Artie and Julie

by Chih-Yuan Chen

Artie was a happy little lion, and Julie was a happy little rabbit. In a whimsical tone, this amusing story encourages young readers to overlook differences and demonstrates that fear should never be an obstacle to friendship.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Friendship, Animals, Rabbits, Adventure

56 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2008

Reviews

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why on earth is the rabbit wearing high heels?!

[Jennifer B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute and so clever. I love the format, so original!

[Kelly Havens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Artie and Julie was an amazing find for teaching how two storylines come together. This picture book literally has two different storylines where each page is cut in half. The top half follows along and tells Artie, the lion’s, story of learning how to find food on his own, and the bottom half tells Julie, the rabbit’s, story of learning how to find food on her own. Eventually, the two storylines come together, as well as the pages, and the characters interact with one another. This book is an excellent example that allows students to both see and hear how storylines come together.

[Salma]

This picture book is a great example of how every person is different from everyone else. As a children book is shows that no matter the size, color, height or they general appearance of someone or (animal) should stop a good friendship. I love this book because young children are always wanting to be friends with anything and everything, this books empowers them to builds and go looking for those relationships no matter what.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute friendship story told with split pages. I found the split pages a bit annoying at first. I also did not like the idea that a little rabbit girl wears lipstick-red high-heels. I found that very distracting.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOL...goofy, fun, and silly book shares important lessons about perspective and that it's far better to be friends than enemies. It looks like this bunny and lion both have important things to teach their parents about peace and friendship!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great choice for teaching compare and contrast

[Rhayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As children we are influenced by the ideologies our parents hold and as we continue our journey we develop influence from society’s ideologies. We all have preconceived notions of others based off the stories and experiences shared to us and by us, but these perceptions can be limiting to a person’s developmental growth. In Chih-Yuan Chen’s picture book Arite and Julie Chen faces such controversial topics head on. Creating a body of work that is as much insightful as it is playful. By crafting two characters who are both strong and open minded, Chen invites readers to experience the development of an unlikely friendship.

This inventive story begins by having readers flip through the top and bottom half of the pages. The top half tells the reader Arties story while the bottom half depicts Julies. The two stories are written in the same context, in that both characters are told to perceive the other in a certain light by their parents. The stories do eventually combined into a singular page, when the characters stories intertwine, creating a fun and interactive way to express human interaction. After Artie and Julie meet and spend the day together their stories once again separate, and they tell their shocked parents about this experience.

The whimsical and imaginative characters Chen crafts tell a true and honest story to readers of all ages. Chen asks younger readers, through the relationship her characters develop, to consider people beyond their differences or the perceptions society/parents place on these people. Chen also pleads for the older audience to consider the notions society places on cultures different from our own and how these viewpoints may affect a child’s ability to accept and communicate with another. By inviting us to learn and grow from one another, Chen asks us to break away from repressive or racist connotation and consider the individual, because if a rabbit and a lion can perceive each other as equal why can’t human begins? No matter age, race or sexual orientation, we all have something to offer.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of the great Guji Guji returns with a very clever picture book that follows the stories of Artie and Julie. Artie is a lion who is taught by his family to walk without making a sound, roar loudly, and to eat rabbits out on the grasslands. Julie is a rabbit who is taught by her father to listen carefully, run quickly and jump high to escape from lions. The book is split in two, literally, with Artie's story on top and Julie's below. Each story can be read on its own until they merge, or readers can read both stories in tandem. The illustrations bridge the cut pages, turning into complete page illustrations when matching pages are open.

The playful physical design of the book is far more than just a design trick. It allows readers to create their own experience in the book, then start again and read it an entirely different way. This sense of free will is such an integral part of the story itself that the design is really the theme of the book brought into reality. The book's themes of family allegiance, stereotypes and prejudice are softened by the use of animals as characters, but still stand strong.

The book is a joy to share with children. It may take some wrestling with pages to use it with a group of children, but a small group would work very well. It is a great picture book to start discussions even with young children. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

[Gwen the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story, unique presentation.

Artie is a lion. Julie is a rabbit. Both of them are taught by their parents how to survive in the grasslands, but neither pays much attention. When the two are caught together in a storm, they become friends instead of enemies. This is a humorous story that can be used with little ones and with more complexity with older kids.

The two storylines mirror each other and the pages are actually cut in half as Artie's story is on top and Julie's on the bottom. You can read them simultaneously or one at a time. When the characters come together, the page is whole. Very fun!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The split pages of this book offer a very unique format and work as an excellent way of telling this story of the unlikely friendship between a rabbit and a lion, as their parallel lives converge one day in the grasslands.

The format of the book also lends itself to multiple readings, and this could be a fun way to play around with a group of kids--reading just Artie's story, then reading only Julie's story, or reading them simultaneously.

[Karmen McKelvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tale of two unlikely animals becoming friends is an inspiring story to share with students. A book like this one can help the students learn more about how to treat others. This story shares the idea that people are not always as they seem and that it is important to get to know them before treating them a certain way. This may be a good book to read towards the beginning of the year when the students are learning about the classroom atmosphere and expectations.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of two animals who become unlikely friends. Each animal's story is told on half-pages until the their worlds collide and both share the entire page together. When they go their separate ways, the page splits again until the very last page where the reader sees both characters in their respective beds. I think the format is very inventive and would work best one-on-one.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chih-Yuan Chen is one of my favorite authors. This book tells two tales, one of Artie the lion, the other of Julie, a bunny in red high heels. Two parallel tales are revealed on split pages. When the two characters meet each other and become friends, full pages are used to tell their story.

If you like this author, check out his other two books, Guji Guji and The Featherless Chicken.

[Ellyn Getts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The concept of this book is so cool! There are two stories that unfold from the two perspectives of the animals. The pages are split and really fun to read. This is a great book to open up our eyes to other people's perspectives. it also discusses the upbringing of the two animals which could actually go with a science lesson on food chains or survival.

[Hayley Andersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julie and Artie is a very conventional book. It is a story of two different animals, a rabbit and a lion, that are taught from birth to hate each other. However in the end, their friendship overcame their differences. I like how the author used two different "books" inside one book, and how the stories were intertwined by using half and whole pages to tell the story.

[Leta Huffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The layout of this book was different than any book I have seen before. It told two stories in one actually. The author cut some of the pages in half and told the lion's story on the top and the bunny's on the bottom. Then when they met and their stories combined they were all on one page. It was interesting to read this format and it fit the story really well. The pictures were also cute.

[Rachel Birkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you flip through the pages the one story splits in two- a rabbit learning how to survive and a lion learning how to hunt. This is a story of friendship. Most importantly it shows how two timelines and characters can intersect in a story. With some pages divided and some pages whole students can see both perspectives of the story.

[Jamil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Artie, daisy-maned Lion, kind of reminds me of Wild Thing's Max in appearance. Enjoyable story. The split structure gimmick actually works pretty well, though I started out just reading Julie's story alone, instead of flipping between the two.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story but the book is a little awkward. The first half is split into separate stories for each character with the pages cut in half. As Artie and Julie meet up the page is whole again. Like the story but not the layout. Might make a better flannel story. Hmmmm...

[Hillary Flatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had two stories in one. Very neat way of splitting the pages in half and having two stories going on at once. Liked the story, talked about the power of friendship and how it doesn't matter what someone looks like on the outside.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would never be able to use in storytime - the split pages would be impossible to hold open and too small for the group. And something about the story rubbed me the wrong way; although I can't put my finger on it. It seemed too pat.

[Joy Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is a great way to show that just because people are completely different and live completely different lives does not mean that they cannot be friends. This lion and rabbit showed that people can overcome their differences to make great friends.

[Alfajirikali · Rating 4 out of 5]

divergent stories that sync then diverge again--stories are told on split pages then on same pages

[Tina B · Rating 2 out of 5]

"lions, rabbits, unusual friends,, two stories in one, split pages"

[Janmarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the format of this book and how it was written.

[Guen · Rating 3 out of 5]

bunnies, friendship, growing-up, individuality, lions, preschool.
most pages are split, tells two parallel stories that join at the end.

[Miranda Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this! Two stories come together, very clever. Would be a good book to read to children.

[Mckalyn Richer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a kid friendly story about friendship.

[Ana Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book to talk about characters and friendship!!! Book splits into two stories and merges to one! Cute and clever!