A simple concept about focusing on good options, well delivered for a young audience.
A young bear is tired of hearing rules about what can’t be done in Rhea-Bailey’s picture book.
There are so many rules about what kids shouldn’t do: talk to strangers, wander away, grab things from other people, touch the stove, or ride a bike alone. How much can one small bear handle? When the cub asks the book’s titular question, the answers that come back are much more cheerful: The youngster can express love through hugs and kisses, making gifts, or calling family members on the phone. The little bear can draw, play games, read, or sing. The narrator concludes, “Just be creative and use your mind. / You will find something to do in just a short time.” For children tired of hearing “don’t” and feeling like there are too many rules to remember, this lovely affirmation reminds them that, for all the things they can’t do, there are plenty of things they can. Rhea-Bailey uses rhyming phrases that scan well throughout, with an accessible vocabulary rendered in large, all-caps text to make decoding easier. Reynolds’ expressive illustrations also provide clues to help emergent readers decipher the phrases. The switch between sections emphasizing “don’ts” to those featuring “cans” shifts the little bear’s entire perspective, going from confused or unhappy to bright smiles, which should reinforce positive and creative behaviors for youngsters.
A simple concept about focusing on good options, well delivered for a young audience.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2023
ISBN: 9780979827815
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Kidceptional Books
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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