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Me First
Max Kornell’s relatable tale of sibling rivalry will charm readers and make them laugh with a brother and sister’s constant attempts to outdo each other. If there’s one thing siblings Hal and Martha can agree on, it’s It is important to be first! But what happens when being first is suddenly not so much fun? Competing to explore a new route home one day, Hal and Martha discover that sometimes having a brother or sister right beside you is even better than being one step ahead of them.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2014
3 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 18, 2017
A standalone picture book for young children battling with the need to be first, uses third-person objective point-of-view.
My Take
Parents will so get this one! Especially if their kids are as competitive as Hal and Martha, but I'm not sure that many are as combative as these two.
I do like how Martha twists things back, so Hal isn't quite so hurtful. These two spend so much time trying to beat each other in being first, that they aren't really paying attention to where they are. Until.
That's when they discover how nice it is to be together. To help each other. To be there for each other. It's amazing how the mood of the story changed after they went exploring down that new path from frantic to helpfully considerate.
It could make for a good talking point with the kids. See if/how they feel that change in mood. At the very least, parents could fantasize about this happening, lol.
Then there's that last line…and I'm wondering how long that mood lasts, *more laughter*
The graphics are great with rich, soft colors. It's a cozy little village of softly rounded hills, some of the pictures remind me of Italian villages.
The Story
Competition can be a healthy thing unless you're like Hal and Martha who insist on being first at anything.
It takes exploring a new route home for Hal and Martha to discover that me first isn't always the best.
The Characters
Hal is Martha's older brother. Hah, he was first there and will always be first. Dad and Mom are patient with their arguing.
The Cover and Title
The cover is too cute with its kid-like graphics of two young donkeys: Martha dressed in a pink coat over an orange dress (with a bow between her ears) and Hal in green pants with the cuffs rolled up and black suspenders over a white shirt. Hal is about to stick a "toe" on a line of rocks crossing a small river while Martha is looking on in anger. The background is green hills angling up from the center, dotted with trees, a deep blue stream of water, lazily winding along with a beach on one side, the sky a lovely summer blue with a big puffy cloud. The author's name is on the sand in a purply sort of gray, following the river while the title is in a white, scratchy chalk-like font right at the bottom.
The title is the cry of children everywhere — Me First.
My Take
Parents will so get this one! Especially if their kids are as competitive as Hal and Martha, but I'm not sure that many are as combative as these two.
I do like how Martha twists things back, so Hal isn't quite so hurtful. These two spend so much time trying to beat each other in being first, that they aren't really paying attention to where they are. Until.
That's when they discover how nice it is to be together. To help each other. To be there for each other. It's amazing how the mood of the story changed after they went exploring down that new path from frantic to helpfully considerate.
It could make for a good talking point with the kids. See if/how they feel that change in mood. At the very least, parents could fantasize about this happening, lol.
Then there's that last line…and I'm wondering how long that mood lasts, *more laughter*
The graphics are great with rich, soft colors. It's a cozy little village of softly rounded hills, some of the pictures remind me of Italian villages.
The Story
Competition can be a healthy thing unless you're like Hal and Martha who insist on being first at anything.
It takes exploring a new route home for Hal and Martha to discover that me first isn't always the best.
The Characters
Hal is Martha's older brother. Hah, he was first there and will always be first. Dad and Mom are patient with their arguing.
The Cover and Title
The cover is too cute with its kid-like graphics of two young donkeys: Martha dressed in a pink coat over an orange dress (with a bow between her ears) and Hal in green pants with the cuffs rolled up and black suspenders over a white shirt. Hal is about to stick a "toe" on a line of rocks crossing a small river while Martha is looking on in anger. The background is green hills angling up from the center, dotted with trees, a deep blue stream of water, lazily winding along with a beach on one side, the sky a lovely summer blue with a big puffy cloud. The author's name is on the sand in a purply sort of gray, following the river while the title is in a white, scratchy chalk-like font right at the bottom.
The title is the cry of children everywhere — Me First.
August 20, 2014
I like this book a little more every time I look at it. I like the way that Martha and Hal compete, cheat, and cooperate. I like that Martha ACTUALLY tries something a little bit dangerous and falls in the creek, and I like that both kids are a little bit shaken up by that. That feels really real to me.
I also like this artist's palette of pretty-but-not-cloying watercolors. Warm browns, clear blues, and greens ranging from lemony to khaki illustrate a family picnic. Chunky marker lines give the art a little bit of a stained-glass quality.
Yup. A little more every time.
I also like this artist's palette of pretty-but-not-cloying watercolors. Warm browns, clear blues, and greens ranging from lemony to khaki illustrate a family picnic. Chunky marker lines give the art a little bit of a stained-glass quality.
Yup. A little more every time.
June 23, 2018
This book was on the fairness portion of my school's pillars of character reading list. The two siblings fight all the time about everything and are obsessed with doing things first. It all changes one day when they are exploring somewhere new and they have to help each other and being first is not so great! I loved the ending when it is revealed that the apples didn't fall far from the arguing parent trees. :) The illustrations are great and I liked the choice of donkeys as characters. The sibling relationship is completely realistic and I can see my brother and I in it. The lesson of the book is that taking turns and taking care of each other is the best way to be.
December 3, 2014
The illustrations are adorable--I love the donkeys and their older style clothing. The story is nice. Not the best telling I've seen, but it flows and has a lesson. The lesson might be a bit obvious, but it still works. I never really had a rivalry like this with my siblings. Not sure if others did with each other. But the arguing part, yes, I get that. So this could work in trying to show that it is nicer to help one another rather than outdo, argue, etc. Not sure if this will make it past the Beehive long list, and I'm curious as to others' reactions. Could work in storytime, because it can't hurt to have those lessons in, even if a bit didactic.
January 16, 2015
We really enjoyed this book. The author does a great job portraying the two siblings, Hal and Martha. We don’t feel that either one is in the “right,” and neither dominates the storyline. That makes the book appealing to both younger and older sibling readers.
As much as my kids enjoy fantastical picture book and magical realism, there’s a lot to be said for true-to-life characters in familiar true-to-life situations. No one is flying to the moon or consorting with magical animals in this book. OK, the characters are donkeys, but they sound and act like real kids, and that holds strong appeal for both my 5 and 9-year-olds.
As much as my kids enjoy fantastical picture book and magical realism, there’s a lot to be said for true-to-life characters in familiar true-to-life situations. No one is flying to the moon or consorting with magical animals in this book. OK, the characters are donkeys, but they sound and act like real kids, and that holds strong appeal for both my 5 and 9-year-olds.
September 4, 2014
Rivalry is often tossed aside when uniting against a common enemy or dangerous situation.
September 14, 2014
What siblings - as well as classmates - won't connect with Hal & Martha's constant struggle to 'be first' in whatever they do. The need to be first seems to be universal, and this book provides some relief.
I wonder why the author chose donkeys (they're stubborn???) as the characters, but the style has elements of a variety of other illustrators (wish I could think of who!). I thought Hal was standing on the chair to get a book, but apparently it was the checkers game. End papers show them coming and going, one after another!
I wonder why the author chose donkeys (they're stubborn???) as the characters, but the style has elements of a variety of other illustrators (wish I could think of who!). I thought Hal was standing on the chair to get a book, but apparently it was the checkers game. End papers show them coming and going, one after another!
August 27, 2014
Typical sibling rivalry causes this brother and sister duo to constantly be bickering, especially about who gets to do things first. The parents finally get the kids out of the house for some quality family time. But it takes more than that for them to get along. This is a sweet story about a very common problem. I love that the ending shows that no matter what frustrations the kids cause the parents, there is always hope. The illustrations are great too!
April 6, 2015
Siblings Martha and Hal are always trying to one-up each other by being first or by winning. Through some challenges on their way home from a picnic, they gain empathy and start treating each other well. Had the story ended there, I would have liked it more. Had it ended when the parents complimented them, I would have liked it much more. Having the parents starting to bicker like the kids had at the beginning is where I didn't like the book.
July 19, 2014
"I won!" "No, I won!" "Me first!" The donkey siblings in the book Me First by Max Kornell argue all day and all the way to the river and back home again. Parents and kids will laugh at the familiar arguments and one-upsmanship claims! Colorful illustrations and adventures abound in this wonderful book suitable for ages 4-10.
June 3, 2014
This is a good book for siblings who tend to argue a lot. It can help them see what it is like not to bicker and how they might be able to assist each other instead. It would be best read in a one-on-one setting.
November 12, 2014
This may be a nice family and sibling story as it does depict sibling rivalry in a way many families will be able to relate to. It just seemed too easily resolved for me to really love it. This however may be a book that I'll like much better when I read it with a child or class.
July 29, 2015
I liked the story, very much, and the illustrative style was interesting, but it felt like something was a bit lacking in this book. I'm not sure what, but what was lacking kept it off of my to-buy list.
August 18, 2015
cute, but not our favorite.
May 19, 2014
Siblings discover being first is not necessarily best. Enjoyable if not terribly subtle.
August 16, 2015
Story addresses a common sibling issue head on which is probably the way to address it ;-)
September 11, 2016
Parents will respond to this one about two siblings who always seem to be arguing.
May 30, 2014
Oh, those competitive siblings! Wait till number 3 comes along
;-)
;-)
September 21, 2014
Good story to share with kids who have trouble letting others go first.
August 29, 2014
Sibling rivalry? This book is perfect to show your dudes that winning isn't everything.
September 10, 2014
very good book about siblings and how to get along.
March 28, 2015
Two ultra competitive siblings learn that being first isn't always best and that being considerate of others is a good idea.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews