Do Like Kyla

by Angela Johnson, James E. Ransome (Illustrator)

"This simply told story highlights such everyday events as eating oatmeal and walking to the store, aptly capturing a small child's sense of pleasure in imitating an older sibling...A universal story that features a warm and loving black family." - School Library Journal

Genres: Family, Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, African American

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1990

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Angela Johnson is the author of the Coretta Scott King Honor picture book When I Am Old with You; as well as A Sweet Smell of Roses, illustrated by Eric Velasquez; Just Like Josh Gibson, illustrated by Beth Peck; and I Dream of Trains, which was also illustrated by Loren Long. She has won three Coretta Scott King Awards, one each for her novels Heaven, Toning the Sweep, and The First Part Last. In recognition of her outstanding talent, Angela was named a 2003 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Kent, Ohio.

Reviews

[Nakia's Hideaway]

Perfect for winter and I adored the ending!

[Molly Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a very feel-good story because it involved a little girl copying her older sister's every move because she looks up to her and wants to be just like her. I can relate to this with having two older sisters who I always mimicked growing up. The ending was also really sweet when her older sister, Kyla, copies something that she is doing instead of the other way around like the whole story showed. I feel like this book can be super beneficial to use in my future classroom because the language is very repetitive, so my students will be able to memorize parts of this book as I read it to them, so they will eventually be able to better attempt to read it on their own.

[Emma Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It is about two sisters that spend the day together and the little sister is following in her older sisters footsteps and doing everything her older sister is doing throughout the day. It reminded me of me and my sister growing up and wanting to follow in her footsteps and do the same things she was doing all the time.

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My name is Kyla. Never once in my 33 years of life have I read or seen a book/tv show with a character named Kyla in it. Not only does this book have one, she'd the titular character! Automatic 5*

On top of that, the art is beautiful, the story is sweet, and the final line is an excellent close to the story.

[Deanna Sookikian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kyla inspires children in many ways. In the novel, the little girl follows kyla's actions. She does many things to help her sister by taking on a motherly role. I would place this book in my classroom because when children are making friends and forming bonds, they want to be similar to their peer. This book teaches children that it is okay, but teaches them as well to know they can do things on their own and others will follow their actions as well.

[Giorgia Cavalleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a little girl who admires her older sister and copies everything she does. I love that it comes full circle at the end, because you can imagine that it is a proud moment for the younger sister. I would add this book to my classroom library and possibly use it if a lot of my students have siblings. We could talk about how it feels to be copied and maybe why we copy people sometimes, as well as how to communicate with siblings if it makes you uncomfortable.

[Alexis Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a sweet book that portrays a younger sister wanting to follow in her big sisters footsteps.

[Zaria Higginbothan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminds me of what I use to do with both of my older sisters. It’s inspiring because the younger sibling wants to be like their older sibling. I will use this book in my classroom to show how it is to be a follower but also a leader.

[Veronica McFarlin]

This is a simple story with lots of repetition. It's about a young girl who follows everything her older sister, Kyla, does. It follows them through their everyday activities, like eating breakfast and going to the store. At the end of the book, though, there's a change as Kyla follows what the younger sister does.

It takes place in the winter, and we see the girls get bundled up and walk through the snow, so it would be a fun book to read during the winter, especially right after a snow.

It could also be applicable to a family unit. In the book, the little sister copies everything Kyla does, until Kyla copies something that the little sister does. Depending on the age of the students, they might have to deal with a younger sibling, or maybe a younger student if it's a mixed age group, following them around and copying what they do. Kyla doesn't once get frustrated with being copied throughout the book, which provides a positive example of a possible reaction to being copied/followed. We could then talk about how we feel when people copy us, and what we could do to communicate our feelings.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a younger sister this really struck a chord with me. 09

I get a young story time crowd at my new branch and used this for black history. 2/15/12

Used again and the last line had some parents chuckling. 2/20/13

Used again for African American characters since I had a younger crowd for story time and it was snowing.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do Like Kyla
Johnson, Angela
The book found in a first grade classroom. This is a good book for teaching schema. Two sisters live their life together, the younger being encouraged to follow her sister. A great book for African American history month. Showing positive relationships, and activities that siblings can share.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl imitates her big sister, Kyla, all day. Clearly, the little sister admires her big sister and wants to be just like her. Also, the big sister is kind and doesn't mind the little girl copying her all day. A sweet story about sisterly love.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: Mine is a paperback copy, not library binding, but this is the closest edition to what I have (others seem to be missing the author/illustrator credit). It's a bit tedious getting Librarian access or asking one for help adding the correct edition, though.

This is a cute story about the narrator copying her big sister Kyla throughout the day.

...

That's it. That's the story.

The artwork is lovely, and the writing is wholesome, though I find it hard to believe that two young girls—especially minorities—would be able to safely walk by themselves to the store. They must be in a VERY safe town to be able to do this; too many helicopter parents would have conniptions if their kids tried the same thing, these days! (I used to be able to when I was younger, but I was at least Kyla's age, and we lived in a very isolated cul-de-sac with almost no traffic all the way to the store.)

Recommended for younger readers, especially POC readers!

[Erin O'Halloran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a little girl and her big sister, Kyla. The little girl looks up to her big sister. You can tell that Kyla is a role model who her sister loves dearly. This book starts with the two sisters looking outside the window watching the bids. Then throughout the book the little sister does exactly what Kyla does. At the beginning of the book Kyla taps the window at the birds so does her little sister. Kyla and her little sister do multiple things together as the book goes on. At the end of the book the little sister taps the window first and then Kyla does just like her little sister. This was a wholesome read I like the repetition of saying, "I do like Kyla." I also enjoyed how the book started at them watching the birds but also ended with the sisters watching the birds. In the future I would use this read aloud for children to repeat, "I do like Kyla" with me. To create an engaging fun read aloud with students, that way I am not the only one reading to them.

[Stephanie Sawicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed how this book was revolved around a little sister looking up to her big sister. She wanted to do everything that Kyla did and followed her every move. It showed the love between the 2 sisters, and Kyla let her little sister do whatever she did without any complaints. Older siblings can teach younger siblings a lot because they have experienced more in life, and know how things go. In my future classroom, I could use this if children are having a hard time adjusting to a new sibling or if an older sibling that they're not getting along with. For children, change like this is a lot because they could be used to a lot of the attention, and having someone new in the house and taking up their parents time can be very difficult for them to understand.

[Mirallegro, Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Do Like Kyla" is a story about two sisters and the older sister is named Kyla. This story is told from the younger sister's perspective and how she performs the same actions as her sister does. This pattern continues throughout the book where the younger sister does like Kyla. However, at the end of the story, the younger sister taps on the window and Kyla is now the one that copies her. This was an enjoyable read, however I am unsure if I will be using this book in my future classroom. There is not really a huge message that would be as beneficial to students as other books I have read. I like the ending, where Kyla copies the younger sister as a change, however it was such a simple action, it did not have a very significant impact on the ending of the story.

[Izzy Harder]

Do like Kyla is an adorable book that shows a little sister admiring and looking up to her older sister, Kyla. We see how the little sister is fasinated by the things that her sister does and wants to be just like her. This is something that we see in sibling relationships when the younger sibling wants to be just like their older sibling, so I would use this book during family units because it is a great relationship of how sibling duos are important to both sides of the relationship. I really liked this book because it has so many conversation starts for students, especially because they are at the age where they like to copy everything they see.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a little girl who watches her older sister, and does the same things as her. The main character clearly looks up to her older sister as a role model and tries her best to be just like her throughout the entire day. At the end of the book it switches and the older sister starts doing what her younger sister does instead. The book is full of pictures that are colorful and depict what the characters are doing. This book could be good for the classroom because it portrays a good and healthy sibling relationship. Readers with siblings can look to this book as an example of how to treat siblings and build a good relationship.

[Courtney Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book portrays a sweet and loving relationship between sisters. The younger sister copies everything the older sister, Kyla, is doing. Kyla does not seemed bothered by it. I have seen this a lot with my nieces and nephews, but also in the classroom. It is a good book to show that having a role model is a good thing. In the end Kyla copied something her younger sister was doing, so that she felt important as well. I would use this in my classroom and ask my students if they have experienced this and if so to share some of their stories.

[Anne Biondo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about the narrator's love and admiration of her older sister, Kyla. The younger sister wants to be just like Kyla and copies everything she does. At the end of the book, things change up a bit with Kyla imitating her younger sister. This book was very cute and would be good to have in the classroom because it talks of a close bond between siblings and how, although we may want to act similar to someone, like an older sister, friend, or grown up in our lives, we are just as good being who we are and that they love us for who we are.

[Morgan Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a feel-good story that portrays Kyla and her younger sister throughout the events of the day. The young girl narrating the story copies Kyla throughout the day and at the end, Kyla copies her. This story show cases the real meaning of a loving family and the friendship between two sisters. I could use this story in my future classroom to teach students about literacy through word recognition because the words repeat, and I also could teach them about family and friendship, and this could launch discussions relating to my students' family experiences with siblings.

[Alyssa Muzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This children's book shows a great sense behind two young African-American sisters who spend a day together in which each sister take turns following in the other's foot steps. This story is so simple and yet highlights so many different aspects of a siblings relationship that captures their sense of being together. This is a very welcoming story as it features a loving black family and their relations toward one another. This would be yet again another great children's book to include in a classroom not only for the illustrations but the meaning behind it all!

[Sophia Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, Do Like Kyla, is so endearing and really can help strengthen a familial bond. Two African-American sisters go about their day and the younger one follows and repeats whatever her sister, Kyla, does.

The focus of this book is very positive and promotes a connection. When someone copies you, it is a form of respect, most times. I feel that this book could add to a sister's, or brother's, love for their family and would be great in a classroom. It could also help strengthen the bond that a child has with their parent and guardians.

[Meghan]

This book is about Kyla and her younger sister. It talks aboutt how when they spend the day together, they follow each other and do what the other does. They are watching each other and doing the same. Kyla stands on the bed to watch the birds, so does her sister. Kyla stretches, so her sister does. Kyla braids her hair. Little sister tries. This book is showing the loving sister relationship. Kyla is showing her true self and inspiring others like her little sister. This is showing being a positive role model to her younger sibling and shows students it is okay to express yourself.

[Maggie Cabral · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows a young girl following her big sister, Kyla. This cute story shows two black sisters who do their day-to-day activities with the younger sister admiring Kyla as her role model. I enjoyed this book so much as it reminds me of my own big sister. I think this book can be pretty impactful for children to see themselves represented in day-to-day activities. The message of how the older sister looks up to the little can also bring inspiration to little siblings everywhere about how they are just as important and great as their older sibling.

[Lanecia · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this story I find it admirable how kyla views her older sister. Throughout the story Kyla mimics her sisters actions and mannerisms. From a younger siblings perspective I understand her love for her older sister kyla, as i'd assume from the story that her time spent with her is super valuble. I wonder if this reading has a follow-up that shows Kylas perspective of possibly trying to do everything "right" or with good intent with knowing that her younger sister will more than likely follow in her actions.

[Deonna Hankerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a little girl following after her big sister. Anything Kyla does, her little sister is behind her repeating the same thing. The little girl must look up to her big sister and wants to be just like her when she gets older. I would incorporate this into my classroom because there will be kids in my class who too look up to their sibling and copy them also so they will be able to draw those connections.

[Madison Cantu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so sweet! It tells the story of how a little sister follows after everything her older sister does! This book is pretty great at showing children that it’s okay to want to do the same things as people, as long as you stay yourself! This would be a great book to read in the class when there is an issue about children “copying” their peers actions (to an extent. Them dudes get REAL intense sometimes tbh!).

[Abbi DeRenzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This heart-warming story showcases a little girl who follows and repeats everything her older sister does until at the end her sister copies her. This story would be a great way to introduce conversations about family and friends and why we copy the way other people do things or why they may copy us. This book would be a great resource for children with siblings who may copy what they do to open up conversations regarding how it makes them feel when their siblings do copy them.

[Marissa Charleston]

This book is about a little girl and her older sister Kyla. She looks up to Kyla and does what she sees Kyla do. She talks about all the things Kyla does so she does until finally she says that Kyla does what she does too. This story shows a very close sibling relationship and how they help each other and are good older and younger siblings to each other. This could be used when talking about families.