Mon ami Jim

by Kitty Crowther

Jack est un merle mais la mer l’attire depuis toujours. Un jour, il décide de quitter sa forêt. Arrivé au bord de la mer, il rencontre Jack la mouette. C’est le début d’une grande amitié...

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction, Friendship, Animals, Birds, Fantasy

32 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 18, 1996

About the author

b. 1970

Kitty Crowther developed a love for books in early childhood, due in part to the fact that she was born with a hearing defect that delayed her speaking until the age of four. Her dossier provides this comment on her work: "Kitty's style speaks for itself. A simple, pure line, a light stroke that creates movement, that traces emotion, that touches the heart. Characters are drawn with a few, clear pen strokes and are revealed subtly. 'I'm fascinated by movement, the line that trembles, that is agitated, hard, soft.' This young woman is not interested in reproducing reality. She is concerned much more with reinventing experience. As she searches for meaning and for accuracy, she does not allow herself to be distracted by the gaze of others. 'I am not a fan of drawing only after painstaking sketching. I prefer to draw a gesture or an attitude that I recall from memory. I trust my visual memory. I try to be true to myself. Everything that I put in my books comes from experiences that have touched me profoundly. I try to recreate this special energy as closely as possible because it is beautiful. Restoring things because they are pretty does not have meaning for me. I live what I draw."

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack & Jim is a story about two bird friends. They meet on the seashore one afternoon. Jack being a blackbird dreamt of what it would be like to leave the forest and live near the sea. Jim, a seagull, welcomed him to his town and showed him all he could. The town took some time to get used to this unusual bird, being rude and distant at first. After they learn Jack is not so strange, just a little different, they welcome him too into their town. This is a children's picture book about diversity.

In this book the author uses very descriptive words. I would use this book to show how to add details to your story. "Most of all, [Jack] longed to fly over the sea, so blue and wide." It would be fun to rewrite the book without the adjectives and then again with, so that my students could see the power of great descriptions.

Kitty Crowther is an emotional writer. She writes what comes to her heart. She once said, "Everything that I put in my books comes from experiences that have touched me profoundly." I can only lead to believe that she once was judged by her outwardly appearance to only be accepted after her personality shown through. She shares this challenge through the story of two newly best friends, Jack & Jim.

[Emilia Macchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro ideal para los tiempos que corren: aceptar al extranjero porque puede enseñarte cosas nuevas.

Se lo regalé a un niño de casi tres años y lo pasamos muy bien leyéndolo juntos. Quizás no entendió el mensaje sobre la diversidad pero si disfrutó la historia y las diferentes expresiones dibujadas de las gaviotas, los detallitos marinos, etcétera. Bello.

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting. The first time I was reading it through I was really worried it was going to be a very heavy handed book about race (I though one of the characters was literally named Jim Crow - which he wasn't) and I was worried about how a Belgian author would wade into this. In the end, it ended up being more about difference - being a difference species for instance, than about black vs white. It also has a rapid and profound friendship between two male characters, which you don't often see. In the vein of Frog and Toad it gives sort of a potential lovers, potential BFFs quality to the story which is nice and subtly done. The friendship is a joy to see.

I think the book would have been stronger if Jack had been a bird of some other colour because the allusions to race were not strong, and it would be better to avoid them in my opinion. I also have a bit of an issue with the idea that everyone accepted Jack only once he proved his utility to them (able to read stories) rather than coming to acceptance of his intrinsic worth, but what can ya do? My 3.5 year old really enjoyed it a lot and we read it many many times while we had it out from the library.

[Nena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ένα βιβλίο που θίγει έννοιες όπως ο ρατσισμός, η αποδοχή, η ξενοφοβία μέσα από την φιλία ενός γλάρου κι ενός κότσυφα. Το highlight για εμένα είναι ότι δίνει σστα βιβλία μια ιδιαίτερη διάσταση.Παρουσιάζει την φιλαναγνωσια και την αγάπη του κότσυφα για τα βιβλία ως έναν συνδετικό κρίκο ένταξης και αποδοχής σε μια ομάδα που μέχρι πρότινος τον ξεχώριζαν και τον απομάκρυναν.
Το τέλος του βιβλίου λυτρωτικό μιας που τα διδάγματα είναι πολλά μεταξύ αυτών σημαντικό να αναφερθεί ότι είναι σημαντικό να δίνουμε στους άλλους την ευκαιρία να τους γνωρίσουμε καλύτερα, μας μιλήσουν για αυτούς που είναι μέσα από πράγματα που αγαπούν , στην περίπτωση μας - το διάβασμα. Να αποδεχόμαστε και να είμαστε κατανοητικοί, όταν διευρύνουμε τον κύκλο μας , αλλά και όταν είμαστε μέρος μιας φιλίας πάντα να δείχνουμε ενδιαφέρον και κατανόηση στις μικρές λεπτομέρειες και να στηρίζουμε αυτόν τον ιερό δεσμό.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. None
2. PreK-2
3. This book is about a black bird named Jack and a while seagull named Jim who become friends. When Jim's village doesn't accept Jack because he looks different, Jack and Jim leave to find something else to do to cheer Jack up. A little seagull hears Jack reading a book and soon all the seagulls want to meet him, and eventually accept him.
4. I loved this book because of the strong message it sends of diversity, friendship, and acceptance. Jack and Jim's friendship transcends all prejudice and disapproval from their villages, and shows that not only is being different okay, it's welcomed and accepted if you take the time to get to know someone.
5. This book would be perfect for a diversity/friendship unit. Student's could do a writing activity or journal entry about a time they've felt excluded from a group or have witness someone else being excluded, as all children must learn about rejection and learn how to cope with it or combat it.

[Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

Βιβλίο για τη φιλία, τον ρατσισμό ή την ξενοφοβία και την ανάγκη να γνωρίσεις πρώτα τον άλλο, πριν κρίνεις. Η ιστορία απλή και ξεκάθαρη ως προς το τι θέλει να πει. Ίσως λίγο γρήγορα κι απότομα αρχίζει στην αρχή η φιλία του κότσυφα Τζακ και του γλάρου Τζιμ, όμως εκ των πραγμάτων δεν μπορεί εύκολα να γίνει αλλιώς σε ένα παιδικό βιβλίο λίγων σελίδων. Τα σκίτσα αρκετά απλοϊκά, βγάζουν μία παιδικότητα. Αντικειμενικά κάποιος μπορεί να πει ότι είναι μέτρια, όμως είναι ό,τι πρέπει για παιδιά προσχολικής ηλικίας και ίσως πιο προσιτά σε αυτά, ιδιαίτερα αν έχουμε υπόψη μας ότι το βιβλίο είναι του 1996 και τα παιδιά δεν είχαν εικόνες τότε των σύνθετων ή 3d γραφικών, εικονογραφήσεων και animation που υπάρχουν πλέον. Όπως και να ‘χει, στη συγκεκριμένη ιστορία το βασικό είναι το μήνυμα και αυτό περνάει όμορφα. 8/10

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading and Friendship are magic.

[Sean Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little parable about being ostracized which can be applied to many social dynamics if you want it to.

[Elin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jättefin bilderbok om vänskap och våga välkomna något dittills okänt

[Jennifer Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tied in diversity very well. Jim is a seagull and Jack is a blackbird. The two meet up and visit one anothers town together. First was Jim's town. It was beside the water. Many other seagulls were there, all of which were white. None of these birds had ever seen a blackbird before and avoided Jack. They made fun of him and didn't want him around. Jack and Jim stuck together. They were looking through a chest full of books when Jim said him didn't know how to read. In fact no one in his town could read. Jack loved to read and read to Jim. Others heard of this and wanted to get to know Jack. Eventually seagulls and blackbirds became friends once they got to know each other.

[Kavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This children's book is about a young bird named Jack who befriends a "different" bird, a blackbird, named Jim. Ignoring the questionable choice of names for the birds, this book contains a powerful lesson about accepting those who are different from you and celebrating their strengths. Jack is a bird who has many friends on his island. Jim is a newcomer, and because of his physical appearance, he is constantly made fun of. Jack befriends him anyways, and explains that he does not know how to read. Jim, who does know how to read, teaches Jack how to read and the two become close friends. A K-2 teacher might consider reading this book when he or she detects cliques forming or a bullying problem.

[Katrina Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

* Read when cliques are apparent

* Read when students seem to gang up on a student that is "different"
* Kindergartners, especially young boys I think I would love this book.

* As a literacy teacher I would use this text in a large group
it will help build a community not based on appearance, but rather what is on the inside.

* Help the class to be open minded

[Melissa Sommer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a bird, Jack, who meets a seagull names Jim. They instantly bond and the book shares their journey of their new friendship together and all the activities they do. I thought this book was a creative way to talk about friendship.

[Jason Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it in Spanish! ("Mi amigo Juan")

Good book. Nice enough message about "foreigners". Questionable message about literacy. Maybe all those gaviotas should learn to read now that they've learned to accept the black bird?

[Vee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The original title of this french book is Mon ami Jim. Translated into English it would read My Friend Jim but they decided to translate the tale into Jack and Jim. Mi amigo Juan makes sense, but I would call it Mi amigo Nico.