Just for You (Little Critter) (Look-Look)

Mercer Mayer is one of my all-time favorite authors and I remember reading this story as child. I remember always trying to help out my mom with all of her house work and looking back I probably didn’t help too much. This story shows little critter trying to help his mother with things like carrying the groceries, washing the floor, mowing the lawn, listening to directions, and setting the table. But in each attempt to help, little critter messes up by spilling the groceries, getting soap all over the kitchen floor or just not being big enough. Now that I am older and I nanny or babysit a lot, I can relate to how the mother feels throughout the story. All the kids I watch love to help me out, but it always ends in broken dishes, show more boo-boos or a bigger mess. Nonetheless I appreciate everything they do because just like little critter they are doing their best to help. In the end we see the easiest and most profound thing we can do for those we love is simply love them. My favorite thing about this book series is searching for the cricket and spider on each page. The author/illustrator does a fantastic job in giving both characters emotion and positioning them on each page of the story. I remember racing my sister when I was little to see who could find them first. show less

The book that started the Little Critter series is endearing, and employs Mayer's comical and lovable illustrations. Little Critter wants to do something just for his mom, but somehow things never turn out how he planned. He wants to make her breakfast, but the eggs are too slippery. He wants to carry the groceries for her, but the bag breaks. Whether it is because he has limited self control (he eats the apple because he is too hungry), or limited coordination (he breaks the dishes he was going to put away because he can't balance them), his plans all fall short. There is one special thing, though, that Little Critter just knows he can do: give his mom a kiss. And he does it!

This series has always combined a child's perspective, cute show more and cartoony illustrations, a clever use of illustrations, and an understated humor for grown ups. These factors contribute to a book that is fun for children and adults. In this case, the little critter's faulty attempts to make his mom's life easier will be sympathetic and understandable to children, and hilarious to parents, who see that his efforts actually make his mom's life much harder. The pictures are more than cute; they amply illustrate the chaos that the text only alludes to, and present the various emotions Little Critter and his mom feel. This readable and enjoyable picture book shows that a series based on the Little Critter character was inevitable. show less

An adorable and funny look at how a youngster wants to help...with usually disastrous results. A favorite of my children, and now hopefully of my grandchildren!

Children try so hard sometimes, but they often just can't... be good that is. Mayer explores all the things that little hedgehog (?) does to try to please his mother, but he can't quite get anything right. You can't help but laugh at his attempts, because for the most part he means well; but is just a child, and they are meant to misbehave!

Genre: Fantasy- In this book the main family is not humans but rather animals. Although the young child goes through daily activities that only humans partake in. For example: mowing the lawn, taking a bath, setting the table, and washing the floor. The author has personified these animals in order to tell this story.
Characterization: All the main character of this book wants to do is to please his mom, but no matter how hard he tries he always messes up somehow. Until at the very end he realizes all it takes is to show his mom he loves her by giving her a hug. This is something many of us face; disappointment and failure. So often we attempt to do something and fail, but in the end realize that there are people in our lives who love us show more anyways. Because we all go through these disappointments the main character is easy to relate to and feel for. You can tell that the main character is persistent and never gives up, but at the same time somewhat clumsy and easily distracted. show less

Goodness, the nostalgia of remembering this book almost makes me weep. As an adult I can look back and recall the times when as a child I tried to help and just ended up messing things up. This might be a OLD book but it's still a fantastic one.

This book is from the Mercer Mayer collection. I loved these books a child. In this book, Little Critter trys to do things to help his mother, but things never seem to go right. He tried to do mop but it had to many bubbles, and he couldn't put the dishes away because the floor was to slippery. He couldn't take a nap because the bed was to bouncy, and he couldn't mow because he was to little. Moma Critter is always seen in the pictures smiling.

The kids really enjoyed this book, and it opened up conversation about how they might try to help out at home.