Andy-Thats My Name

by Tomie dePaola

Andy may be the littlest kid on the block, but he’s very important. Andy has a wagon full of letters that spell his name, and he takes it with him wherever he goes.

When the big kids decide that using Andy’s letters would be a lot of fun, Andy is left out of the game. But what can the big kids do if Andy takes his name and heads for home?

Originally published in 1973, this classic picture book from the legendary Tomie dePaola now features refreshed artwork and a new cover.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Tomie dePaola (pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) was best known for his books for children.

He had a five-decade writing and illustrating career during which he published more than 270 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers.

Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau]

A small boy finds his voice even as older children tell him he can't play with them - remember this book from a very log time ago.

[Elaine]

Wonder if this is the Andy and Sandy Andy?

[Sarah]

Genre: Picturebook
Lexile: N/a, but Early Childhood

Setting: unknown
POV: from Andy

This children's book features Andy, a young boy of small stature, who walks along with a wagon with the letters of his name on it. He runs into a group of other children who are dressed as ghosts, cowboys, and paupers, who are playing with letters of the alphabet. They see his, and want his letters, but don't want to play with him! They take his letters and arrange them in many different rhyming words, all the while neglecting to let him be included in their play. After some time, he's just had enough. He takes his letters, and ends the book with a confident statement that though he may be little, he is important!

Personal reaction/If I would recommend: I like the illustrations in this book. I think that the different arrangements of words that rhyme is helpful to practice fluency. It's a short read, but I think conversations could be had about what it feels like to be excluded from group activities and play.

[Sarah Ashburn]

This book was really cute. I enjoyed that this little boy felt that he was very important and that his name made him who he was. I think that this would be a great way of teaching children that although everyone is different they are all very important. I think that this would be great lessons for kids but there was not a whole lot of phonics included but it is an easy read for beginning readers.

[Deanna]

I love this book!! It is a wonderful book to developing phonics and word play for K-2nd graders.

[Andy]

Best book/name ever!

[Edward Sojuwa]

From the late Tomie de Paola, RIP, GBHS. (God Bless His Soul, in case you dunno.) Andy has a name, A-N-D-Y, in big letters he carries with him in his little red wagon toy, since he is merely 4 or 5. His young age gives older kids in his family the excuse they need to tease him by taking his name in vain and fashioning words with his letters -A-N-D-Y. First using letter combos like AN (Tan, Man, Can), then AND (Hand, Sand, Stand) and finally ANDY (Handy, Dandy, Candy) these older kids cause ANDY to get RANDY and yank away the letters, since that's the name ANDY they're messing with. S celebration of ANDYPENDENCE which lies inside every child. Tomie boy knows his stuff to the LETTER, ha ha.
Four stars
Andy totally rules! (Nice name, Andy! Keep it!)

[Kelli Koeppen]

What happens when the big kids try to steal Andy’s mane? She claps back and claps back hard!

In my journey to work my way through Tomie dePaola’s works, I have found one I like. I know that sounds harsh, but I have heard accolades and so far have not been impressed. This book changes that for me! Smart and witty and with a great message, this book is endearing and will be one I will probably introduce to older kiddos during story time.

Illustrations are still not my favorite, although I enjoyed them more in this book than I have seen by DePaola in the past, but the use bold colors and of font made this book what it is for me: pretty darn good.

I love the moral of standing up for oneself and wish this simple but effective book would have been around when I was a kiddo.

[Jennifer Endsley]

This book is about a boy named Andy who wants to play with the older kids, but they tell him no. Andy has brought with him a wagon with his name spelled out in big letters on top of the wagon, which the older kids play with and make different words. At the end, Andy takes his name back and leaves after saying the he is important too. I like how the book teaches kids about the importance of their name and themself. I also think that this would be a great book to teach kids about rhyming words, especially the part where they stack the words on top of one another.

[Gilmore Rocha]

A kid Andy strolls around a wagon with block that spell his name and the older kids begin to spell out words; they do not include Andy in any of them. The bigger kids are dressed up in costumes when Andy comes along. This book gives a lot of CVC and rhyming words, which would support beginning readers.

[Rose Rosetree]

This simple, delightful book might become the first time some young readers learn how to make anagrams.

I can't think of a sweeter way to make that discovery.

ANAGRAMS CAN LEAD TO SO MANY SKILLS
* Word skills
* Math skills
* Poetry skills!

Plus, the last few pages of this book? They're so darned clever.

Thanks once more, Tomie dePaola.

[Kimberly]

The older kids exclude Andy because he is the youngest kid on the block. Then one day, they decide they want to play with his things. What can he do when they don’t let him play with his letters?

Tags: Vocabulary --

[Kaylin Azevedo]

The illustrations are very well done and realistic. About a boy who is pushed out but the other kids need his name in order to build his name. Meaning they can not play without him. This book is in third person but also first at times.

[Lynn Davidson]

A little boy named Andy pulls his name in big letters on a wagon. Bigger kids won't let him play with them, but they take his letters to make other words. He lets them know how important the letters in his name are. Cute illustrations.

[Becca Peterson]

This book is about this boy named Andy who has a wagon a letters that spell his name. Other people try to steal his letters. Throughout the book they make a lot of rhyming words about of the letters in the wagon. Andy just wants to at least play with them, but they keep taking his letters.

[Sarah]

I just didn’t find any story other than using certain letters to form words. Which is fine. But it would have been nicer with a story. Also the poor kid “Andy” ended up alone. That was depressing and there was no moral of the story. At least none that I found.

[Angela]

Very cute. I really like Andy!

[Libby Hill]

A fantastic Book for kids who are just learning to read. Adorable illustrations.

Tomie dePaola does it again!

Recommended for 4-7 year olds

[Doug]

those kids are jerks, man. was fun to point out rhyming words with the kids. Not as fun to point out that kids are jerks to each other sometimes.

[Judy]

2.8

Probably best for kids who are learning to sound out words or who are aware of rhyming words.

[Junior Bodden]

This is about how Andy and his friends constructed his name with different names. They were leaving him out because he were too little. And at the end Andy decided to take his name and walk it home!

[Ashley Moser]

Could be used for sight words.

[Makaela]

Andy may be the littlest kid on the block, but he's very important. He always had a wagon wherever he went. Andy had block letters in his wagon spelling out his name. One day some older kids thought it would be a good idea to mess with Andy's blocks.

I thought this was a really cute book because of the character's look and how Andy stands up for himself and takes the letters away from the older kids.

[Laura]

This was a quirky book. I felt bad for Andy because everybody took his letters and made all sorts of words with them. They also insisted that he could not play because he was too little. The ending was nice though, I liked how Andy finally stood up for himself. I might recommend this book.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009...

[Jesse Baggs]

Tomie DePaola is a national treasure. If you’re used to his “Strega Nona” stories or straightforward adaptations of myths and fairytales, you might be a little surprised by “Andy,” which is almost meta. Children in this story play with letters to spell various words, but DePaola is so sly your kids probably won’t even notice that they’re learning.

[Brenda]

Andy is proud of his name and finds many words that use the same letters. Great for phonics and word play.

[Edward Sullivan]

Originally published in 1973, this reissue features revised illustrations and cover art.

[Liz Todd]

Perfect for word study exploration!

[Joanna]

Fun use of letters.

[Nicole]

This was Luke's favorite when he was first learning to read. Anything by de Paola is great.