Review Detail

Thank You

Kids Fiction 143

Learning to be Thankful

September 02, 2024

Overall rating

3.8

Plot

3.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

A child sets out to thank various things in his life for specific reasons, like the sun for the day and the tree for the shade. Some of these are very direct, but others, like his boots for knowing the way or his hat from stopping his thoughts from floating away, are more fanciful. Many aspects of every day life, like toothbrushes, baths, and plants, are represented, with other funny things like elephants being inserted for levity. The child ends with thanking "myself for being me", and plans on thanking everything all over again once things runs out.

Good Points

Jarvis' collage style illustrations utilize a lot of color, with some pages having bright backgrounds. There's a geeling of movement, with lots of action on the pages, and even quiet pages have some fun things, like a cat floating away in a bath bubble. Even the end papers are fun, with words for "thank you" in different languages on a bright orange background.

Expressing thanks promotes a grateful outlook, and books like this are a great way to encourage children to be thankful for all the things, both silly and serious, in their lives. Give this to a grateful child in your life along with a pack of thank you notes and another book, such as The Thank You Book by Ray and Graegin, Thankful by Spinelli and Preston, or Ortega's Gratitude is My Superpower. Add The Thank You Letter by Cabrera if you want to leave a BIG hint!