Ashley Spires has crafted a delightful tale of a determined little girl who sets out to create a magnificent thing. The girl knows exactly how she wants her creation to look. She knows exactly how it should work. And she makes exact plans to accomplish her task.
With her canine assistant by her side, she gathers an assortment of gizmos and gadgets and begins to create. But when she steps back to admire the first thing she has produced, it is not at all magnificent. So she tries again. Nope. Not magnificent. Time after time, and time again she tries, but to no avail. None of her inventions are magnificent! And when she smashes her finger, not only is she frustrated, she’s a hot-mess MAD!
She throws her tools aside, stomps on her latest creation and says, "I'm not good at this. I QUIT."
Will that be the end of our girl’s plans? Will she let her frustration conquer her determination? Or will she listen to the advice of her canine assistant and discover an alternate solution? Will the girl's magnificent thing ever become a reality? You’ll have to read this picture-book, published by Kids Can Press, to find out.
What I like about this picture book is how Spires uses our little girl’s journey to show the swing of emotion a person experiences when his or her best-laid plans fail. And, in my own life, I've seen that the canine assistant’s advice really works, especially when frustration has built to the point when you feel like stomping and crying and giving up. (So in my opinion, this book is a must-have for elementary-school guidance counselors everywhere.) Yet, the story is not at all didactic. It’s just a cute yarn with delightful illustrations.
Speaking of illustrations, Spires, the author and illustrator, uses white space in a magnificent way. The line-drawn cityscape makes for a visual treat. I love the way the girl’s polka-dot coat pops red on each page. And how those matching facial expressions of girl and canine assistant made me smile one magnificent smile!
With her canine assistant by her side, she gathers an assortment of gizmos and gadgets and begins to create. But when she steps back to admire the first thing she has produced, it is not at all magnificent. So she tries again. Nope. Not magnificent. Time after time, and time again she tries, but to no avail. None of her inventions are magnificent! And when she smashes her finger, not only is she frustrated, she’s a hot-mess MAD!
She throws her tools aside, stomps on her latest creation and says, "I'm not good at this. I QUIT."
Will that be the end of our girl’s plans? Will she let her frustration conquer her determination? Or will she listen to the advice of her canine assistant and discover an alternate solution? Will the girl's magnificent thing ever become a reality? You’ll have to read this picture-book, published by Kids Can Press, to find out.
What I like about this picture book is how Spires uses our little girl’s journey to show the swing of emotion a person experiences when his or her best-laid plans fail. And, in my own life, I've seen that the canine assistant’s advice really works, especially when frustration has built to the point when you feel like stomping and crying and giving up. (So in my opinion, this book is a must-have for elementary-school guidance counselors everywhere.) Yet, the story is not at all didactic. It’s just a cute yarn with delightful illustrations.
Speaking of illustrations, Spires, the author and illustrator, uses white space in a magnificent way. The line-drawn cityscape makes for a visual treat. I love the way the girl’s polka-dot coat pops red on each page. And how those matching facial expressions of girl and canine assistant made me smile one magnificent smile!
