Almost: A Spunky and Relatable Picture Book for Children (Ages 4-8) About a Little Guy Who Can't Wait to Be Big

by Richard Torrey

Meet Jack. He's almost six years old. And that's almost grown up. After all, he can almost ride a big bike just like his older brother. And he almost never gets scared. This spunky little almost-six-year-old is ready to take on the world. Well, almost. Richard Torrey's sweetly funny tale is sure to resonate with any child who just can't wait to be big.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Humor, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack is almost 6. He's almost grown up. He's almost the best in his karate class, and he almost hit the game-winning home-run. Almost.

The colorful illustrations reveal the truth behind each "almost" Jack states--he didn't almost hit a home run, he struck out, and when he almost made his own breakfast, he actually burned the toast and spilled the milk.

This book is perfect for sharing with Kindergartners, either one on one, or as a group during units on growing.

[MelMon Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminds me of what it is to live in a house with four boys who are brothers. My kids are so like this book.

[Buffie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet story of not giving up even if you aren't quite ready to conquer something.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack’s almost grown up ... can almost wear big clothes and ride a big bike. There’s just so much he can almost do.

[Cassidy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book, especially for young readers! It's okay to be not quite there yet, because you're still working on it. Great for elementary classrooms!

[Haley Kilgour · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super cute book about being almost grown up.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. I loved the Ally-saurus books, but the Jack books don't look as great... for me. For the target audience, for someone who identifies with Jack, they might be great.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the world almost. I want to use it more often!

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun story that follows a young boy who knows that he's almost big enough to do a lot of things, but still has some growing to do. We've recently read two other books that feature Jack in his everyday life as an almost six-year-old, Why? and Because and we enjoyed reading them all together.

[Christine Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost six-year-old Jack lists all the ways in which he is almost a grown-up.


Young children will relate well to this book. This book will work well for storytime. The illustrations are bright and colorful.

Young Jack is almost six years old. That's almost grown up. He can almost ride a bike, and he almost never gets scared. This spunky little boy is ready to take on the world. Well, almost.

[IrenesBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack, who is almost 6, lists all the ways he is almost grown up. He can almost wear big clothes, except they are his big brothers and he wants them back. He can ride a bike, well almost as he falls off and gets chased by his big brother, the true owner of the now damaged bike. He also shows how he can make robots and almost ride a skateboard. I enjoyed the simple message of accepting yourself at the age you are at.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story about an almost six year old boy name Jack who experiences a myriad of "almosts" at that age. The content is easy to follow with good flow of sentences. The preschool and toddler children enjoyed the storyline and illustrations. This encouraged a lot of observations and discussions from a shy and quiet crowd.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traditional Literature-Fiction-2009

Jack is almost six and can almost do everything, but can't do anything perfectly. Shows the struggles of children trying to grow up, especially when they have a big brother that they want to be like. I liked to book, thought it would be a good one to talk about with children and the new challenges they face as getting they grow older.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great use of the word almost. The book literally takes less than five minutes to read cover to cover, but in that time you really get to see how the word almost changes the meaning of so much with almost no effort on the author's part. I could use this book with kids and then brainstorm other words that have similarly strong effects on the sentences they are added to.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

My former grammar-teaching self started making an imaginary lesson plan using this fun book before I snapped back in to my present-day vocation. Again, I don't believe Jordan completely "got" it, but I thought it was adorable.

[Angel B · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sweet! This book does a great job portraying how highly kids this age view themselves. My two year old ate it up and loved the illustrations. Definitely want to check out his other children's books.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

siblings, growing up

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute! Good for vocabulary.

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a six year old can almost do.

[Tina B · Rating 3 out of 5]

"growing up is rough, family support, mistakes happen"

[Rachel Burt · Rating 3 out of 5]

About a six year old boy and all the things he can 'almost' do. Cute, simple text and illustrations.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute picture book about having a brother and being almost old enough to do what you want.

[Michelle Nero · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've liked Richard Torrey's series for kids (Almost, Why? Because). Kids can relate . . . almost.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children will relate to this book. Being children there are many things they can almost do, but can not, but a mother's love is never an almost.

[Sheniqua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack can almost do everything like wearing big clothes and riding big bikes. I really like the self determination and perseverance of this little boy.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is a simple story that both of my children and I all enjoyed

[Joellen Mccarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple picture book with a powerful message. Another #growthmindset book.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. Reminds me of my 12 year-old (and myself, a little). A great bedtime read.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some funny/clever moments, but most of the time it felt repetitive. Good for younger siblings who are in a hurry to grow up.