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WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A CHANCE?

Name: WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A CHANCE?
Author: Kobi Yamada
ISBN: 978-1-943200-73-3

by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Mae Besom ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2018

This is a book that will grow with readers: use it to inspire conversations of a philosophical nature as well as for...

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Perfectionists and those with social anxiety will find encouragement in the reminder that embarrassment is temporary and even the fearful can choose to take chances.

The tunic-clad child with shaggy, dark hair and a light complexion who appears in the duo’s prior works (What Do You Do with an Idea?, 2014, and What Do You Do with a Problem?, 2016) is now presented with chances, which materialize in the form of golden, origami-style butterflies. Finally attempting to grasp one, the child falls and is mortified when it seems that others titter in amusement. Deciding it’s better to avoid the possibility of future mishaps, the child ignores other chances but inside feels increasingly bereft, contemplating a safe-but-dull existence. When at last a chance thrillingly does appear again, the child decides to take the leap—literally—and feels jubilant exhilaration. Set in a pseudo-medieval fantasy world, the story makes abstract concepts usefully concrete. An ideal discussion starter at home and in the classroom, it will inspire conversations about humiliations endured (and recovered from) and chances taken (or not).Through the use of color, the watercolor-and-pencil illustrations vividly accentuate the contrast between the drabness of a risk-free life and the brilliant intensity of one fully lived.

This is a book that will grow with readers: use it to inspire conversations of a philosophical nature as well as for practical problem-solving. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-943200-73-3

Page Count: 44

Publisher: Compendium

Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE CANDY DISH
by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Adelina Lirius

- BOOK REVIEW
FINDING MUCHNESS
by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Charles Santoso

- BOOK REVIEW
TRYING
by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Elise Hurst

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THE WORLD NEEDS THE WONDER YOU SEE

by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2025

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.

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Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.

There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025

ISBN: 9781400247417

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Review Posted Online: yesterday

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WORLD NEEDS WHO YOU WERE MADE TO BE
by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)