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WHAT IF EVERYBODY SAID THAT?

Name: WHAT IF EVERYBODY SAID THAT?
Author: Ellen Javernick
ISBN: 978-1-5039-4895-2

From the What If Everybody? series

by Ellen Javernick ; illustrated by Colleen Madden ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2018

A reminder to be aware of what one says, as well as a discussion starter about actions and consequences.

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A tiny tot learns that words can hurt.

One sassy girl is pictured in 10 different scenarios—each ending with a disappointed adult asking, “What if everybody said that?” These include making fun of someone else’s fashion sense, not sharing, pushing to be first, excluding someone from playground fun, quitting when your team is losing, etc. While the titular questions are different, the concept is very similar to Javernick and Madden’s previous outing (What If Everybody Did That?, 2010), although this venture does portray more inner turmoil than the earlier, with bubbles of victims’ hurt feelings and damaging thoughts. Even the simplest of words can strongly affect others. Madden’s mixed-media illustrations show a large, diverse cast, including men of color in nurturing roles and a child in a wheelchair who, unfortunately, does not appear after an early scene. Among other humorous details, frowning faces are hidden on inanimate objects, and even dogs and cats give judging looks to atrocious behavior. After a string of missteps, the misguided gal does realize the error of her ways, and all ends well. The protagonist has blue eyes, black hair, and light brown skin and is surrounded by a supporting cast of many races and ethnicities.

A reminder to be aware of what one says, as well as a discussion starter about actions and consequences. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-5039-4895-2

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Two Lions

Review Posted Online: April 24, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT IF EVERYBODY THOUGHT THAT?
by Ellen Javernick ; illustrated by Colleen M. Madden

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT IF EVERYBODY DID THAT?
by Ellen Javernick and illustrated by Colleen M. Madden

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BIRTHDAY PET
by Ellen Javernick ; illustrated by Kevin O'Malley

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

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The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)