But What If?

PreS-Gr 2—These didactic volumes have been designed as starting points for discussions. Instructive plots describe the feelings and behaviors exhibited by the characters as they face different situations. Daisy, in But What If??, worries about moving, new neighbors, and a different school. Poppy, in I Didn't Do It!, discovers how others are affected by her fibs when a classmate lies and blames her for something she didn't do. Sam, from I Hate Everything!, has many dislikes, including his crying baby brother. In Take aDeep Breath, several children face fearful situations such as a scary dog, an injury, and stage jitters. Each book presents a basic story with limited character development, followed by a two-page series of supplementary cartoon frames intended to stimulate conversations about what has been learned from the story. Two closing pages provide teaching suggestions and related discussion topics. Sentences in the choppy texts flow unevenly, consist of simple vocabulary, and read more like a listing of statements. For example from Take a Deep Breath: "Niko and Ruby were going to school. Then Ruby saw Alex. He was taking Jet for a walk. Ruby didn't like dogs." Guicciardini's black-outlined, uncluttered, colorful marker illustrations convey more emotion than the barebones texts. Teachers and parents who prefer instructive picture books will find these marginal, straightforward titles helpful in initiating conversation. Kevin Henkes's Wemberly Worried (HarperCollins, 2000), Thierry Robberecht's Sam Tells Stories (Clarion, 2007), Rosemary Wells's Felix and the Worrier (Candlewick, 2003), and Michael B. Kaplan's Betty Bunny Didn't Do It (Dial, 2013) all have similar messages about behaviors and emotions with more entertaining plots.—Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH