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A FEEL BETTER BOOK FOR LITTLE POOPERS

From the Feel Better Books for Little Kids series

Sure to help kids with this bummer of a problem, and their caregivers, too.

Help for kids whose No. 1 fear is going No. 2.

While shelves may groan with potty-training books, this bibliotherapeutic title is for kids who are already out of diapers but are afraid to poop on the toilet. A backmatter note to adults explains: “There is a common, but vicious cycle that happens when a child is scared to use the bathroom—they hold their poop in, subsequently become constipated, it hurts when it finally does come out, the pain creates fear so they hold it again, and the cycle is repeated over and over.” The rhymed verse of the main text offers a similar explanation directed at child readers: “You don’t want to go / in the potty like you should— / you’re worried and scared / that it won’t feel good.” The text goes on to offer validation of children’s fears, tips for relaxing, and the reassurance that everyone poops (to borrow Taro Gomi’s title line from his popular 1977 picture book). Both parts of the text (backmatter and the book proper) acknowledge the physical discomfort this cycle can cause as well as the social disruptions that can occur in a child’s life as a result. Ng-Benitez’s accompanying illustrations do not follow a sole child who overcomes a fear of pooping. Instead, pictures show diverse children at different stages of holding, then confronting and overcoming their fear.

Sure to help kids with this bummer of a problem, and their caregivers, too. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: May 19, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-4338-3240-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association

Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020

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YOUR BABY'S FIRST WORD WILL BE DADA

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.

A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.

A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: June 9, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015

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TILDA TRIES AGAIN

From the Big Bright Feelings series

An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.

What do you do when the world turns upside down?

Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.

An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 1, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022

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