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70th out of 89 books
—
28 voters
Jessica
by
Kevin Henkes
"There is no Jessica," said Ruthie's parents. But of course there was. She ate with Ruthie, played with Ruthie, and was sorry when Ruthie was bad. Nobody could see Jessica -- except Ruthie. When it came time for Ruthie to go to school, Jessica went with her. Her parents hoped Ruthie would find a friend at school who would replace Jessica. They were in for a (happy) surpris...more
Paperback, 24 pages
Published
May 27th 1998
by Greenwillow Books
(first published 1989)
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I read this book with my second graders and they really enjoyed it, but thought the text was really simple and predictable. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but I wouldn't recommend using this text to promote critical discussion. On a different note, many of the kids could relate to the idea of having no one at home to play with and also had an imaginary friend or pet of some kind that they created to keep them company. The illustrations in this story were small and used talking bubbles...more
"Ruthie Simms didn't haqve a dog. She didn't have a cat, or a brother, or a sister. But Jessica was the next best thing." Jessica by Kevin Henkes is a very sweet story about a little girl, Ruthie, and her imaginary friend Jessica. They do everything together and are the very best of friends. Ruthie's parents keep telling her that Jessica isn't real, but she knows the Jessica is. On Ruthies first day of Kindergarten, her parents tell her that Jessica probably shouldn't go with her, but she goes...more
This is a wholeheartedly wonderful book. Jessica is written with perfectly clear understanding of the fears and reflexive comfort producers of young ones, and this deep understanding sympathetically spreads through the heart of the reader like the sunshine on a perfectly warm day. Every last bit of this short picture book is done as well as it possibly could have been done, in my view, and I can only be amazed by the beautiful skills of Kevin Henkes. Ruthie and Jessica are the awesomest charact...more
Jessica by Kevin Henkes was a sweet book about a girl that has an imaginary friend. It actually reminded me a lot of my sister and her imaginary friend, Katie, that she had when she was little.
I could connect this book to Kevin Henkes other books because of the pattern throughout the book, the way the text and illustrations were set up, and the captions that were written from the main character. The style of the end pages also looked like some of Henkes' other work. When the characters were lini...more
I could connect this book to Kevin Henkes other books because of the pattern throughout the book, the way the text and illustrations were set up, and the captions that were written from the main character. The style of the end pages also looked like some of Henkes' other work. When the characters were lini...more
What: This book is about a little girl named Ruthie. She didn't have anybody at home to play with except for her imaginary friend Jessica. They did everything together. When it came time for Ruthie to start kindergarten she didn't want to leave Jessica at home. The spent the day together in kindergarten until Ruthie made a new friend...a little girl named Jessica!
So What: This book is a great way to discuss imaginations and where they could take us. Children could also connect with this book if...more
So What: This book is a great way to discuss imaginations and where they could take us. Children could also connect with this book if...more
Jul 19, 2010
Lisa Vegan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
children who are about to start school; only children with no pets; all young children
This book is another winner from Henkes. The illustrations are very cute, and although nothing super special, fit the story so well. The pictures being tiny make them extra fun. The story about a girl named Ruthie who has an imaginary friend named Jessica, is one that children will relate to, even if they’ve never had any imaginary friends. Lonely only children will no pets will especially understand Ruthie. I love how Ruthie’s beliefs and feelings are taken seriously and also how Ruthie, when h...more
I love books about imaginary friends! I always look for great books with the main theme being an imaginary friend and I cant ever find anyones that I really enjoy. I think I enjoyed this one because I really felt like a little child who has an imaginary friend wrote this to tell their story! The book is short and sweet but has a lot of great pictures and side notes about what the child is thinking! It is a great lesson to be learned and children can really relate to it. It is also a great confid...more
Loved this story of preschooler Ruthie and her imaginary friend, "Jessica". Even though her parents insist "There is no Jessica", we watch Ruthie happily play alongside her, be comforted by her, and embark in her first day of school with her. This story is an affirmation of the power of a child's ability to provide structure for herself to soothe and support her as needed. And when the child no longer needs the imaginary friend, she'll know! In this story, Ruthie's transition from"Jessica" to a...more
Jessica is a story about a young girl who has an imaginary friend named Jessica. She does every thing Jessica. Her parents kept telling her Jessica wasn't real and wanted her to leave Jessica home when she went to school for her first time. Jessica went anyway. While at school the girl met a real girl named Jessica and they became good friends.
The book has small pictures before the title page and throughout the book of funny, classic moments every child had when they had an imaginary friend. It...more
The book has small pictures before the title page and throughout the book of funny, classic moments every child had when they had an imaginary friend. It...more
I originally only picked this book because it has name as the title. I turned out to be a very good book. I loved it and it had a good twist in the end.
My summary,
The little girl has an imaginary friend the whole book and her mom tells her to leave her at home on the first day of school but she brings Jessica with her. They line up in pairs and she lines up with Jessica. A little girl asks to be her partner in line and who name happens to be Jessica and they become best friends and she forgets...more
My summary,
The little girl has an imaginary friend the whole book and her mom tells her to leave her at home on the first day of school but she brings Jessica with her. They line up in pairs and she lines up with Jessica. A little girl asks to be her partner in line and who name happens to be Jessica and they become best friends and she forgets...more
I always enjoy a good Kevin Henkes book and this one does not disappoint. As is common with his books, this would work very well for young readers and for the beginning of a new school or nerves about starting school again. This book is about a girl who has an imaginary best friend and is hesitant about making new, real friends when she starts kindergarten. When she finally warms up at school, she finds that she has made a new, real friend, named Jessica. Sweet story, funny pictures and captions...more
Jessica is a very cute book. The second graders find it easy to relate to and they get very excited when they figure out that Kevin Henkes is the same author that wrote Lily's Purple Plastic Purse. There are often students in my classroom with the name Jessica, so it is always fun to do a character/person comparison between the character in the story, and the students in our classroom. I won't say it has a overwhelming amount of instructional value, but it is great for characterization and a sto...more
Another charmer from Henkes, with a quibble, again. Owen's lovey was a blankie, remember? And the solution wouldn't have worked if it were a stuffed animal.... Well, Ruthie has a stroke of good luck, too. If the book hadn't had the special ending, I don't know if Ruthie's parents would have ever realized that it's OK for her to enjoy an imaginary friend. Personally, I wish I were imaginative to have a friend nobody else could see!
Jesscia tells the wonderful story of Ruthie and her imaginary friend, Jessica. She goes everywhere with Ruthie, including her first day of school. Although Ruthie's parents insist "there is no Jessica!" Ruthie takes Jessica to school to hold her hand and make her feel better when she is sad. BUT when Ruthie is asked to be partners with another girl in her class, she is overjoyed to make a real friend. And, her name is Jessica. A lot of kids have imaginary friends to keep them company and this bo...more
Jessica by Kevin Henkes is a story about a girl named Ruthie who has an imaginary friend named Jessica. Ruthie's parents try to tell Ruthie that her friend is not real, but Ruthie will not be persuaded. When Ruthie goes to school, however, something surprising happens to change things.
The text is short, sweet and entertaining. The ending is emotionally satisfying.
Watercolor paints and a black pen were used for the pictures. The illustrations match the text perfectly, and, being small, draw you i...more
The text is short, sweet and entertaining. The ending is emotionally satisfying.
Watercolor paints and a black pen were used for the pictures. The illustrations match the text perfectly, and, being small, draw you i...more
Read at Family Story Time on 3/14/11: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...
Overall, what I love about this book is its unique way of tackling an experience so many kids have - believing in, and eventually abandoning imaginary friends. I absolutely loved the fact that Ruthie makes a real friend at school whose name is Jessica. I had an imaginary friend in childhood whose name - Lena Farina - appeared in the obituaries when I was in high school, so I'm especially intrigued by the notion of imag...more
Overall, what I love about this book is its unique way of tackling an experience so many kids have - believing in, and eventually abandoning imaginary friends. I absolutely loved the fact that Ruthie makes a real friend at school whose name is Jessica. I had an imaginary friend in childhood whose name - Lena Farina - appeared in the obituaries when I was in high school, so I'm especially intrigued by the notion of imag...more
This is an awesome book to read to young children because a lot of them have an imaginary friend. I remember having one when I was little. This book could be used to explain to children that we all have imaginations about the things we haven't experienced or have until the real thing comes along like Ruthie's real friend at the end of the story. Use this to encourage students to use their imagination in creative writing and have them make something real out of something they once imagined.
I liked this book because it explains about Jessica, an imaginary friend who to the kids' surprise really does exist. She does everything with Jessica her imaginary friend and her parents kept telling her that there was no Jessica. When she went to school, Jessica walked up to her and asked if she would be her partner. I thought it was a cute book. For a child to find comfort in an imaginary friend and then find out that she actually exists was amazing.
This is a cute book about a little girl named Ruthie and her imaginary friend. I would incorporate this book in my classroom at any available opportunity. It would prompt a great discussion about what things are pretend (or imaginary) and what things are real. I share a lot of people's feeling that Ruthie's parents could have been more understanding, but I also feel like that story line allows for a lot of discussion about feelings. Sweet book!
This is such a sweet book about a little girl who did everything with her imaginary friend. Her parents always tell her there's no Jessica (her imaginary friend) but she still believes it. In her first day of school, Ruthie, the little girl meets someone who wants to be her partner. And what do you know- the little girl's name is Jessica. I Love this book because the first and last page are the same way (with a different meaning the second time ;)!
I enjoyed reading this book. On the cover I thought the book was about the little girl in the picture. To my surprise Jessica was a made up individual that Ruthie in the picture imagined.This story can help parents and child and maybe the teacher have patience with this imaginary person that is a part of a child's life. I believe in make believe and maybe a teacher can use this imagination to create or have child to create writing of stories.
A very cute book about a little girl named Ruthie and her imaginary friend. I really loved how some of the illustrations were three little pictures per page depicting all of the fun things that Ruthie does with her imaginary friend Jessica. There are important lessons in the benefits of pretend play and fostering a child’s imagination. For Ruthie, her imaginary friend seemed to fill the spot until a real friend came along.
This is a cute book about an imaginary friend named Jessica. Jessica can be read on the first day of school to help students to read a story about a girl who was so worried about the first day of school. By the end of the book the little girl does not need her imaginary friend with her anymore and made friends in her new class. Kevin Henkes paired wonderful illustrations help students to use picture cues to understand the book better. This book is very fun to read and to understand due to it's s...more
Another treat from the genius that is Henkes! This time, we feature a human girl (as opposed to his usual mice!) and her imaginary friend. As ever, the story is told with great sensitivity to a child's feelings, never making fun of the child for needing an imaginary friend, but gently showing how sometimes that need can be outgrown or filled in another way.
Jessica is a children's picture book that tells a story of an imaginary friend named Jessica. Kevin Henkes uses amazing illustrations to go along with the story. Ruthie's parents don't believe she has an imaginary friend named Jessica, until she goes to school and actually meets a girl named Jessica. This would be a great book to read to preschool children.
Cute book about an imaginary friend.
I like how Ruthie is so adamant about Jessica.
And it's sweet, what happens at the end.
After reading so many mouse books by Kevin Henkes, it was nice to see him draw some human children.
Overall a very sweet story.
Haiku Review:
Jessica is real
At least to Ruthie, she is
Can she make new friends?
I like how Ruthie is so adamant about Jessica.
And it's sweet, what happens at the end.
After reading so many mouse books by Kevin Henkes, it was nice to see him draw some human children.
Overall a very sweet story.
Haiku Review:
Jessica is real
At least to Ruthie, she is
Can she make new friends?
This book allows students to start a great school day by making good friends in a classroom instead of bring their old friends (dolls, toys, imaginative things, etc.). Sometimes it is so hard for young children to get rid of their own home toys. However, this book will help them to understand it is better to have real good friends than old toys.
Ruthie's friend Jessica is always by her side, which is wonderful for Ruthie. Except . . . she's an imaginary friend. As she is starting school, her parents inform her that she must leave Jessica behind. How will Ruthie ever cope? Not sure if I agree with the "forbid" the imaginary friend stance that the parents take. Might be tough for kids to read who do have imaginary friends. Geared towards Pre-K to Grade 1.
Another great book by Kevin Henkes! This book would be excellent for children who is nervous about going to kindergarten. They can make great new friends and it is okay. I loved how the girl's name that Ruthie met was Jessica. What a great coincidence! It also shows nice an example of good friendship.
Ruthie has an imaginary friend named Jessica who is her best friend. By the end of the book, Ruthie meets a girl on her first day of school whose name is actually Jessica and she becomes her best friend. This book would be good for teaching children that it is okay to let go of imaginary friends.
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Kevin Henkes became an author/illustrator when he was nineteen years old, working on a card table in his bedroom.
Today he's the author of many award-winning picture books and novels.
More about Kevin Henkes...
Today he's the author of many award-winning picture books and novels.
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Jul 08, 2011 10:09am