What Do You Say, Dear?: A Caldecott Honor Award Winner

I loved this book the moment I read it. Maurice Sendak's hilarious and wonderful illustrations are a perfect match with Joslin's words. Humor is a great way to help children remember lessons, and "What Do You Say, Dear" is filled with funny /memorable scenarios that you and your loved ones will never tire of reading over and over again.(...)

I read this book in 1963 when I was 8 years old (for all you math wizards, yes, I'm 45) I was a voracious reader and this one book stands out above all the others as my most memorable read. I read it over and over and laughed just as much each time. I read it to anyone who would sit still for me and even now, when I hear some ask some insane question like "Would you like me to shoot you in the head?", I think back to my early training and say, "No thank you!" I credit this book for helping form my young personality and believe in all sincerity that I have the warped sense of humor that I do because of my exposure to this book. Get it, read it and then, if they are very polite, share it with your kids!

My 6 yr. old son loves this book and thinks it is hilarious and so do I! He loves to guess the answer after each funny instance and then see if he guessed it right. He's old enough to know that these are not real situations (like dropping in on the dutchess from an airplane through her roof or cutting off a dragon's head!) We just think it's very funny and actually helps him remember what to say to be polite. I think some of the other reviewers should lighten up and not take this so seriously!

A classic book of manners for children of all ages, using outlandish situations to make the point. You accidentally crash your plane into your friend the duchess's house. What do you say, dear? "Pardon me; I'm terribly sorry." And so on, hilariously. As some of the other posts note, our little hero is threatened at gunpoint by Black Bart, but since the hero also buys a baby elephant on a street corner and hobnobs with royalty, children are able to recognize this as fiction--they only take with them the laughter and good instruction in proper manners. Thank heavens this book is still in print! Your children will adore it.