It's hard to be five

by Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell, the #1 New York Times bestselling team behind Today I Feel Silly and I'm Gonna Like Me, return with It's Hard to Be Five, a story of self-control and learning to do your best every day!

Learning not to hit? Having to wait your turn? Sitting still? It's hard to be five!

But Jamie Lee Curtis's encouraging text and Laura Cornell's playful illustrations make the struggles of self-control a little bit easier and a lot more fun. Kids will laugh in recognition of siblings, classmates, and friends--and maybe even themselves.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Emotion, Kids, School, Humor

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Jamie Lee Curtis is a two-time Golden Globe-winning, BAFTA-winning, and Emmy-nominated American film actress and an author of children's books. Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in many horror films early in her career such as Halloween (1978 film), The Fog, Prom Night (1980 film) and Terror Train, Curtis has since compiled a body of work that covers many genres. She has received an Emmy Award nomination and two Golden Globe Awards. Her 1998 book, Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods That Make My Day, made the best-seller list in The New York Times. She is married to actor Christopher Guest (Lord Haden-Guest) and, as the wife of a Lord, is titled Lady Haden-Guest, but she chooses not to use the title when in the United States.

Reviews

[LaDonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.34

When I first read this book, I found it cute. I was skeptical about how it would actually be received by its target audience. Five year olds can be a tough crowd. They are the ones who have a hard time listening, sitting still and paying attention. However, Team Jamie Lee brought it!! Kids will love reading and sharing in this book. They will definitely find the topics relatable. I was shocked by how the story held their limited and young attention spans. They were also captivated by the illustrations.

I am quite sure that I will be reading this book again.

[Deana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was... very busy. I guess that's appropriate because it's about five year olds. The words were written in a font that I didn't find easy to read, and there were many distractions on all of the pages except the one that said "SIT STILL". Also, the kid spends the first part of the book describing how hard it is to be five and then randomly switches sentiments half-way through and talks about how great it is to be five. And while many examples are given for both beliefs, some of which are amusing, there doesn't seem to be any reason for a sudden switch of sentiment.

Also, some of the things that the kid thinks I'm really not sure that a kid would really think. Or at least, I have no memory of feeling this way when I was five. But maybe I'm just weird? Overall, some of the illustrations are cute, but I just found myself easily distracted and not really following the story much at all...

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my 5 yr old's favorite books of all time. I can't tell you how many times he's read this on his own and asked us to read it. To have a book written about his age group exclusively is novel to him and he adores it. Jamie Lee Curtis did a great job with this and it's nice to see that actors and actresses have other endeavors and talents as well. The pictures were cute, and my preschoolers even loved to follow along with the story. A great addition to any children's library.

[Stephanie Metcalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do we really remember what it's like to be 5? We ask students to do so many things and never think about how they may feel about them. This story takes us through the emotions and feelings that a little boy feels about being 5. We see his feelings at school, at home, with his sibling and with his classmates. I think this Realistic Fiction book would be a great book to read at the beginning of a school year with my Kindergartners. We could talk about how they feel and how they can deal with those feelings. I consider this a WOW book because going from PreK to K, 4 years old to 5 is a big jump and this book gets the reader to stop and think about how big of a change that is for students. (I also have a niece turning 5 very soon and it made me think of her and all the changes she is currently going through)

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was hard for me to get through this book: Big fan that I otherwise am of author Jamie Lee Curtis and illustrator Laura Cornell, oboy!

MY SENSE OF THIS BOOK IS...

The many frustrations of fiveness were authentically felt.
But the book struck me as over-worked and over-edited. Solutions felt jammed together, unearned, and sometimes even kind of preachy.

Worst of all, just my opinion: Shame on the marketer who put the "Learning How to Work My Control Panel" jazz on the front cover!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Hard to be Five is not just about starting kindergarten; rather it's about the rocky age of 5 as a whole. It talks about growth spurts, listening, self-control, making choices, how hard patience is, developing independence, and other such struggles. But it also talks about the fun parts of being 5 like an abundance of creativity, mastering independence, working with others, finding your talents, and earning responsibility. The book showcases all the highlights and lowlights, and overall being five is indeed hard. But the book closes with the message that everyone's five is different, and it's a fun new start for each person.

This was a fun book to read. I love Jamie Lee Curtis' books and Laura Cornell's illustrations always complete the worldbuilding around the story. This is a good book to read to a five-year-old, with catching illustrations and a simple rhyme scheme. I also heavily resonated with the verse about dirt since I loved playing in dirt as a kid.

I would read this on the first day of school for kindergarteners, or even older grades. They're in a new room with new people, and they're probably a little scared. They're growing up faster than they realize too. This book is a gentle comfort to students that it's ok to have these big feelings, it's ok to make mistakes. While individually students are going through different things, it's overall pretty rough being five, and that's completely normal.

[Julia Berner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking back, it really isn't all that easy being a kid. I mean, as an adult, I have more responsibilities and the worries that come with them, but even kids struggle with difficult things. I think we forget that sometimes, and that creates a divide between adults and children. If you can't empathize with their issues, how can you relate to a child and help them grow? This book is really great for helping adults remember the issues that they once faced. It also helps the child think of better ways to handle situations and to appreciate their youth. At the end it talks about how much they love to be five and all the new things that they can do now. I think as adults we sometimes stop appreciating all of the new and exciting things that we can do as we grow older with each day. They get taken for granted. We start to look back at the trivial issues of childhood and feel as if those were better times, but this book can even help you remember to appreciate the wonderful things that come with being an adult as well.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my 5 yr old's favorite books of all time. I can't tell you how many times he's read this on his own and asked us to read it. To have a book written about his age group exclusively is novel to him and he adores it. Jamie Lee Curtis did a great job with this and it's nice to see that actors and actresses have other endeavors and talents as well. The pictures were cute, and my preschoolers even loved to follow along with the story. A great addition to any children's library.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not my cup of tea. I think it's also a little advanced for a five year old to totally appreciate.

[Caitlin Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. This book is told from a five-year-old boys perspective. He describes all the things that make being five difficult, like keeping your face clean, not growing out of his clothes, going to school and sitting still. He also tells the reader the great things about being five, like building things and knowing how to do things.
2. This book is great for a young audience, especially a kindergarten audience, because the things in this story are their current reality. This book will show them that they are not alone in feeling frustrated at times, but it also gives them some encouragement, by showing all the special things that five year olds can do.
3. I would pair this book with The Wonderful Things You Will Be.
4. “At five I can lie down alone in my bed and dream of my past and my future ahead. And when I mess up or do right, it’s a start, ‘cause I have my own mind and I have my own heart.”

[Carley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about a little boy who has just turned 5. He talks about how it's different than all the other ages and why. This book shows an inner dialogue of what the main character tried to do in his head, v. what he actually did or said. For example, in his head, he politely asked for his hat back, but he actually yelled in his bother's face. The book addresses all the confusing things that go along with growing up.

I think this book is a little busy and hard to read, but it addresses good things and is good for little readers.

This is a big book of pragmatic targets. Sharing, politeness, anything a young kiddo would need to know to survive day-to-day interactions and building friendships.

[Molly Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a little boy who just turned five. In the book, the boy talks about how hard it is to be five- to have to walk everywhere by himself and to sit still. He talks about getting in trouble for things he does not even mean to say. He even talks about the biggest problem with being five- starting school.

This is a great book. The authors give a unique view on what it is like to be five. They tell how hard it can be to be five, and give readers a reminder that it is not easy having to learn all the rules being five brings.

This book would be great to use in a kindergarten classroom. It would be perfect to read on the first day of school, since many students may be struggling with what the boy in the book is struggling with.

[Brandon Brice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This kid just turned 5 and it’s not what he was expected. He thought getting older would get easier but he realized it was harder than expected. He has to follow rules now, has to pay attention, he isn’t the baby anymore so he doesn’t get to do anything he wants. He also is learning his manners now and get to do big boy things.

I like this book because it shows kids that hard work comes with getting older, although it may frighten them a bit they will still get through it.

I will tell my students that with getting older, you have more responsibilities now and you have to follow directions in order to be a good person.

[Hannah McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book explains the struggles, joys, and challenges of being five. You are always growing, have to go to school, but your imagination is fun. You can be anything you want at five. He didn't like being five, but at the end of the book he is proud and ready.
I loved the illustrations in this book. I loved how the author made it seem that five is hard, when in reality, it's so fun and super easy.
I could use this in a kindergarten class. I think kids would just enjoy the story, because they are that age and can relate.

[Clwseattle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked It's Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel, but not nearly as much as I liked When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old's Memoir of Her Youth. I'm left wondering if it's because the author wrote a little more gently when the 4 yr old was a little girl, which is surprising in as much as I raised 3 sons. The illustrations are fun and bold and, as usual, Jamie Lee Curtis leaves our young readers with a good lesson, gently provided and hidden in FUN.

[Drusilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Important lesson for children. Things are not always easy. As you grow up and get older especially when you reach five, you got to do more thing but with it comes more responsibility. I do not care for the youngest of this book. I feel as though it is speaking to Children younger than five. But then some of the things they say children do at 5 they do not do until they are much older. An okay book.

[Ashlin Edmisten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course it's hard to be five! If you're not five, you might think it's easy, but believe me it's not. This is a cute book I'm thinking of getting for the five-year-old in my life. Just because you're five doesn't mean you're grown, but it might mean you have a little more freedom than you did. Sometimes growing up isn't all that bad.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cleverly written in rhyme storybook about a little boy turning 5; and how he is growing up and changing. Becoming more independent but can still be a 'little' boy at times too. Illustrations are crazy and a little out there at times but over all the book was a very good one. Would be very nice as a gift for a 5 year old.

[Rachel Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my nephew Jasper, who is 5 and started kindergarten this year. It's a book about how all of the changes of starting school can be hard. He was engaged the entire time, this book is such a fun read and discusses how hard it is to be 5! Published in 2004. This would be a great read for a kindergarten class.

[Hayden Waller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows the struggles of being a five and learning to control yourself. The author makes jokes about siblings and school that really connect to children on a realistic level. This would be a great book to read to struggling kindergartners who can't seem to control themselves inside or outside of the classroom. I would definitely recommend this book to other parents and teachers!

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young child struggles with being five years old. Parents want him to be clean and teachers want him to sit still. Eventually the child learns that being five also means being a good worker bee and learning to be in control of your body.

A good book for teaching additional responsibilities comes with growing older. The rhymes are slightly clumsy so read beforehand.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to be five - hearing "no" all the time, having to stay clean, and growing out of clothes. Not to mention, sitting still at school! But, it's also fun to be five - being a learner, using manners, and knowing how to do things.

A fun story for any five year old. The bright, humorous illustrations add to the narrator's frustration and excitement.

[Kelly Wickham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun rhyming book about all the struggles of being 5. It can be so hard to keep your hands to yourself, stay in your spot in line, and share toys at school. The struggle is real and this book talks all about it. But in the end, there are some cool things about being 5 like learning to tie your shoelaces, going to Kindergarten, and being a big brother or sister. Yeah 5!

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jayme Lee Curtis is at it again. It’s hard to be five celebrates being five years old. Both the things that you can no longer do as well as the things that you get to do now. This is a lovely book just like all her others. This is probably my least favorite of all her books I’ve read so far. The illustrations are always just as perfect as the books are.

[Krisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazingly accurate presentation of the vast & sudden complicated changes expected from the child who simply turns one year older.... to FIVE! Within our American society this age means the end of childhood almost! See it from our Littles points of view!

[Emily Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I think this book was very relatable to kids who are turning 5 and getting older. It made me remember when I turned 5 and was expected to start doing so many things on my own and how scary it was.

[Harry Palacio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a rainmaker of light and chemicals: the pitter patter of hammering; aging and youth. Chimera and dolesome hands running at the faucet of handspun lunar pre-adolescence, where we see the aegis of so much fodder of ‘past life works’ being its widow

[Sarah Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need more books like this on self control for young ones. My only caveat is that the illustrations and text are jumbled and therefore make it hard to read this aloud to students.

[Kristen Dutkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many rules to follow when you are five - it’s hard! But it’s pretty fun too... very clever children’s book!

[Addison Children's Services · Rating 5 out of 5]

The age that includes learning not to hit? Having to wait your turn? Sitting still? It's hard to be five!!