Just the Two of Us

by Will Smith

Book Overview

Just the two of us Building castles in the sky Just the two of us You and I Will Smith - musician, actor, father - brings us a moving celebration of fatherhood. Smith's heartfelt lyrics and Kadir... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439087929
• ISBN13: 9780439087926
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Length: 1 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 10.3" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

An excellent collaboration!

"Just the two of us, Building castles in the sky. Just the two of us, You and I." Every time I came to this refrain in the book, I sang it to the Bill Withers's song of the same title. Sure enough--right on the copyright page is accredited the 1980 song used in this book, "Just the two of us." That is when I discovered also that this was a hit rap song by Will Smith. I knew he was a rapper, but never listened, so I was not familiar with the song. "Just the Two of Us" was adapted by Smith in this celebration of fatherhood and responsibility. It is also Smith's song about his deep and abiding love for his son. According to the lyrics, Smith fell in love at seventeen. When his girlfriend became pregnant, they did the responsible thing and were married. It ended at some point with Smith obtaining custody. Just as his parents before him, Smith works to teach his son how to be a man: "Dignity, integrity, honor..." and "Always tell the truth, say your prayers, hold doors, pull out chairs, easy on the swears..." The closing words: "Daddy loves you! Daddy loves you! for the rest of your life." These are words that spring tears because of the power of their declaration. You know Will Smith means what he says. The third part of the collaboration is the artwork of Kadir Nelson: beautiful, intense, and vivid, rendered in pencil and oil paint. I'm not sure why he adds the little exaggerations like that awful sway in Smith's back and the large skulls of both Smith and his son. Those are not very attractive, but not enough to take away from the gorgeous sunset picture of Smith and his son--orange sky, seagulls sweeping low, making a catch At any rate the original Withers song as the creative source, plus the top-selling rap version, placed into a combination book of bright, happy yet realistic illustrations. This is a book that stays checked out in my school library. Good job, Will Smith, on all fronts!

A Tribute to Fathers and Sons

Will Smith bases Just the Two of Us on his rap song of the same title. The book shows a father giving advice on growing up and sharing his experiences with his son. The book instills good morals and values while showing love, support, and encouragement. The pictures by Kadir Nelson are simply breathtaking and show the life stages of a baby growing into a young man. This highly recommended book gives testimony to the unique relationship between father and son.

Wonderful portrait of the love a father has for his son.

Will Smith captures the heart of a father's love for his son in Just the Two of Us. This book is a must for every father and son to read!

"From Fresh Prince to Great Dad"

One day, I came home from work and found my daughters watching a television sitcom called, "The Fresh Prince of BelAir". Will Smith played the title role of a young man whose mom uprooted him from the tough streets of West Philly to the care of his affluent aunt and uncle in BelAir, California. The storyline hilariously depicted Will's adjustment from rags to riches with his new family; and moreover, their adjustment to their new relative. From that moment on, I became a big fan of Will Smith, watching every episode of the show, and following his career as a movie actor. Needless to say, he is a multi-talented and gifted entertainer.Just the other day, I was in a local bookstore and ventured on over to the children's section and found this little book that Will had written. I lifted it from the display and began to read it, and with tears welling up in my eyes, was introduced to the softer, fatherly side of the Fresh Prince. Furthermore, the story caused me to reflect on the good times that I had growing up with my dad, and the importance for all dads to spend significant amounts of time with their young sons. It would be a great book for fathers and sons to read together, and would make a perfect Father's Day gift.

The Magic of Fatherhood as a Sole Caregiving Parent

I have always been partial to the idea of coupling genres. I like to see sculptures that are imaginatively lit, with music playing in the background. To take a song and turn it into a book was an inspired choice to me. As I read the words and look at the beautiful images, I feel strong emotions that are evoked by hearing the song in my mind. The effect is a lot like seeing a motion picture, or being in an emotion-filled moment with wonderful music resonating through your body. Whether or not you are a single father, this book will move you in beautiful ways.The book builds from a father's reminiscences about what it was like to become a man, a father, and then to take on the sole parenting role after a divorce. Every father will remember having these same emotions, and will be glad to have memories of them reawakened.The book begins with: "I told my parents I wanted to build a castle in the sky.""'Here's a pencil and paper, let's draw the plans,' they replied."The book ends with:"My son told me he wanted to build a castle in the sky.""'Here's a pencil and paper, let's draw the plans,' I replied."The song has many other inspiring lyrics that work well here. Some of my favorites include:"I pledge my life to you.""a little me""I wanna kiss you all the time.""I try to be a tough dad, but you keep making me laugh . . . .""It didn't work out with me and your mom . . ./You were conceived in love.""One day some girl's gonna break your heart.""Throughout life people will make you mad . . . /Let God deal with the things they do . . . .""Always tell the truth, say your prayers/Hold doors, pull out chairs, easy on the swears." Some people may be bothered by the colloquial words and grammar. If the book were not based on a song, that would be a problem. But I found the usages helped with the mood. This is just an ordinary man, with feet of clay, doing his best. If his grammar isn't perfect, that's just part of portraying his character. Some readers may not like the way the rhymes scan. Some rhymes are definitely forced, but others lines flow nicely. If I were to judge the book as poetry, I would definitely grade it down for these problems. But in the context of the musical experience, I found it worked all right. So it is just a missed opportunity to be even better. I found the recollections of what it was like before going to the hospital, the experiences there, and coming home to be especially moving. I hope other authors will take on these important moments of fatherhood and give them their own special interpretation, as well.The illustrations should be singled out for special praise. They create a magical mood that allows your mind to experience the book as both memory and movie while the music plays on. Whether you are black or have some other color skin, you will identify directly with the characters in these illustrations without thinking about what their color is. That is a fine achievement in portraying universal expressions of