What Do You Do, Dear?: Proper Conduct for All Occasions

by Sesyle Joslin, Maurice Sendak (Illustrator)

Explains the proper etiquette when one discovers a pirate's treasure, meets with cowboys, is arrested by the Sheriff of Nottingham, encounters a polar bear, rides an elephant, or attends a royal party

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Juvenile

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Sesyle Joslin is a children's literature author. Joslin's book What Do You Say, Dear? was illustrated by Maurice Sendak and it was a Caldecott Medal Honor book in 1959.

Joslin was born in Providence, RI, on August 30, 1929. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, she worked as an editorial assistant and assistant editor in Philadelphia, and was the book columnist at Country Gentleman magazine from 1949 through 1951. In 1950, she married writer Al Hine. The couple had three children. In addition, she served as a production assistant on Peter Brook's Lord of the Flies (1963 film) and worked on location in Puerto Rico.

In addition to writing under her own name, Joslin also used a few pseudonyms. Under the name Josephine Gibson, she and her husband wrote Is There a Mouse in the House? (Macmillan, 1965). And under the name G. B. Kirtland they wrote One Day in Ancient Rome (Harcourt, 1961), One Day in Elizabethan England (Harcourt, 1962), and One Day in Aztec Mexico (Harcourt, 1963).

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a book similar to this by Sesyle that won a Caldecott. I wanted to read more by her. This is essentially the same as the first, but I love the humor and the situations. It’s about etiquette and it’s funny in these silly situations.

A cowboy kidnaps you in a library, what do you do? You tip-toe out quietly to not disturb anyone. It’s silly things like this. I enjoy it and it’s funny.

The nephew thought this was funny too. He was like, you wouldn’t do that. I’d scream, or do this. We both chuckled at this. He gave it 3 stars.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do you do if you're a fearsome pirate making your fine lady captive walk the plank, and she drops her handkerchief? Why pick it up for her, of course! What about if you're being kidnapped from the library by a villain named Bad-Nose Bill? Walk quietly out of the building - obviously! These and other pieces of helpful advise about the proper etiquette are offered here, in this charming, tongue-in-cheek guide to good manners.

Originally published in 1961, What Do You Do, Dear? is the second manners guide created by author Sesyle Joslin and illustrator Maurice Sendak, following upon their earlier What Do You Say, Dear? (1958), which was chosen as a Caldecott Honor Book in 1959. It is a droll exploration of good manners, emphasizing through extraordinary and unusual story-lines, the proper course of conduct, in more mundane times. One presumes, after all, that it isn't bad manners to object, when being kidnapped! Otherwise, of course, quiet in the library is advisable. Recommended to Sendak fans, people who enjoy vintage picture-books (there is some socially outdated material here), or anyone looking for entertaining examinations of etiquette for young children.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an old favorite. It was on the bookshelf as a boy. Yesterday my mother gave this book to my daughter for Christmas. Beetle doesn't quite get all the subtlety, but it was nice to read with her all the same.

This book was written in 1961. Much like Fred Gwynne's books, it is quite interesting to see have politically incorrect some things now appear. The first situation speaks to a child being kidnapped from a library. What do you do, dear? Not call for help. Not run away. No, remember to be quiet in the library. Even quietness in a library is a thing of the past. I taught in a school where the major thoroughfare in the building was through the library. Seriously.

As Beetle and Fritz age, this book will be used to teach the manners that we expect them to have.

Maurice Sendak of Where the Wild Things Are fame is the illustrator of this fine book.

[joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's all about manners like if your in a library and suddenly you are captured what do you do dear? you walk silently out. Or there is a part where it says when your making peace with Indians and they pass around a pipe to smoke. And you swallow a bunch of smoke. What do you do dear? You cover your mouth to cough. I don't know exactly how it goes but I was just telling you what it was about. I learned my manners from this book.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book and its companion, What Do You Say, Dear? were 2 of my favorite books when I was a kid. They're certainly my all-time favorite etiquette books.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with Kelsey on Halloween night!

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet more solid advice

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

As we're featuring Sendak this month in our story times we shared a few scenarios from this delightful book on etiquette by Sesyle Joslin. The children love the unlikely combinations of a cowboy capture in a library, a dinner bell interruption by a pirate chef, and more ridiculous conundrums.

Since our theme was IMAGINATION EXPRESS, I made a booklet handout for parents to read and children to color with an old fashioned train engine on the cover. We are implementing "library branding" here so our logo was in the engineer's booth and the booklet title You, Your Child, Your Library, and Emergent Literacy" filled the engine white-space. The caboose on the back listed our address, website, hours, and on-line features. The inside page boxcars had these tips:

This week's "Imagination Express" theme illustrates how the pre-school years are the engine that drives reading readiness.

Tip: Print Motivation means your child enjoys books! Try this... Take home some non-fiction (true)books today. Children love information as much as, or perhaps more than, stories.

Another boxcar had a large lower case letter i in a box. Outside the box was this text: Today we played with the sound and shape of the letter "i". We made a human letter "i" with our body. The dot on the eye was made with one hand over the head opening and shutting like a blinking star.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in my stepdaughter's picture books that she was getting rid of and saved it. Wow, what a gem! It has to be decent if Maurice Sendak is illustrating it, right?

This book gives different scenarios (each more far fetched than the first) and then askes "what do you do, dear?" The answer always has to do with manners but when you match it with the outlandish scenario, you can't help but laugh. The only issue some people might have is the bit with the peace pipe, but that could be easily omitted because each episode is not dependent on the one before.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly but clever introduction to good manners and etiquette. Small children will enjoy the question/answer format of the book, as well as the creative scenarios Joslin has dreamed up to illustrate appropriate manners. The cute illustrations are fun, too.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

"...you invite some cowboys to sit around the fire and smoke the peace pipe. But when it is your turn to puff on the pipe, you accidentally swallow quite a lot of smoke. What do you do, dear? Cover your mouth when you cough."

[Natalie Pietro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the kind of book you can only read when your child is talking. Cause after each story it reads "what do you do dear?" And the. Your child finished the story. I can't wait to read this again to my son once he's older to understand it. Still a classic, timeless book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite books as a child. What a fun way to talk about manners. Great illustrations.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sequel to A favorite childhood book

[Johnny]

My Favorite Book (and probably first).

[babyhippoface · Rating 3 out of 5]

More clever little manners lessons with illustrations by Maurice Sendak.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle and humorous guide on manners for children.

[Tiah Keever · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming guide to manners, though now it is outdated, it is still fun.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, utterly clever. I just loved these books. Hope I can find them for my own kids someday.

[Missie Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable!

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somebody gave a very young me this book and WHAT DO YOU SAY, DEAR? Today, what do I do? Take out all the wonderful Sendak books in my collection and read them again.

[Tritchen Helms · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this as a graduation present by my kindergarten teacher about 40 years ago. It's a bit beaten up by now.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as good as 'What do You Say, Dear?'

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful companion book to What do you say dear?

[Veronica]

I'm working on creating a booklist for my local public library. This book was one in consideration for this list.

Perfect for my list. Exactly what I want.

However, having been published in 1961, there is one inappropriate section. Being an "Indian chief" and "smoking a peace pipe" is a little too on the racist side for me to add it. I'll talk it over with the librarian I'm doing this list for, but I question this one scenario. The rest of the book was fantastic!

Gotta love Maurice Sendak. His illustrations are lovely!

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, it starts off with something that is terrible advice. But the first scenario in this book is getting kidnapped from a library! And the thing to do is to stay quiet!!! Whaaaat?! Anyway, there's also a page about the peace pipe? That I skipped?

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my very most favorite books on manners; hilariously funny and useful.

[Emma Nicklous · Rating 2 out of 5]

Likes illustrations but not story

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its great and useful

[Luella Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute.