Where Do I End and You Begin?

by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim, Monique Félix (Illustrator)

"Where do I end and you begin? / Asked the cat of its tail, / Asked the shell of the snail." From animals and plants to natural phenomena and sensory images, this rhythmic poem employs a thought-provoking refrain to introduce the concept of interconnectedness in life. By exploring the relationships the parts have to the whole, author Shulamith Oppenheim underscores that where things come together represent the strongest points of connection—and that the connections we make with one another bring everything full circle.

Genres: Picture Books, Poetry, Childrens, Cats, Storytime, Animals, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2015

About the author

Shulamith Levey Oppenheim is a published author of many Children's Books. Some of her writtings are Lily Cupboard, Hundredth Name, I Love You, Bunny Rabbit & Fish Prince and Other Stories: Mermen Folk Tales among many others.

Reviews

[Kimberly]

Seems a bit over the top for a children's book.

[Abigail]

"Where do I end and you begin?" asks a series of creatures and objects to a part of themselves - a cat to its tail, for instance - or to the larger whole of which they are a part - a branch to a tree - in this poetic picture-book. In every case, there is a sense of connection, of smaller parts being integral to the larger whole, and of everything fitting together.

I won't lie: I picked up Where Do I End and You Begin? because of the immensely appealing kitty cat on the cover, hoping, as a confirmed cat-lover, that it would be a picture-book celebration of feline charm. I recognized the author's name, of course - Oppenheim wrote a children's fantasy novel many years ago about selkies, a subject of interest to me - although the illustrator - Swiss artist Monique Félix - was unknown to me. Although not what I was expecting, I did find this book appealing, and think that the combination of rhyming text and beautiful artwork would make it an excellent read-aloud selection at bedtime. The concluding passage - "Well, / I know where the sky / meets the end of the sea, / I know where the branch / meets the trunk of the tree, / I know where the flower / meets the buzz of the bee, / And I know, when we hug - / That's the place you meet me!" - leaves the reader and listener with a feeling of connection as well. Recommended to anyone looking for beautifully illustrated picture-books, or for children's poems about belonging, the sense of connection, and everything fitting together into one big whole.

[Linda]

It's a most gorgeous rhyming book to engage in both the lovely illustrations along with discussions of the connectedness within our world: "Where do I end and you begin? asked the cat of its tail/asked the shell of the snail." It includes questions from nature and more abstract relational questions: "Asked the song/of the bird/Asked the phrase/of the word." Children enter into the pictures sometimes too. A favorite page is a boy jumping; "Asked the jump/of the rope" and "Asked the hill/of the slope." There are predictable rhymes, one thinks, and then when the page is turned, some other thoughts appear. I can see many wonderful ways of using this in both conversation and in writing. I love that Monique Felix painted two different Möbius strips on the first and second title pages, showing an immediately interesting view of connecting.

[Heydi Smith]

This book is a great conversation starter to encouraging critical thinking skills. When I first started reading this poem I was thinking this was a bit high brow for most picture book readers. When I was finished though I realized how amazing it would be to stir up those fresh, just growing neurons to this concept of connection with everything around oneself. If you look at it that way this book is phenomenal and could change a little persons whole way of thinking.

[Cindy]

Beautiful illustrations

[Tasha]

This poetic book asks deep questions about the interconnectedness of life and nature. It begins with a cat asking where it ends and its tail begins. How about a shell and a snail? Or a branch and a tree? Perhaps the sky and the sea? Each pairing gets readers thinking about whether they can tell where one stops and the other begins. Some of them are arguably doable, like the sky and sea where a boundary is evident, others though are real questions whether emotional like a hug or physical like the snail and its shell. This is a book filled with unanswerable questions that will get readers thinking about the importance of all types of connections in our lives.

The poem at the heart of this picture book is particularly beautifully written. It uses items that are familiar to children and then guides them to think about them in a new and surprising way, examining the connections. While the poem could be read very literally at times, other pairings in the book make sure that the questions are larger than the objects themselves, lifting it up to include the interconnectedness of all of us on the planet. This grand book is sure to start interesting discussions in classrooms and families.

The illustrations by Felix are delicate and luminous. They shine on the white background, interconnect with one another and play together too. The cat is found on the next page, walking the stair within the snail’s shell. A boy and girl are present on many of the pages too, exploring the way that humans fit into the world as well.

A superb picture book that asks profound questions and then celebrates the world and our connections with it. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

[Karen]

The artwork in this book is undeniably lovely. But the text feels like it was created to justify the lovely artwork.

[Random Scholar]

This fun whimsical poem would be perfect for introducing poetry to students in second and third grade.

[Esutterlin]

asked the cat of its tail, asked the shell of the snail... and on it goes. The rhythm is lyrical, the artwork, sublime. The ending does not flow as smoothly, but the meaning fits and the artwork fits well too). The ending is not the place where something ends/begins, but rather melds into knowing some distinctions... like where the branch meets the trunk of the tree, but declares that the speaker/reader knows, "when we hug-- That's the place where you meet me."
Thanks to another reviewer for pointing out the Mobius strip illustrations on the half title and title pages.

[Dione Basseri]

I was just very much not impressed with this book. It's very...artistic, without any substance. Or at least, without substance that a young child can understand. It's just so serious, trying to make a comment about the "concept of interconnectedness in life," as the summary says. I am not so much interested in that as I am interested in getting my kid to pay attention to a book, and I don't see that happening here.

You can skip this one. It just doesn't have much potential to keep your child occupied past perhaps one reading, if that.

[Kendra]

Absolutely stunning illustrations. The concepts in this book are huge and sharing this book with very young children will mostly be about the pictures. With older children longer conversations will emerge from thee text and illustrations. Perfect for exercising creative thinking.

[Joan Arbogast]

Simple questions like... Where do I end and you begin? Asked the cat of its tail, Asked the shell of its snail..." lead to explorations of relationships and connections. Great for discussion with primary grades.

Spoiler: "And I know, when we hug - That's the place you meet me!"

[Gina]

Beautiful illustrations enhance this rhythmic poem about the interconnectedness of life. Gentle and profound.

[Beth]

Nice text and gorgeous illustrations.

[Alyssa]

Beautiful illustrations, rhymes, and lyrical pacing. A gorgeous look at how we are all interconnected.

[Ruth Anne]

A rhythmic poem that explores concepts of "interconnectedness" in life. The concepts might be beyond some young readers.

[Michelle Gray]

Lovely illustrations. :)

[Edward Sullivan]

Elegantly provocative but not much of a story.

[Tegan]

I really enjoyed the illustrations and how they all turned into something else.

[Terri]

a good one!

[Natalie]

Lovely illustrations. Some of the vocabulary and concepts might be a little beyond young readers.

[Hannah]

Lovely