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What Can a Citizen Do?
Across the course of several seemingly unrelated but ultimately connected actions by different children, we watch how kids turn a lonely island into a community—and watch a journey from what the world should be to what the world could be.
46 pages, Hardcover
First published September 11, 2018
10 people are currently reading
540 people want to read
About the author
Dave Eggers
338 books9,469 followersDave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is best known for his 2000 memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, which became a bestseller and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. Eggers is also the founder of several notable literary and philanthropic ventures, including the literary journal Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, the literacy project 826 Valencia, and the human rights nonprofit Voice of Witness. Additionally, he founded ScholarMatch, a program that connects donors with students needing funds for college tuition. His writing has appeared in numerous prestigious publications, including The New Yorker, Esquire, and The New York Times Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
December 24, 2018
I mean... has Dave Eggers ever MET a kid? "A land of latticed people?" Dude, you have the power to get a lot of books into a lot of little hands, because a lot of 30-something hipster aunts and uncles are going to feel super cool buying Baby's First Dave Eggers Book for their nieces and nephews. In fact, this book disappeared from my desk at the library while I'm writing this review!
Sorry, whatever sophisticate picked it up - you're still going to have to do a lot of explaining about what the word "citizen" even means. Hope you're up on your civics.
Sorry, whatever sophisticate picked it up - you're still going to have to do a lot of explaining about what the word "citizen" even means. Hope you're up on your civics.
January 27, 2019
Hello, it is I! Your anal persnickety friend! While I loved Dave Eggers's fact-filled Statue of Liberty book, I find it very sad that it had no leftover facts to pass down to THIS book.
Definitely worth applauding is the notion of teaching kids what it means to be a good citizen. But this book never actually explains WHAT A CITIZEN IS. THIS IS A PROBLEM. Hello, book, that is a bear. A bear can do good things (I mean, I CAN believe in bears' capacity for generosity; I refuse to believe that they are so evil they exist purely to stampede schools and justify Betsy DeVos's demands for guns for teachers), but I am pretty sure a bear can’t be a citizen. It's great to see people doing good things, but everyone is able to do good things; again, you need not be a citizen. DEFINE CITIZENSHIP FOR US, BOO. And sadly, if current times have told us anything, it's that being a GOOD citizen isn’t the same thing as being a citizen.
The art is cute.
Definitely worth applauding is the notion of teaching kids what it means to be a good citizen. But this book never actually explains WHAT A CITIZEN IS. THIS IS A PROBLEM. Hello, book, that is a bear. A bear can do good things (I mean, I CAN believe in bears' capacity for generosity; I refuse to believe that they are so evil they exist purely to stampede schools and justify Betsy DeVos's demands for guns for teachers), but I am pretty sure a bear can’t be a citizen. It's great to see people doing good things, but everyone is able to do good things; again, you need not be a citizen. DEFINE CITIZENSHIP FOR US, BOO. And sadly, if current times have told us anything, it's that being a GOOD citizen isn’t the same thing as being a citizen.
The art is cute.
September 14, 2019
Nice first book on citizenship that has wonderful art.
September 9, 2019
Love this second book from this author/illustrator pair! This is going to be a fantastic book to share in classrooms/libraries to help kids get a sense of belonging to a community and being members of a society in which we help others out. And the illustration style makes you want to look more closely.
Pair in a text set with any service learning projects, refugee books, social activism, or books about showing kindness.
Pair in a text set with any service learning projects, refugee books, social activism, or books about showing kindness.
June 8, 2024
I really liked the emphasis on action and the roles that citizens can play in shaping their community and making it a better place for all to live, but there are things that just don't work about the book that would keep me from recommending it. A citizen can be a bear? I really have no idea what that's supposed to be about. I also have a problem with this: "A citizen is not what you are - a citizen is what you do." But it's both, and I don't think the first part should be dismissed like that. And this: "A land of latticed people, none of us the same." What is Eggers trying to say here, and are the kids reading the book going to get that meaning?
February 26, 2019
Author Dave Eggers and illustrator Shawn Harris, who collaborated previously on
Her Right Foot
, a picture-book devoted to the story of the Statue of Liberty, join forces again in this look at the role of the citizen. The sing-song narrative sets out the many ways a citizen can get involved, from writing letters to changing laws, while the collage-style artwork depicts a diverse range of children in action...
I found Eggers and Harris' Her Right Foot a surprisingly good book, when I read it last year. Although I often find that authors famous in fields other than children's literature - Eggers is a celebrated name in the world of adult American letters - erroneously assume that this means they will have the skill to write for children, in the case of that other book, I thought it was a well-told tale, one that would be engaging for young readers. Given that this was so, and that I also enjoyed Harris' artwork, I went into What Can a Citizen Do? with every expectation of enjoyment. Unfortunately, although I found the visuals here quite appealing, with collage artwork that is energetic and expressive, I found the text somewhat muddled. Its heart is in the right place, and the message I think that Eggers is trying to get across - that citizens need to be informed, engaged and active - is a good one. That said, there simply isn't enough here - no explanation of what a citizen is, for instance - to ground the sing-songy list of things a citizen can do. There isn't enough information to be educational, nor enough story to be emotionally resonant.
I wish this one had been stronger, and that I could recommend it as a book to introduce children to the idea of citizenship - what it means, and what it entails, in terms of responsibilities and rights - but it isn't, and I can't. This one is nice enough, as a kind of general "get involved" book, but that's about as far as it goes.
I found Eggers and Harris' Her Right Foot a surprisingly good book, when I read it last year. Although I often find that authors famous in fields other than children's literature - Eggers is a celebrated name in the world of adult American letters - erroneously assume that this means they will have the skill to write for children, in the case of that other book, I thought it was a well-told tale, one that would be engaging for young readers. Given that this was so, and that I also enjoyed Harris' artwork, I went into What Can a Citizen Do? with every expectation of enjoyment. Unfortunately, although I found the visuals here quite appealing, with collage artwork that is energetic and expressive, I found the text somewhat muddled. Its heart is in the right place, and the message I think that Eggers is trying to get across - that citizens need to be informed, engaged and active - is a good one. That said, there simply isn't enough here - no explanation of what a citizen is, for instance - to ground the sing-songy list of things a citizen can do. There isn't enough information to be educational, nor enough story to be emotionally resonant.
I wish this one had been stronger, and that I could recommend it as a book to introduce children to the idea of citizenship - what it means, and what it entails, in terms of responsibilities and rights - but it isn't, and I can't. This one is nice enough, as a kind of general "get involved" book, but that's about as far as it goes.
November 4, 2018
Now that your kiddos know all about democracy, voting, government, and that they can also be active in making the world a better place, this is the book to show them how they can do that and empower themselves. Told in a simple rhyme that, I'm sorry to say, doesn't always hold up, readers are introduced to a diverse group of children who are ready to show them just how they too can become activists. The children slowly transform an island with just a tree into a wonderful tree house that is open and welcoming to all people. Even the new kid in town is invited to join the other tree house occupants and to make his own contribution to the group. With supporting paper cut illustrations, the text describes all the ways a person can be a good citizen and why: "We're part of a society/One full of joy and pain/A land of latticed people/None of us the same/And if we help just one/hep one lonely soul/We open doors, we bring in light/We bind us all and make us whole."
January 16, 2019
I love what this book set out to do. The idea behind it is a great one!
However:
1. Doesn't explain what a citizen actually is.
2. There's a random bear in pink shorts?
3. You know when you repeat a word over and over and it loses all meaning? That's what happened to citizen by about page three.
4. I'm an adult and even I'm not quite sure what "latticed people" is supposed to mean.
Even with these issues, I still think there are valuable messages to be pulled out and passed on to kids reading this one: like working together to make something better!
However:
1. Doesn't explain what a citizen actually is.
2. There's a random bear in pink shorts?
3. You know when you repeat a word over and over and it loses all meaning? That's what happened to citizen by about page three.
4. I'm an adult and even I'm not quite sure what "latticed people" is supposed to mean.
Even with these issues, I still think there are valuable messages to be pulled out and passed on to kids reading this one: like working together to make something better!
August 4, 2019
In light of current events (August 3/4, 2019), I happened upon this book ----
It is very thought provoking ----- I ONLY WISH that the description did NOT use the word "CUTE"
Probably not going to use it for story time, it is TOO esoteric for a story time setting, but it would be good for adults to use one on one with their children, grandchildren.
It is very thought provoking ----- I ONLY WISH that the description did NOT use the word "CUTE"
Probably not going to use it for story time, it is TOO esoteric for a story time setting, but it would be good for adults to use one on one with their children, grandchildren.
September 19, 2018
Simply rhymed call to action on how to be a citizen.
January 1, 2019
Best line: "A citizen's not what you are—a citizen is what you do."
November 8, 2019
This was okay. This book is steeped in politically correct nonsense. A bear is not a citizen.
November 2, 2018
It is November, election month, is a great time to share this new rhyming picture book by Dave Eggers. When I read it, I remembered the John Donne words, "No man is an island", and celebrate that this book shares that same message for younger children, really for us all.
If you study social justice in the classroom, if you want to share and inspire your own children, or grandchildren, to be good citizens, this will be a terrific book to read together. I hope it will inspire you readers, too. Lists can be made to see where in the community one can help. From small deeds to large ones, all of us need to find some way to help our neighbors, our neighborhoods, our towns, and cities.
In rhyme with delightful cut-paper illustrations by Shawn Harris, Eggers shares a simple and straightforward message :
"A citizen's not what you are--
a citizen is what you do.
A citizen cannot forget
the world is more than you."
Enjoy the book when you can, go out into your special world and find actions that will make it better.
If you study social justice in the classroom, if you want to share and inspire your own children, or grandchildren, to be good citizens, this will be a terrific book to read together. I hope it will inspire you readers, too. Lists can be made to see where in the community one can help. From small deeds to large ones, all of us need to find some way to help our neighbors, our neighborhoods, our towns, and cities.
In rhyme with delightful cut-paper illustrations by Shawn Harris, Eggers shares a simple and straightforward message :
"A citizen's not what you are--
a citizen is what you do.
A citizen cannot forget
the world is more than you."
Enjoy the book when you can, go out into your special world and find actions that will make it better.
January 9, 2026
I liked it, but I'm wondering what age group this would work best for. Some of the language was very idiomatic or metaphorical, but illustrated in a literal sense. For example,
"A citizen can right a wrong.
A citizen can turn things round.
A citizen can get things right side
that have been upside down."
The illustrations for this stanza show a kid blowing into the wrong side, then the right side of a trumpet, and then another child righting an upside down turtle. Preschool kids may not be able to parse this, though it might be a good choice for elementary. The addition of the bear is a little strange and doesn't really seem to fit the rest of the book. The illustrations, made of painted construction paper collage, are amazing. I love the cast of kid characters, too.
"A citizen can right a wrong.
A citizen can turn things round.
A citizen can get things right side
that have been upside down."
The illustrations for this stanza show a kid blowing into the wrong side, then the right side of a trumpet, and then another child righting an upside down turtle. Preschool kids may not be able to parse this, though it might be a good choice for elementary. The addition of the bear is a little strange and doesn't really seem to fit the rest of the book. The illustrations, made of painted construction paper collage, are amazing. I love the cast of kid characters, too.
October 18, 2018
"A citizen cannot forget the world is more than you. ...So forget yourself a second. Grab a shovel or a pen. Do something for another. Don't you dare doubt that you can!"
LOVE the message and LOVE the illustrations. Shawn Harris' collages are almost sculptural - is that a word? - in that the art comes off the page, using lighting that creates shadows and thus dimension. And the photos of these collages were so carefully taken - he's chosen just the right lighting, that the shadows have become part of the art. And who knew you could evoke such depth of emotion from paper?
One I'm definitely sharing with my own kiddos!
LOVE the message and LOVE the illustrations. Shawn Harris' collages are almost sculptural - is that a word? - in that the art comes off the page, using lighting that creates shadows and thus dimension. And the photos of these collages were so carefully taken - he's chosen just the right lighting, that the shadows have become part of the art. And who knew you could evoke such depth of emotion from paper?
One I'm definitely sharing with my own kiddos!
December 31, 2018
Cute, but misses the mark. It's a lot of feel-good-type stuff, but not tons of substance to help kids figure out what a citizen is (a bear? really??) or what it actually means to be part of a larger society. (Hint: people are going to disagree, and just changing "no trumpets" to "ok trumpets" isn't quite so simple.)
May 31, 2019
Age: K-3rd grade
Activism: Government
Starting from scratch, a group of children adapt and collaborate to build a treehouse city. Eggers provides plenty of examples about good citizenship and, if people are looking for a textbook definition, then pair it with a more thorough nonfiction book.
Activism: Government
Starting from scratch, a group of children adapt and collaborate to build a treehouse city. Eggers provides plenty of examples about good citizenship and, if people are looking for a textbook definition, then pair it with a more thorough nonfiction book.
June 21, 2018
Love this book - I think the language that is used is so accessible to a wide range of ages. Love the diverse characters. Great book to use at the beginning of the school year.
September 23, 2018
Gorgeous illustrations and a story that will lift your soul. What can you do?
September 30, 2018
Really digging Shawn Harris art. Great messaging.
December 5, 2018
I get it, but it could have been better.
December 16, 2018
I love you, Dave Eggers. I love you, okay?!
January 22, 2019
In rhyming text Eggers tells children it is not so much who we are but what we do that makes us citizens, and gives some examples of what good citizens do.
The language in this is very broad so it can apply to many different situations. The blurb says stuff about picking up litter and pulling a weed, but that isn't in the book. The book talks more about making wrongs right, being caring and engaged, and helping others. I think you'll need to have a post-reading discussion with younger readers to see if they get the gist of the message. The broad language makes it good so it can be applied to a number of situations (and countries) but it also makes it a little vague and I think it may go over the heads of some kids. Not to say it isn't good. It is a great message, and having a post-reading conversation could make it even richer, helping young readers think through how they can be good citizens. The illustration style is quite unique. It is collage, but also cartoon-like...and I've never seen anything quite like it in a book (it looks more stop-motion animation in style). (That plus the topic make me think this is a high contender for a shiny Caldecott sticker on its cover.) Highly recommended for elementary classes and families with young children to read and talk about how to be a good citizen in their contexts.
The language in this is very broad so it can apply to many different situations. The blurb says stuff about picking up litter and pulling a weed, but that isn't in the book. The book talks more about making wrongs right, being caring and engaged, and helping others. I think you'll need to have a post-reading discussion with younger readers to see if they get the gist of the message. The broad language makes it good so it can be applied to a number of situations (and countries) but it also makes it a little vague and I think it may go over the heads of some kids. Not to say it isn't good. It is a great message, and having a post-reading conversation could make it even richer, helping young readers think through how they can be good citizens. The illustration style is quite unique. It is collage, but also cartoon-like...and I've never seen anything quite like it in a book (it looks more stop-motion animation in style). (That plus the topic make me think this is a high contender for a shiny Caldecott sticker on its cover.) Highly recommended for elementary classes and families with young children to read and talk about how to be a good citizen in their contexts.
September 21, 2018
What Can a Citizen Do? by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Shawn Harris. PICTURE BOOK. Chronicle Books, 2018. $18. 9781452173139
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
This book asks a series of questions about a citizen’s role in a community and attempts to answer them with ideas about small and large things young and old citizens alike can do. The answers include things like planting a tree and simply just caring. The book also explore what it looks like to be a part of a community - the good and the bad.
I really enjoyed this poetic call to arms for kids to get involved in their communities. I felt motivated after reading this to look around and do something. The art is very creative, done with cut paper and the illustrations represent many walks of life - children of color, boys wearing skirts, bears in pink pants. There is a lot in here to talk about and discuss with a class, making this an excellent addition to any classroom lesson on community or government or citizenship.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
This book asks a series of questions about a citizen’s role in a community and attempts to answer them with ideas about small and large things young and old citizens alike can do. The answers include things like planting a tree and simply just caring. The book also explore what it looks like to be a part of a community - the good and the bad.
I really enjoyed this poetic call to arms for kids to get involved in their communities. I felt motivated after reading this to look around and do something. The art is very creative, done with cut paper and the illustrations represent many walks of life - children of color, boys wearing skirts, bears in pink pants. There is a lot in here to talk about and discuss with a class, making this an excellent addition to any classroom lesson on community or government or citizenship.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
September 13, 2018
Probably not the most popular to say, but I was a little put off by "No TRUMPets" in the beginning....like, we all get it, the guy really sucks, but I feel like "No hate" or "No bullies" would have also worked & been less of a thinly veiled message that's there more for the purpose of giving the adults in the room a laugh. Anyway, it resolved itself alright in the end, and gave a good intro for kids to understanding their agency & enacting changes.
January 16, 2019
Disappointed. I really enjoyed Her Right Foot but I think this one fell flat. Shawn Harris's illustrations were wonderful. But Eggers's text wasn't what I'd hoped for - especially the weird "a citizen can be a bear" moment. There were good threads, but I think it could have been so much better with a bit more tweaking. The first line in the description isn't included in the book, and I cannot fathom why that was removed but the bear wasn't.
December 4, 2018
A citizen cannot forget
The world is more than you!
Delightful illustrations show that citizenship is within the reach of everyone--even kids! This book would be great to use in conjunction with a lesson on what citizenship is. Few of us would argue that embracing the spirit of cooperation, friendship, and helping others is something we all could use more of!
The world is more than you!
Delightful illustrations show that citizenship is within the reach of everyone--even kids! This book would be great to use in conjunction with a lesson on what citizenship is. Few of us would argue that embracing the spirit of cooperation, friendship, and helping others is something we all could use more of!
October 2, 2018
Love the idea, but not the execution here. Although it's the same author/illustrator combo, I felt this was much inferior to Her Right Foot.
March 21, 2019
Not sure why bears were brought into the story... Would young children be confused? Pink pants?
Like the idea of involving children, but got a little too cute for me. Rounded up, more of a 2.5, but not much on this subject for the young.
Like the idea of involving children, but got a little too cute for me. Rounded up, more of a 2.5, but not much on this subject for the young.
October 6, 2018
I like the idea, I LOVE the illustrations, but the text fell way flat for me. Especially the part with the bear, who only seemed to be included to fit the rhyme scheme.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews