falls off the stick. Or eating lunch without a glass of milk - can all ruin one's day.
All - can be a sad day for anyone. This book shows the miseries of childhood - feeling accepted or left out - can truly make one feel bad. It can ruin one's day or their week.
It also shows how you have to give in to peer pressure if you want friends and how remaining silent is a sign of defeat if you - want to have friends.
The last page in the book shows how parents are too busy to notice that their children are - just miserable.
October 5, 2012
PB 47. I really enjoyed this book. I think it would a perfect book to read after a day that we had indoor recess, or something else that they might not like. Reading this book might help them harness this negative energy and turn it into passion for something creative!
March 27, 2017
Not really children's literature (as in, written for children), but an insightful reminder regarding what feels "miserable" to (white, middle-class) children.
"Misery is when it's the last half of the ninth inning and the bases are loaded and you strike out."
"Misery is when grownups don't realize how miserable kids can feel."
"Misery is when it's the last half of the ninth inning and the bases are loaded and you strike out."
"Misery is when grownups don't realize how miserable kids can feel."
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews