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The Bad Birthday Idea
Ben likes to play with robots. His little sister, Alice, would like to play with Ben. But when she and her doll try to join Ben's games, Ben says, "No dolls allowed. This is a robot game."
That's why Alice asks for a robot for her birthday. Not just any robot. The exact robot Ben has been wanting forever!
Ben is very, very jealous. He wants that robot. Now. Maybe he could sneak it out of its wrapping during Alice's birthday party and play with it for awhile. Nobody will know. Right?
But Ben's bad idea goes very wrong and he feels terrible. Now it's up to him to show Alice that a sister is more important than even the best robot toy in the world.
That's why Alice asks for a robot for her birthday. Not just any robot. The exact robot Ben has been wanting forever!
Ben is very, very jealous. He wants that robot. Now. Maybe he could sneak it out of its wrapping during Alice's birthday party and play with it for awhile. Nobody will know. Right?
But Ben's bad idea goes very wrong and he feels terrible. Now it's up to him to show Alice that a sister is more important than even the best robot toy in the world.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Madeline Valentine
14 books7 followersMadeline Valentine is the author-illustrator of The Bad Birthday Idea. Painting and drawing have been her favorite activities since she was smaller than Little Red Henry. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 18, 2018
I liked this picture book. The interplay between the brother and sister had more depth than most books about kindness and sibling love. Basically, the older brother is obsessed with robots and refuses to play with little sister. She decides to ask for a robot that he wants for her birthday . . .
I think that caught my toddler's attention. Out of the many books we read from the library, this was the one we reread the most last week. We discussed feelings -- both how each felt and how it feels to accidentally hurt someone's feelings. The artist also did a good job of capturing the wide range of emotions. We would turn back and forth between pictures of Alice happy and when she was sad. My child also loved the inside cover art.
I think that caught my toddler's attention. Out of the many books we read from the library, this was the one we reread the most last week. We discussed feelings -- both how each felt and how it feels to accidentally hurt someone's feelings. The artist also did a good job of capturing the wide range of emotions. We would turn back and forth between pictures of Alice happy and when she was sad. My child also loved the inside cover art.
April 2, 2021
solid but not amazing
November 15, 2021
Oh how birthdays can be so special yet so sad. Ben, Alice's big brother, liked to play with his robots and not with dolls. Ben would never let his sister play with him because dolls were the only toys she had. When Ben learned his sister got the new robot toy for her birthday, his temptations overcame him and he opened up her gift to played with. The robot soon broke and guilt immediately rose from him. The story ends as Ben gives Alice one of his robots and they got to play together. This is a great lesson to share with young readers, taking responsibility for your mistakes and finding a solution to them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2024
Ben is the big brother, Alice the little sister. Ben loves robots and won't ever play with Alice and her dolls. So, Alice asks for a new robot (one Ben really wants) for her birthday, obviously hoping he'll play with her now. But when Ben gives in to temptation and ruins Alice's birthday, can he fix it? There's some real depth to this story about the interplay between siblings and hurt feelings. A decent, but not outstanding, group read, but an even better one-on-one read where you can really get into a good discussion about boundaries and feelings.
June 8, 2017
A great sibling story. All a little girl wants is to play with her big brother but he wants nothing to do with her. He loves his robots. So she asks for the very same awesome wonderful robot that he wants! It's not fair HE is the one that likes robots not her! He decides to take it out and plays with it the morning of the party, BUT something happens can he do what's right to save his sister's birthday? And can she ultimately get her wish? This is a great story of sibling togetherness.
September 3, 2018
Ben wouldn't share his toy robot with his sister Alice, nor would he play with her. When Alice asks for what Ben most wants for his birthday - Ben can't help but be jealous when his parents get it for her. Then he does something terrible. Nice story, great illustrations that tell a little extra.
January 21, 2022
A huge hit with the kids. They were totally absorbed. At first the reacted to the title in a negative way but reading the story and getting to the ending made them very happy. Much more compassionate than they first imagined.
April 6, 2022
I loved this book and I used it for my read aloud for this class. It was a great read aloud and one that I would enjoy reading to my class when I become a teacher. It had great pictures and also did some great rhyming throughout the book.
December 12, 2017
Ben loves robots, but it's his little sister's birthday and she got a fancy robot that Ben really wanted!
November 13, 2018
Moralistic, bare bones story
April 5, 2021
Cute story about a brother and sister.
March 19, 2017
This is a good book for birthdays. I liked it, but it wasn't my favorite. It has a good message about family and love.
November 8, 2013
Big Brother Ben likes to play with Robots and his younger sister Alice likes to play with dolls. Whenever Alice wants to play with Ben, he tells her, "no dolls allowed." It's his policy.
So when mom and dad ask Alice what she would like for her birthday, Alice asks for the very special robot (Roboy 2000) that her brother Ben has been drooling over.
When Ben hears about this, he is jealous and thinks it is so unfair that his sister should get Roboy 2000 as her present. He just can't resist sneaking a careful peek, even though the present is already gift wrapped. Ben carefully unwraps the present, but now he can't resist trying out the robot, and then something terrible happens. Just how is Ben going to fix the mess he has gotten himself into?
Of course, as with most children's books, this one ends on a happy note and Alice gets just what she really wanted for her birthday after all.
I liked this story a lot. It's a realistic portrayal of young siblings and the happy ending makes it perfect. The illustrations are very cute and done in watercolor pastels. Perfect for the 3-7 age group.
So when mom and dad ask Alice what she would like for her birthday, Alice asks for the very special robot (Roboy 2000) that her brother Ben has been drooling over.
When Ben hears about this, he is jealous and thinks it is so unfair that his sister should get Roboy 2000 as her present. He just can't resist sneaking a careful peek, even though the present is already gift wrapped. Ben carefully unwraps the present, but now he can't resist trying out the robot, and then something terrible happens. Just how is Ben going to fix the mess he has gotten himself into?
Of course, as with most children's books, this one ends on a happy note and Alice gets just what she really wanted for her birthday after all.
I liked this story a lot. It's a realistic portrayal of young siblings and the happy ending makes it perfect. The illustrations are very cute and done in watercolor pastels. Perfect for the 3-7 age group.
September 1, 2013
The Bad Birthday Idea by Madeline Valentine
Release Date – November 12, 2013
*A review copy of this book was viewed from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
This is a sweet book that tackles sibling rivalry. Alice is a typical little sister that just wants to play with her brother so she asks for a robot for her birthday. Her brother is jealous because it’s the exact robot he has been wanting. He tries to be good and leave it alone, but he just can’t resist and something bad happens. In the end, everything works out for them.
This book not only deals with sibling rivalry but also with patience and sharing. It shows children that we don’t always get what we want. The story was fun to read and easy to get the child engaged in. The illustrations were beautifully done. The ending was perfect because Alice got what she really wanted, to play with her brother.
Lilly and I enjoyed this story and give The Bad Birthday Idea 4 stars.
Release Date – November 12, 2013
*A review copy of this book was viewed from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
This is a sweet book that tackles sibling rivalry. Alice is a typical little sister that just wants to play with her brother so she asks for a robot for her birthday. Her brother is jealous because it’s the exact robot he has been wanting. He tries to be good and leave it alone, but he just can’t resist and something bad happens. In the end, everything works out for them.
This book not only deals with sibling rivalry but also with patience and sharing. It shows children that we don’t always get what we want. The story was fun to read and easy to get the child engaged in. The illustrations were beautifully done. The ending was perfect because Alice got what she really wanted, to play with her brother.
Lilly and I enjoyed this story and give The Bad Birthday Idea 4 stars.
February 26, 2014
Ben and his sister, Alice, don’t get along when it comes to playing together. He is interested in robots and she in dolls. Clever Alice requests a robot toy for her birthday hoping this will be a way to get Ben to spend time with her. Of course, Ben has coveted the Roboy 2000 for himself and when he discovers their parents have gotten one for Alice, it’s too much for him to bear. He secretly unwraps the gift before the party, plays with it and breaks it. When it’s time to open presents, Ben must ‘fess up to what he’s done. To apologize for his wrongdoing, Ben gives his sister his favorite robot and promises that he and Alice will play together more often. Spare text and the large, bright Illustrations will appeal to emerging readers. It’s a good choice for reading aloud and the lessons it can teach. Purchase if needed.
December 20, 2014
Why is
I relate to the little girls need to want to play with her brother, so I wanted to yell at Alice to pick a present SHE wanted, that a present her brother wants would not make him love her more or make him want to play with her. He would only be using her. I wonder if most boys would admit their stealing the toy and breaking it, especially in front of other children? And nobody noticed the broken piece in the punch glass? Although children are generally forgiving, would Ben really be sorry and "...love to." play with her now?
Simple illustrations on various double-page and single page spreads, and some with four images on a page pull the reader through the action. The simple and white background keeps the eye focused on the important action.
I relate to the little girls need to want to play with her brother, so I wanted to yell at Alice to pick a present SHE wanted, that a present her brother wants would not make him love her more or make him want to play with her. He would only be using her. I wonder if most boys would admit their stealing the toy and breaking it, especially in front of other children? And nobody noticed the broken piece in the punch glass? Although children are generally forgiving, would Ben really be sorry and "...love to." play with her now?
Simple illustrations on various double-page and single page spreads, and some with four images on a page pull the reader through the action. The simple and white background keeps the eye focused on the important action.
January 25, 2014
My name of course is Alice, and the girl in the book is Alice. Her brother Ben (I don't have a brother named Ben) won't play with her because he want to play robots and she wants to play with dolls (So not me wasn't much of a doll girl)
So for her birthday Alice asks for a fancy Robot that Ben wants...but Ben doesn't like that....
So, What happens you will have to read the book, but this book is clearly about getting along! Liked it but rubbed me a little the wrong way so I can't gush over it... (Alice in the book is blond...sorry to be an Alice you need Brown hair... :-P thank you and good night!!!)
So for her birthday Alice asks for a fancy Robot that Ben wants...but Ben doesn't like that....
So, What happens you will have to read the book, but this book is clearly about getting along! Liked it but rubbed me a little the wrong way so I can't gush over it... (Alice in the book is blond...sorry to be an Alice you need Brown hair... :-P thank you and good night!!!)
October 10, 2013
All Alice wants is to play with her big brother Ben, but all Alice has is dolls and Ben only plays with robots. When Alice asks for a robot for her birthday, and gets the robot Ben has been asking for, he's green with envy. When Ben decides to hijack Alice's present and things get a big out of control, he must admit to his bad behavior and make things right with his little sister. Fantastic illustrations and a great lesson make THE BAD BIRTHDAY IDEA perfect for little readers learning to share and interact with others, especially siblings!
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August 31, 2016This book is about a boy, Ben who would not let his sister, Alice play with his robot toy. So, Alice asks for the newest robot toy that Ben also wants, for her birthday. Ben is jealous and takes her toy without telling, and then breaks it. He does not have any fun at the party, and then he has to show her what happened. However, he comes up with a solution to give her his toy. This is a great book to teach children the importance of sharing, as well as what could happen when someone is jealous.
June 21, 2014
My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library last week. I thought, with a title like that, this book would be funny. It's not.
The idea of the story isn't bad -- Alice wants her brother Ben to play with her so she asks for a toy that she thinks will make her brother want to play with her -- but the behavior of these kids isn't very realistic. And the conclusion of the book really isn't satisfying.
The idea of the story isn't bad -- Alice wants her brother Ben to play with her so she asks for a toy that she thinks will make her brother want to play with her -- but the behavior of these kids isn't very realistic. And the conclusion of the book really isn't satisfying.
November 7, 2013
Sweet story of the ever difficulties of sibling relationships. What if your sister asks for the one gift you wanted for your birthday for her brithday just so she can finally have a way to play with you? Ben has a different idea and when it goes bad, he discovers what is really most important between brothers and sisters.
April 16, 2014
I really enjoyed this book about a boy and a sister who didn't play together due to different interests. The sister finally wanted to play with the robots jut like her brother so they could play together. When the brother makes a bad decision and takes and accidentally breaks her birthday robot he learns how to make it up to her.
December 12, 2013
Oh, we've all been there...make a mistake and feel so guilty you can't enjoy the fun stuff happening all around you. I also thought it was extra sweet that the Alice asked for a robot so her brother would play with her.
February 6, 2014
For her birthday, Alice receives the very robot her brother wanted. So when asked to place the wrapped present on the table, he decided to open it and test the robot. Bad decision. Good story which illustrates bad decisions, consequences, guilt, and telling the truth.
July 23, 2016
I thought the "lesson" to be learned was a good lesson. Don't steal birthday gifts or touch things that aren't yours. I just wasn't amused with the story. The kids that I know, I don't think this book would have stood out to them.
July 24, 2014
What child (and adult) won't relate to this book???
A younger sibling just wants to play with her older sibling and his toys. For the younger siblings birthday, she gets the toy the older sibling covets. And you know that never turns out well!
A younger sibling just wants to play with her older sibling and his toys. For the younger siblings birthday, she gets the toy the older sibling covets. And you know that never turns out well!
June 25, 2013
This is a sweet little story of siblings, mistakes, and redemption.
November 3, 2013
Sweet tale of sibling rivalry, jealousy, and forgiveness.
November 20, 2013
A young boy opens his sister's birthday present and breaks it.
December 16, 2013
I'm always looking for good books for robot story time. This is a little message-y for story time, but I think it would balance nicely with the more zany robot books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews