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The Pain and the Great One
"The Pain" and "The Great One" are not their real names. But you may know their voices. When this girl, age eight, and this boy, age six, tell all about each other, they sound a lot alike. They are brother and sister and they're caught in a contest over whom Mom and Dad love most. You probably know who wins, too, in this funny, family picturebook.
45 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1974
About the author
Judy Blume
180 books11.2k followersJudy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, New Jersey, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Blubber; Just as Long as We're Together; and the five book series about the irrepressible Fudge. She has also written three novels for adults, Summer Sisters; Smart Women; and Wifey, all of them New York Times bestsellers. More than 80 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into thirty-one languages. She receives thousands of letters a year from readers of all ages who share their feelings and concerns with her.
Judy received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year the American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. Other recognitions include the Library of Congress Living Legends Award and the 2004 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
She is the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation. She serves on the boards of the Author's Guild; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; the Key West Literary Seminar; and the National Coalition Against Censorship.
Judy is a longtime advocate of intellectual freedom. Finding herself at the center of an organized book banning campaign in the 1980's she began to reach out to other writers, as well as teachers and librarians, who were under fire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the National Coalition Against Censorship to protect the freedom to read. She is the editor of Places I Never Meant To Be, Original Stories by Censored Writers.
Judy has completed a series of four chapter books -- The Pain & the Great One -- illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist James Stevenson. She has co-written and produced a film adaptation of her book Tiger Eyes, and is currently writing a new novel.
Judy and her husband George Cooper live on islands up and down the east coast. They have three grown children and one grandchild.
Judy received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year the American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. Other recognitions include the Library of Congress Living Legends Award and the 2004 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
She is the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation. She serves on the boards of the Author's Guild; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; the Key West Literary Seminar; and the National Coalition Against Censorship.
Judy is a longtime advocate of intellectual freedom. Finding herself at the center of an organized book banning campaign in the 1980's she began to reach out to other writers, as well as teachers and librarians, who were under fire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the National Coalition Against Censorship to protect the freedom to read. She is the editor of Places I Never Meant To Be, Original Stories by Censored Writers.
Judy has completed a series of four chapter books -- The Pain & the Great One -- illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist James Stevenson. She has co-written and produced a film adaptation of her book Tiger Eyes, and is currently writing a new novel.
Judy and her husband George Cooper live on islands up and down the east coast. They have three grown children and one grandchild.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
June 7, 2018
I hear this book everyday in my house right now. One child thinks the other child has it better and the other child thinks they have the short stick. This is so well done.
There are two parts to this story. First part is about the little brother from the big sisters POV. He gets everything, life is so unfair. The second part is the big sister from the little brothers POV. She is perfect and gets everything. They are unhappy separated.
I know I was this way with my brother too. The illustrations did not wow me, but they help tell the story. The story seems to be the perfect interplay, at least in our house.
The kids were funny. they said things like "I never do that" or "I always share" Yeah right. Interesting to see how they want to see themselves. This book is perfect childhood. Judy rules and she really does understand children.
There are two parts to this story. First part is about the little brother from the big sisters POV. He gets everything, life is so unfair. The second part is the big sister from the little brothers POV. She is perfect and gets everything. They are unhappy separated.
I know I was this way with my brother too. The illustrations did not wow me, but they help tell the story. The story seems to be the perfect interplay, at least in our house.
The kids were funny. they said things like "I never do that" or "I always share" Yeah right. Interesting to see how they want to see themselves. This book is perfect childhood. Judy rules and she really does understand children.
June 19, 2016
Somehow this is one of the Judy Blume books that escaped me growing up. I suppose because once she became my favorite author, I was more interested in the "older girl" books than I would have been in some kiddie book.
This book was actually very cute. It is a story of sibling rivalry told from both perspectives. Big sister (The Great One) thinks little brother (The Pain) gets away with everything and is coddled by mom and dad. Lil brother thinks big sis is the favorite cause she's smart and can do everything right.
I liked that there was no obvious lesson in this book because when you're little you're going to hate your brother or sister no matter how much mom or dad tries to make you love them and show you you need your brother or sister. Of course the adult can see the subtle lesson in the book, but this book was not written for me, the adult. There is no resolution at the end of this story and that's perfectly fine.
The illustrations are cute, but as a kid, I always thought of them as the "cheap" drawings. Kids like to look at either funny or really nice drawings. I don't believe kids will be wowed by the art here.
This book was actually very cute. It is a story of sibling rivalry told from both perspectives. Big sister (The Great One) thinks little brother (The Pain) gets away with everything and is coddled by mom and dad. Lil brother thinks big sis is the favorite cause she's smart and can do everything right.
I liked that there was no obvious lesson in this book because when you're little you're going to hate your brother or sister no matter how much mom or dad tries to make you love them and show you you need your brother or sister. Of course the adult can see the subtle lesson in the book, but this book was not written for me, the adult. There is no resolution at the end of this story and that's perfectly fine.
The illustrations are cute, but as a kid, I always thought of them as the "cheap" drawings. Kids like to look at either funny or really nice drawings. I don't believe kids will be wowed by the art here.
May 8, 2011
Judy Blume was a fixture in my childhood, but somehow this book slipped through my radar. Had I seen it when I was a kid, I would have seen my brother and me in it! And I still do! This is a great book to use as a mentor text when taking sides on an issue. It is also a great mentor text for making connections -- because unless you are an only child, we all have stories of sibling rivalry from when we were younger.
March 19, 2012
I like that this book had perspective from both point of views. I did not, however like the parenting mentioned throughout the book. Clearly the parents have NOT read "Siblings Without Rivalry" by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish. Anyone who has more than one child, should definitely read this book. The parents mentioned in this book, I think are fairly typical. They are (unbeknownst to them) pitting their children against each other. The parents DO show favoritism, to each of the kids in the book. This is why they each resent each other so much. The parents solution to the problem is to simply state "remember that tomorrow" whenever one kid is without the other kid. The real problem is that the two kids have not been taught how to play together, how to be a team or even how to consider the other person's perspective. I get that this book was probably written to help children in such a situation relate to their other siblings, but the fault is not with the kids. It's with the parents. Instead of looking at the brother's artwork when they get home from school and making the daughter feel like an intrusion and totally left out, the mom should have said "hey, come look what your brother did at school, do you remember when you made a similar project in this grade?" And then, she should have reversed it and told the son to look at what the daughter did and ask him if he was excited to be that age, so he could do similar projects.
And this (imo) is key, when the boy knocks down all the girls blocks, mom should have said "sounds like you have a problem. I know you two are old enough to work it out together and find a solution. Please let me know what it is, I can't wait to hear what you've come up with." Instead of chastising one or the other and trying to solve such a simple problem for the kids.
Really, this book should be an example of how NOT to raise your kids. I would like to get it again, so I can read it to my kids and see if they can identify what the parent SHOULD be doing, instead of "learning sympathy".
I'm giving it two stars, because the kids seemed like typical relatable kids, but I thought the story was geared to the wrong audience. The kids aren't the ones who need to change, the clueless parents are.
And this (imo) is key, when the boy knocks down all the girls blocks, mom should have said "sounds like you have a problem. I know you two are old enough to work it out together and find a solution. Please let me know what it is, I can't wait to hear what you've come up with." Instead of chastising one or the other and trying to solve such a simple problem for the kids.
Really, this book should be an example of how NOT to raise your kids. I would like to get it again, so I can read it to my kids and see if they can identify what the parent SHOULD be doing, instead of "learning sympathy".
I'm giving it two stars, because the kids seemed like typical relatable kids, but I thought the story was geared to the wrong audience. The kids aren't the ones who need to change, the clueless parents are.
November 17, 2022
Part of the Judy Blume Read Through!
Probably my least favorite so far. There's no substance here. Duo-Perspectives of a young brother and sister and how each thinks the other has it better... but the ending just has an illustration of the family hugging while the text gives no true solution. There is nothing to this and it reads rather sad.
Probably my least favorite so far. There's no substance here. Duo-Perspectives of a young brother and sister and how each thinks the other has it better... but the ending just has an illustration of the family hugging while the text gives no true solution. There is nothing to this and it reads rather sad.
July 4, 2008
One of the great gifts of Judy Blume is that she doesn't lie to kids. Her books are refreshingly - and sometimes painfully - honest. As a kid, I sure appreciated it. Too many books lie, because they think children can't hear the truth. They ignore the fact that children already *know* the truth many times.
The truth in this book is that sometimes, having a brother or sister just sucks. The lie that most people would try to give is the moral that you really, deep down have to love your sibling after all - right?
Well, Ms. Blume skirts very *close* to that moral, when each child realizes midway through a rant that getting a special privilege without their sibling isn't any fun, and, indeed, their parents try to push that moral on them - but no, that "no fun" bit is just another reason why their sibling is awful! And the next day they remembered, not the moral, but the rivalry.
Each child's rant about their brother/sister ends with the thought that maybe their parents like the other one best. I think we've all felt that. I did just last week, and I'm an adult :) There's no reassurance here except the other sibling saying the same thing.
If you're uncomfortable with this sort of presentation of facts, I'd suggest you borrow the book from the library before buying. Otherwise, I firmly suggest you buy this book for your own library.
The truth in this book is that sometimes, having a brother or sister just sucks. The lie that most people would try to give is the moral that you really, deep down have to love your sibling after all - right?
Well, Ms. Blume skirts very *close* to that moral, when each child realizes midway through a rant that getting a special privilege without their sibling isn't any fun, and, indeed, their parents try to push that moral on them - but no, that "no fun" bit is just another reason why their sibling is awful! And the next day they remembered, not the moral, but the rivalry.
Each child's rant about their brother/sister ends with the thought that maybe their parents like the other one best. I think we've all felt that. I did just last week, and I'm an adult :) There's no reassurance here except the other sibling saying the same thing.
If you're uncomfortable with this sort of presentation of facts, I'd suggest you borrow the book from the library before buying. Otherwise, I firmly suggest you buy this book for your own library.
February 17, 2013
The Pain and The Great One by Judy Blume is a contemporary realistic fiction book. The age group this book is intended for is primary to intermediate. There are really two stories in one; the sister tells how she sees her brother and how her parents love him more, and the brother tells how he sees his sister and how his parents love her more.
I thought this book was definitely a book that most children could relate to when it comes to family. The older sibling sees the younger sibling as a pain because they are so needy and gets his/her way with everything. The younger sibling feels inferior to the older sibling because he/she can do things better than the young sibling can. So both children try to do things on their own and find that it’s really not fun without the other sibling. Also, it ends with the same scenario for both children. Mom and Dad spend more time with the other sibling and they love them more. I think this a good book for young readers because if they have siblings they can probably relate. The book will show them that their parents love both of them, but the attention comes in different forms. And without your sibling you may be bored.
November 27, 2010
The joys of sisterhood when you have younger brother who absolutely gets on your nerves. In this story the main character has named her younger brother The Pain because he gets away with all types of things that mom and dad would not let her get away with and he is destructive. On the other end the younger brother names his sister The Great One because mom and dad believes that she is really smart and she gets to be responsible for things around the house. Many young readers with siblings will be able to make text to self connections either from a big brother/sister point of view or the younger brother/sister point of view.
November 19, 2016
We see the world through our eyes. We judge others by our standards. The saying we should walk a mile in another's shoes first is wise advice. How do you teach this to a child? How many of us forget to do this?
This book opens that door. The daughter is two years older than her brother. He is so often a nuisance.
The son is younger. He sees his sister doing things he can't yet.
I highly recommend this book for all children to read and talk about. It wouldn't hurt for parents to read and think about these issues too.
This book opens that door. The daughter is two years older than her brother. He is so often a nuisance.
The son is younger. He sees his sister doing things he can't yet.
I highly recommend this book for all children to read and talk about. It wouldn't hurt for parents to read and think about these issues too.
January 14, 2011
Could Judy Blume have known my little brother and I any better?! He was the pain and I suppose I was the great one. The way the girl described her brother and the preferential treatment was exactly how I felt as a kid towards him. So I know when the little brother was doing the same that it must be how my brother felt about me. Interesting! Blume did a great job with showing both sides!
February 1, 2016
I think that this book is trying to tell how they both feel about each other.My opinion is that they may have different feeling about each other because they are siblings.I will recommend this book who has similar feelings like the people in the book.
March 21, 2012
My students always enjoy this book. I read it to illustrate point of view. The kids have many connections to the stories of these contentious but lovable siblings.
June 7, 2013
It was good though if you don't know my favorite character think harder I'm a boy who else is a boy in the story???
December 6, 2014
Its a really funny book. Dont get your hopes up they don't get along at the end. I say agin its a funny book.
July 21, 2015
i also read this 2 my sis v cute reccomend 10/10
February 6, 2018
A realistic look at a sibling relationship. I'm sure anyone who has a sibling has both felt like they were a pain and or great one.
June 5, 2019
Perfect for my 1st and 3rd grade kids!! Downloaded for fun and they loved it because it was easy to talk and relate feeling to the book!
December 5, 2023
Children's Picture Books
October 26, 2020
I read this w/my mom and sister. This book could have been written about us! We liked it.
January 21, 2019
Enjoyed it very much !
September 22, 2014
This timeless tale explores children's views of parental favoritism. The book is about the Pain, a six year old boy, and the Great One, an eight year old girl. The story is split into two sections: the Great One's point of view and the Pain's point of view. The Great One cannot stand her little brother. She hates that he get's away with making a mess in the bathroom when he takes a bath and that the cat sleeps on his bed instead of hers even though she feeds it. She wants time alone without him, but when she gets it she finds it is boring. Then, we get to see the Pain's point of view. He hates that she gets special privileges like feeding the cat and holding their baby cousin. He wishes he could play with the toys she always gets to use, but when he does he realizes that it's boring without her. Both kids think their parents love their sibling better.
This was a story my mom read to me and my brother over and over again. The book is relatable for most children, but it always seemed to describe my brother and I perfectly. The characters look similar to me and my brother with the brown hair and the clothes they wore. Their personalities are polar opposites and exactly how my brother and I used to be. Not to mention, my younger brother is two years younger, just like the Pain in the book. The author keeps the children nameless throughout the book so that children may relate to it as my brother and I did.
The setup of the book's story line is carefully planned to show the similarity of each child. Both complain about what the other does, sees how boring it is without them, tells more about how annoying the other is and then claims that their parents love the other child more. The same phrases are used in each section to add to the repetitive nature. The parents tell each child to "Remember that tomorrow" when they say it's boring without their sibling. Each kid ends their section with "I think they love him/her better than me." Every child goes through this thought process and Judy Bloom illustrates it perfectly.
This was a story my mom read to me and my brother over and over again. The book is relatable for most children, but it always seemed to describe my brother and I perfectly. The characters look similar to me and my brother with the brown hair and the clothes they wore. Their personalities are polar opposites and exactly how my brother and I used to be. Not to mention, my younger brother is two years younger, just like the Pain in the book. The author keeps the children nameless throughout the book so that children may relate to it as my brother and I did.
The setup of the book's story line is carefully planned to show the similarity of each child. Both complain about what the other does, sees how boring it is without them, tells more about how annoying the other is and then claims that their parents love the other child more. The same phrases are used in each section to add to the repetitive nature. The parents tell each child to "Remember that tomorrow" when they say it's boring without their sibling. Each kid ends their section with "I think they love him/her better than me." Every child goes through this thought process and Judy Bloom illustrates it perfectly.
January 29, 2014
The Pain and the Great One is about a brother and a sister who both complain about each other all of the time. This book is divided into two parts – one for the sister to rant about her brother, the pain, and one for the brother to rant about his sister, the great one. In each section, they complain about everything the other one does. At the end of the great one’s views, her parents allow her to stay up later because she is older than the pain. She is excited at first, but then realizes that nothing is fun without the pain. At the end of the pain’s views, he wants to play by himself, but quickly realizes it is not fun without his sister. This story displays the typical love-hate relationship between siblings. In the end, family is more important than we can ever imagine. I would highly recommend this story for use in the classroom when teaching point of view or perspective. Not only is this a great example of a picture book used to teach a particular reading skill, but it is also a book that kids love – it really makes them laugh! It is also a book with which many students who have siblings and/or cousins can relate. I think this book could also used to teach theme and how characters change throughout a story.
April 30, 2016
"The Pain and the Great One" is a contemporary realistic fiction picture book for children ages 5 and up. It's written by Judy Blume, who's very well known for her work in contemporary realistic fiction. It won an IRA-CBC Children's Choice Award, as well as a Young Readers Choice Award.
The book is told from two different perspectives: a young brother (The Pain) and his older, pre-teen sister (The Great One). Each sibling narrates, in detail, their annoyance with the other sibling.
This is a story I relate to quite a bit. I grew up with an older sister, and we were always annoyed with one another. I remember my Mom buying us this book and it was something that we could actually relate to and laugh about. It gave us some common ground, if that makes any sense.
If you have a sibling, I think this book can help you see things from the other sibling's point of view. I think it's a funny, coming-of-age that tackles the issue of what it may be like to walk in someone else's shoes without being to heady about it. It's amusing, and anyone who's ever had trouble with an older or younger sibling would enjoy it. The illustrations are hand drawn and painted, and really add to the fun feel of the book.
04/29/16
The book is told from two different perspectives: a young brother (The Pain) and his older, pre-teen sister (The Great One). Each sibling narrates, in detail, their annoyance with the other sibling.
This is a story I relate to quite a bit. I grew up with an older sister, and we were always annoyed with one another. I remember my Mom buying us this book and it was something that we could actually relate to and laugh about. It gave us some common ground, if that makes any sense.
If you have a sibling, I think this book can help you see things from the other sibling's point of view. I think it's a funny, coming-of-age that tackles the issue of what it may be like to walk in someone else's shoes without being to heady about it. It's amusing, and anyone who's ever had trouble with an older or younger sibling would enjoy it. The illustrations are hand drawn and painted, and really add to the fun feel of the book.
04/29/16
October 9, 2017
“The Pain and The Great One,” is about two siblings, an older sister and younger brother, and the story is told from two different points of views. The first half of the story is told from the older sister’s point of view about her little brother, The Pain, and how she feels her parents love her little brother more than her. The older sister describes things her younger brother does that she thinks makes him “The Pain” and feels her brother can do anything he wants. The second half of the book is told from the younger brother’s point of view about his older sister, The Great One, and how he feels his parents like his sister more because she older, able to do more independent things, and can-do things he cannot do. The major themes throughout the book are family and jealousy. I loved this book because I have a younger brother and many times felt the same way the older sister does throughout the book. I would recommend this book for children who have siblings so they could have a book that is relatable in their own lives. This could be a challenging book to use in the classroom for students to relate to who might not have siblings; but could be used as a great tool for understand different points-of-view and how individualized everyone’s experiences and thoughts are.
January 11, 2017
This book is short and sweet, but very wise.
In simple terms, Judy Blume examines the power of perspective. Brother is convinced his parents love Sister more. Sister believes Brother is the favorite. Both ignore little details, and overstate others, as they jump to wrong conclusions.
It's hard to exaggerate the value of this lesson, even for adults.
Reading this with my 6- and 8-year-olds (same ages as the brother/sister pair in the book), we had a great discussion about how you can think you understand everything, but you don't. Our opinions are just opinions, no matter how convinced we are. Usually, no one has all the facts. Together, we analyzed the little things Brother & Sister ignored as they chose to focus on the negative. And a week after reading it, we're still talking about perspective, so important in every day life. The best part is, it's broken down in a way that a first and third grader can both understand it.
I'm so glad we read this together. I think they'll remember it and keep the lesson for a long time.
In simple terms, Judy Blume examines the power of perspective. Brother is convinced his parents love Sister more. Sister believes Brother is the favorite. Both ignore little details, and overstate others, as they jump to wrong conclusions.
It's hard to exaggerate the value of this lesson, even for adults.
Reading this with my 6- and 8-year-olds (same ages as the brother/sister pair in the book), we had a great discussion about how you can think you understand everything, but you don't. Our opinions are just opinions, no matter how convinced we are. Usually, no one has all the facts. Together, we analyzed the little things Brother & Sister ignored as they chose to focus on the negative. And a week after reading it, we're still talking about perspective, so important in every day life. The best part is, it's broken down in a way that a first and third grader can both understand it.
I'm so glad we read this together. I think they'll remember it and keep the lesson for a long time.
Read
September 16, 2014i would suggest this book to any family have 2 kids, one is boy and the other is girl. this book have 2 part. one is the the pain and the other is the good. the pain is talking about the little boy. His sister talked about he long he take to get ready every morning. even thought he not finish his work but the little still get his deserve. the other section, the little boy talk about how much his parent love his sister and he doesn't know why it like that. Judy writing by using the real issue that happen in people lives so it better for the reader interested in the topic and able finish books. from this books, children will find the sense of her humor in it, also the text that describe the character. Judy is not a big fan of illustration so you will not see a punch of pictures in the page. each pages only have one picture in different corner related part of the text or the paragraph. best book for family to learn in our life.
October 26, 2016
This book reminded me of my little brothers and myself. This book described my childhood well, and I often found myself laughing at the accurate descriptions of what many brother and sisters think about each other. It's genre could be considered to be either realistic fiction or comedy/humor. The themes seem to be sibling rivalry, conflict resolution, and mischief. This book would be most suited for children aged 6 to 9. However, I found it very enjoyable for adults as well. Its a wonderful story about a big sister's perspective of her little brother and all of the special treatment he receives, and then it switches to the little brother's perspective of his sister and all of the special treatment that he receives, and all the while, both are convinced that their parents love the other better.
June 17, 2007
My parents went to Japan for ten day during the summer that I turned six. My grandparents came to stay with my brother (who was three years old) and I while our parents were away. For each of the ten days that they would be gone, my mother left a little present for my brother and I. All ten of the presents were in her top dresser drawer. Each afternoon our grandma would let us choose one of the presents to open. One of the gifts was this book. The Pain and the Great One. My mother gave it to us because the characters were just like my brother and I. We each thought of ourselves as The Great One and the sibling was The Pain. Much to my disappointment, I've since learned that my brother is The Great One and I'm the Pain. But this book still holds a special place in my heart.
October 11, 2011
We recently read Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One and liked it and saw that this was a picture book about the brother and sister. We just had to read it. I love that the children are 6 and 8 and in first and third grade. That's exactly where our girls are in age and school, so they can really relate to these two characters (even if one of them is a boy.)
This is a fun book about siblings. Each has a perspective on life in the family and each one believes that Mom and Dad love the other better. It's a picture book that introduces us to the family and we are looking forward to reading more books in the series.
This is a fun book about siblings. Each has a perspective on life in the family and each one believes that Mom and Dad love the other better. It's a picture book that introduces us to the family and we are looking forward to reading more books in the series.
November 2, 2014
This book is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. It reminds me of the family dynamic between my brother and I. I read this to my students and they loved it. In fact, we had read the book Clementine by Sara Pennypacker earlier that year and the students made a text-to-text connection without even knowing what a text-to-text connection was! My kindergarten students were able to compare the book, The Pain and the Great One to Clementine and the fact that Clementine always wondered why her parents called her brother "The Easy One." This is a great story about siblings, learning to get along, and realizing that love is constant regardless of the screaming matches, stolen toys and the every day challenges that siblings face while growing up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews