Module 12: Me...Jane

Module 12: Me…Jane

Summary: This is the story of Jane Goodall’s childhood. Jane Goodall spent her childhood with her beloved, stuffed chimpanzee, Jubilee, exploring the outdoors of her home. She read about animals, she watched animals, and she dreamt about helping animals. Most of all, Jane dreamt about living in Africa where she could help all of the animals there. When Jane grew up she did just that, and she is famous for her work with the animals.

Citation: McDonnell, P. (2011). Me…Jane. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Impression: This a beautifully written and inspiring book. The simple words keep the reader hooked and the illustrations pastel colors are soothing and peaceful. Every child can relate to playing outside and loving the idea of working with animals. Nearly every child has a point when they love nature, the outdoors, and all the creatures out there, even the slimy ones. This childish innocence is perfectly captured by adorable Jane exploring her surroundings with Jubille by her side. The amazing part is that this child held onto her dreams and became one of the most inspirational humanitarians in the world.

Review: Little Jane Goodall and Jubilee (her toy chimpanzee) ramble outside their English country home observing everyday animal miracles and dreaming of a life in Africa, "living with, / and helping, / all animals." Readers familiar with the groundbreaking primatologist will love seeing her as a conventional, buttoned-up child, wearing a plaid skirt, classic bob and hair clip as she squats in a coop to watch a chicken drop an egg. McDonnell’s simple ink-and-watercolor illustrations appear as sunny, amorphous panels in ample white space. Purposeful black lines provide specificity with small suggestive strokes—a tiny apostrophic smile relays Jane’s complete contentment sprawled in grass. Opposite pages offer groupings of faint, intricate stamps that correspond with young Jane’s early outdoor experiences and engage readers with their fine details. The playful interplay among stamps, cartoonish drawings and real photographs of Jane reminds readers of a child’s hodgepodge journal—one like Jane’s, which appears as a double-page spread showing her animal studies, charts, games and doodles. Children will appreciate McDonnell’s original format and take heart that interests logged in their own diaries might turn into lifelong passions. Backmatter includes a pithy biography, additional photographs and a letter and drawing from Jane herself—children will thrill at the connection. (Picture book/biography. 2-10)

(2011). Me…Jane [Review of the Book Me…Jane]. Kirkus Review. Retrieved from             https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/patrick-mcdonnell/mejane/

Suggestion: This is a great book to use for a book talk on nonfiction or biographies. It’s simple yet educational and very inspiring. It could be used to introduce biographies for any age.