Noni Says No

by Heather Hartt-Sussman, Geneviève Côté (Illustrator)

Overview

Noni can do many things: she can give her baby brother his bottle, she can help her mother in the kitchen, and she can even walk over to her friend Susie’s house. But Noni just can’t say “no.” When she was very small, it was easy saying “no” to everybody, but now that she has a best friend, she wants to please. Noni can’t say “no” to her friend, even when it means she has to hand over a precious toy, or when it means agreeing to a hideous haircut, or even giving up her bed at a sleepover. But when Noni finally finds her voice, the consequences are not what she – or the reader – expects.

Heather Hartt-Sussman’s story, complemented by the playful illustrations of Geneviève Côté, is a comforting exploration of friendship and of the importance of trusting one’s own judgment. Many children (as well as many adults) will root for Noni as she learns that you can stand up for yourself and still be a good friend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770491465
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	11/24/2011
Series:	Noni
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	24
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

HEATHER HARTT-SUSSMAN, born in Montreal, graduated from Brandeis University and attended the Sorbonne. She has been a copywriter for BCP in Montreal; a reporter for the Hollywood Reporter; editor-in-chief of international news for TV Guide in French Canada, where she also wrote the popular column “Heather Hartt in Hollywood” for TV Guide; and host of “The Gossip Show” on E! Entertainment Television. Noni Says No is her second book. Heather Hartt-Sussman lives in Toronto with her husband, sons Scotty and Jack, and the family dog.

GENEVIÈVE CÔTÉ has illustrated a number of children’s books, including The Lady of Shalott, by Tennyson, La petite rapporteuse de mots, by Danielle Simard, and her own What Elephant? and With you always, Little Monday. Her editorial art has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and l’Actualité, among others. She graduated from Concordia University in 1987, and she was president of Quebec’s Association des Illustrateurs from 1993-1995. Côté has won several honors, including the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award and the Governor General’s Award for Illustration. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Noni Says No, illustrated by Geneviève Côté:
“This book could generate good discussion about standing up for one’s self and handling difficult relationships, including ways to establish and maintain friendships when everyone involved has a chance to react honestly and without fear.”
—School Library Journal
 
“…Here is a fine book that explores early friendships from a new angle…. Young readers trying to figure out the challenges of friendship and teachers trying to shore up the timid will find a new friend in Noni. Gentle, like Noni herself.”
—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 2—Noni can do many things, from tying shoelaces to reciting the alphabet backwards. Yet, no matter how much she wants to tell her friend Susie "no," she always goes along with the girl's suggestions-even when she proposes shaving off all but a single tuft of Noni's hair. Susie, on the other hand, has no trouble rejecting Noni's requests. The impressionistic illustrations perfectly convey Noni's emotions; her embarrassment about her shorn head, her unhappiness about giving in to her friend's movie selection, and her mounting anger over sleeping on the floor while Susie takes her bed will all be apparent to readers. When Noni finally summons the courage to refuse her friend's request, Susie's reaction surprises her, but it is likely to reassure children who find themselves in a similar predicament. This book could generate good discussion about standing up for one's self and handling difficult relationships, including ways to establish and maintain friendships when everyone involved has a chance to react honestly and without fear.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato

School Library Journal

Though young Noni is competent in most areas, when it comes to her best friend Susie, she "absolutely, positively cannot say no." Here is a fine book that explores early friendships from a new angle—how to be a friend without being a doormat. This honest glimpse at the inner workings of young elementary friendships portrays Susie and Noni as ordinary friends—Susie taking the lead in all things and Noni going along with Susie, even when she wants to do something different. Soft collage and watercolor, digitally manipulated, add the right childlike perspective. Noni is surrounded by a red background when she is not speaking her mind, while Susie is assigned sunny, contented yellow. When Noni allows Susie to cut and dye her hair, the red is even more pronounced. And when Noni finally finds her voice, the red extends to Susie herself. Young readers trying to figure out the challenges of friendship and teachers trying to shore up the timid will find a new friend in Noni. Gentle, like Noni herself. (Picture book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews