IT'S TOUGH TO LOSE YOUR BALLOON

A series of short vignettes shows how kids can make the most out of a bad situation when they look at life with a positive attitude.

Kids encounter mishaps all the time—scraping a knee, breaking a favorite toy, losing a new balloon. With simple words and sweet illustrations, Krosoczka acknowledges how upset children feel when encountering these unlucky accidents. But with each page turn, he shows how misfortune can turn into a happy moment. “It’s never fun when you break a toy… / … but you’ll have fun fixing it with Grandpa.” Simple line drawings, apparently digitally filled with watercolor-effect colors, convey the children’s emotions. With each initial situation, only the child is colored in, focusing attention on the child’s feelings. But with each page turn, warm, gentle colors fill the spread. While this picture book lacks a continuous storyline like Jeff Mack’s Good News Bad News (2012), the different episodes reflect diversity in characters and settings that will help children connect to the overall message. Krosoczka creates rapport and empathy with his young audience. While adults might find it a bit heavy on the message, young children will relate to the frustrating situations and feel happy to be reminded about the positive side of life.

A feel-good book to turn to when helping a young child cope with the everyday setbacks life brings his or her way.