Bea & MR Jones

by Amy Schwartz

Book Overview

"In this fantasy a precocious kindergartner and a burned-out advertising executive father swap daily routines in an amusingly illustrated story of success in early childhood".--School Library Journal, starred review. A Reading Rainbow Feature Book.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0027814300
• ISBN13: 9780027814309
• Release Date: December 1982
• Publisher: Atheneum Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 9.9" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

a childhood favorite!

I found this on Reading Rainbow as a kid, and it quickly became one of my mom's favorites to read at bedtime. Fantastic b & w illustrations. I want to quit my corporate job and excel at kindergarten!

silly and improbable

Bea is a very ambitious kindergartener bored by the silly games she has to play with the other 5 and 6 year olds. Mr. Jones is an advertising executive stressed by his job and his commute who dislikes his boss's sense of humor. One morning Mr. Jones suggest they switch places- a plan that is perfect for each of them. Bea loves being an executive, riding the train, entertaining over lunch and loves the boss's sense of humor. Mr. Jones is a whiz at color identification, enjoys turning cartwheels and quickly becomes the kindergarten teacher's pet. After several days of switching, they see no reason to return to the old way of doing things. I love the illustrations as well as the very tongue in cheek text. The drawings are finely wrought in pencil with great detail and texturing- my son spends time wondering how she could do so much variation with so little. There a few books with only black and white drawings so this one is fantastic for inspiring aspiring artists.

Personality and plums

I have the fortune of working with Amy Schwartz and was absolutely DELIGHTED to learn that she was the brain behind this particular book. I remember seeing it for the first time on Reading Rainbow as a kid and loved it. It's a humorous look at the age-old gripe between adults and kids: children who want to be grown up and grown ups who want to stay children. Well written and with simple art that is reminiscent of early American black-and-white engravings, BEA AND MR. JONES is a sweet story that should be read by every kid, young and old.

This book is excellent.

I think this book is a fun kid's book.It is well expressed like many of the other books Amy Schwartz has written.It is a fun short book. My favorite charecter is Bea. This book is about Bea and her father Mr. Jones. They don't like what they do so they switch jobs.