Wednesday, June 22, 2016

It's Tough to Lose Your Balloon by Jarrett J. Krosoczka -- ESSENTIAL

Krosoczka, Jarrett J. It's Tough to Lose Your Balloon. PICTURE BOOK. Alfred A. Knopf (Random House), 2015. Content: G.

It's no fun when you drop your sandwich on the beach, break one of your toys, or hurt your knee. BUT the seagulls will love the sandwich, fixing toys with Grandpa is a lot of fun, and scrapes often mean fun bandages. Through these and four other examples, the author shows that many disappointments also have a positive side if you look for it.

While it may seem a bit flippant when read on its own, this book would be perfect for a class discussion about looking for the silver linings in tough situations. It would also be helpful to hand to a child who has pessimistic leanings, especially when -- again -- accompanied with a discussion. (Emphasis on "discussion" as opposed to "lecture," of course!) Children might even have fun brainstorming their own bad-luck situations, then following them up with positive outcomes.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) -- ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Caryn

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