Wednesday Kirwan

First sentence: Big kids NO everything. There are small nos, and there are big nos. Loud nos. And quiet nos.

Premise/plot: This book celebrates toddlerhood?! Full of puns surrounding the word "no" (no/know). The point it is celebrating is that saying no is a big step to growing up. The scenes capture all the relatable everyday moments of life. The NO of not wanting to wear [particular] pants. The NO of a hangry tantrum. The NO of not wanting to take a bath. My favorite NO however is the show more "timid no" of a girl surrounded by squirrels after her snack.

My thoughts: The text is super-simple. It is the illustrations that carry the story--in my opinion. It is the illustrations that provide context, context, and more context. The text cannot stand alone, again this is just my opinion. Is no something to be celebrated? Maybe. Maybe not. Is it a reality for many/most? Probably. Definitely. Whether it is celebrated by parents or not, I think there are recognizable and relatable moments captured in the art.

Super-sensitive readers [aka monitors] should know there is cartoon nudity (nothing is seen) on one of the spreads. A little toddler [girl, presumably] is running AWAY from a bathtub.

I really enjoyed this one! show less

We all know kids like to say, "no," and a lot of caregivers get frustrated with that. This book puts a spin on it, showing lots of different ways in which saying "no" is a good thing. I liked how it was a neutral concept and the cute illustrations of lots of diverse kids help drive that home.

This book is a cute dog looking for some attention in her family. First she acts out to get attention, but then she learns she will only gain her parent's notice by doing good and nice things. Very good book for a student trying to learn new lessons.

This was a cute story about a little girl (dog) and her family. She pretends to be a monster all day but begins to realize how lonely that life is without her family. However, at the end of the story she does not seem like she learned her lesson as she exclaims she is a tiger while falling asleep.