Some Helpful Tips for a Better World and a Happier Life

May 1, 2008
PreS-Gr 2-This well-intentioned collection of aphorisms misses the mark if its intended audience is children. Some of the advice is in direct conflict with what they are usually told. "Talk to somebody new," as opposed to being cautious with strangers, and "Splash in puddles whenever possible," as opposed to not willfully splattering mud on oneself. Others are fairly obvious. There is also "Be a hero," which shows a child assisting a dawdling duckling across a pathway to catch up with its familya surefire way to invite an attack by a protective mother duck. Other bits of advice are less than original ("Make music"; "Make wishes"), and some ("Be you") would be meaningless to the average child. Despite its naive cartoon illustrations, the book seems more like something an adult might purchase in a card store to give to another adult who is trying to connect with his or her "inner child." For an advice book that relates to a child's everyday experiences, stay with Amy Krouse Rosenthal's "Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons" (HarperCollins, 2006)."Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ"

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