LETS BE ENEMIES

by Janice May Udry, Maurice Sendak (Illustrator)

James and John, best friends, have a quarrel, but when John goes over to James' house to tell him they are enemies, something unexpected happens.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Friendship, Young Adult, Classics

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 21, 1961

About the author

Janice May Udry is an American author. She was born in Jacksonville, Illinois and graduated from Northwestern University in 1950. Her first book, A Tree is Nice, was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1957 for Marc Simont's illustrations. Her papers are held at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, is John an enabler? Will he always be a doormat, or, worse, a bully's sidekick? Or is James learning not to be a bully? Can't tell from the story... but a happy ending doesn't seem likely to me.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I now believe that James and I were meant to be best friends. We’re bossy, sassy, and just plain rude who also carries around pocket sand.
Sorry, we can’t talk. We have a sand castle to destroy!!

[Mansour · Rating 4 out of 5]

هزار جان مقدس فدای این دشمن

[Karen O · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can never resist anything illustrated by Maurice Sendak. His illustrations in this book are - as usual - very charming.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the passing of Maurice Sendak *sad sigh* I'm starting to take a look at his lesser-known books (at least from my own knowledge). This little book was very cute. His illustrations of the two little boys how are best friends, then fight, then instantly become best friends again is spot on...

[Jason Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

James is kind of a dick, really.

[Micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly the kind of book I want to write for children.

[Danielle]

Perhaps the first of its kind.

[Ariya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magneto and Professor X relationship in a nutshell.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacob read to us with such inflection and made the book so enjoyable to listen to!..krb 3/5/16

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly how children are.

[Madison Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

John isn’t very happy with his best friend, James, these days. John and James have gone through it all together; sharing umbrellas, pretzels, and even chicken pox. He is awfully tired of what he sees as James bosses him around, and decides it’s time to redefine their friendship. John decides that him and James are now enemies because of his bossiness. Soon after, John realizes that you can’t replace the presence of a best friend even if he IS much bossier than he should be. John decided that he needs to hold on to that friendship, even if everything about him is not ideal. In the end, John and James reunite with each other, and decide to be best friends after all. This book could be used for a lesson about resolving conflict in the classroom, Sendak illustrates this book using simple sketches and minimal color. I recommend this book to have in the classroom to help students understand how to resolve and deal with conflict.

[Julivete Skelton · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young boy decides that him and his friend James are now enemies because of his bossiness but reunite in the end. You could use this book as lesson for resolving conflict in the classroom. At first, I did not particularly like this book because I think it does not do a good job at portraying a healthy way of dealing with a unhappy situation. The boys just get frustrated with each other, speak passive aggressively to each other, and then one day they become best friends again. As a future educator, I would rather choose books that gives a good example of how to communicate when your feelings are hurt by a friend but in this case, you could use it to point out all of the characteristics that are wrong of them. Maurice Sendak is the illustrator of this book. He uses simple sketches and very minimal color so some children may not find this book as engaging.

[Sierra Dirksen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about a boy who decides that his best friend, James, is too bossy and he wants to be enemies now. He thinks of all the fun things they used to do as he walks over to tell James they are no longer friends. After agreeing they are enemies, they immediately decide to be friends again. This book was cute, but outdated. Also, the message about not being friends because someone is bossy is not one to teach children.

[Ari]

This book is about two small boys that used to be friends but turned into enemies. All because James likes to be the boss. The two boys are enemies and don't want to play with each other anymore. They shared pretzels, umbrellas, and even chicken pox... But not anymore. Since James always wants to be boss. One day John went to tell James they are no longer friends, they end up playing together in the end.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about staying power, this little gem about forgiving and getting along first appeared in 1961.

While it is not about "bullying" (the story time theme for today), it is about how we treat one another and overcome (in a small way) our differences and irritations.

[Rodopa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love books that speak from the child point of view - expressing to children what they see and feel around their peers. No plot to speak up, just a "vent" by a child that any other child will recognize.

[Picture Books To Grow - Shoshana Magnet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, but that could we see more conflict in this light. Yes, of course, the people we love drive us crazy. Friendships and relationships should and do end. And yet simultaneously, there you have it. We still all have to roller skate together.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book on its own is inadequate for really exploring the topic of relational friction between kiddos, but with some questions and conversation it is a good jumping off place. Used as part of a book called Teaching Conflict Resolution Through Children's Literature.

[Annburnett · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about two little boys who are friends but sometimes have small falling outs.

[ShamSham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t do much for me

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real and immediate, the feelings of kids change on a dime. Perfect illustrations.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, simple, and funny!
“We were such good friends that we had the chicken pox together. But I wouldn’t have the chicken pox with James now.”

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art is cute but James never said sorry for being a jerk…

[Alicia Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

For: readers looking for a humorous book about young friendships.

Possible red flags: fighting with a friend.

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timeless tale of a bossy friend, a grudge held, an argument overcome. The always delightful Maurice Sendak illustrates.

[Jeani · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those spicy friendships.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a charming author/illustrator combo Janice May Udry and Maurice Sendak make! Having previously collaborated with Marc Simont on A Tree Is Nice, which won the 1957 Caldecott Medal, Janice May Udry was no stranger to having her stories be brought to life by award-winning artists when Let's Be Enemies was first published. Author and illustrator both seem to be at or near their creative peak in this book, a winsome blend of sensitively portrayed childhood emotion in text and drawings. I hope Let's Be Enemies continues to be read alongside the more famous titles of both Janice May Udry and Maurice Sendak.

John isn't terribly happy with his best friend, James, these days. He's tired of what he sees as James bossing him around, taking the good part of every thing and every activity for himself. He once infected John with the chicken pox, too, though John considers that to have been more of a plus than a minus to James's credit with him. John has decided it's time to redefine their friendship; instead of being friends, he and James will now be enemies, and that's just how John likes it.

Memories of real friendship have a way of seeping through the cracks of our resolve in unexpected ways, though, and when John goes to tell James he doesn't want to be his friend anymore, the change might not be as permanent as John had led himself to believe. After all, who can replace the presence of a best friend even if he is bossy much of the time, and often tries to take the best things for himself? Who can dismiss the value of a best friend in a world of strangers who don't know you and aren't jumping at the chance to rectify that oversight, when here is someone familiar with your ins and outs, likes and dislikes, opinions and personal quirks like no one else? Maybe one should hold on to that best friend even if not everything about him is ideal. It's definitely a whole lot simpler than trying to break in a new one.

I like this book, and hope it continues to resurface in libraries and bookstores for a long time. Janice May Udry and Maurice Sendak are a good pairing, and Let's Be Enemies stands as a quality testament both to their individual creative strengths as well as their ability to compliment each other's work rather nicely. I would probably give this book one and a half stars.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

simple look at friends and enemies. how do we live together?
Would be wonderful for children's worship, chapel time, or moment for all ages

[Luisa Knight · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure why it's a classic or why Udry and Sendak felt children need to read a book about what they already naturally do: get into squabbles. And the end doesn't even show how a child should properly apologize to their friend when the fight's over. Hmm...

Ages: 4 - 8

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