Review by Booklist Review
In this optimistic look at facing up to the things that scare you the most, problems take on an evocative visual quality. A small child tries everything to avoid the problem hanging overhead, illustrated as a literal dark cloud that just won't go away. Ignoring it, hiding, and running away just make the cloud grow bigger, and it's not until the skies have gone completely black and the winds are threatening to blow everything away that the child finally says, Enough! Facing the storm head-on with a logical frame of mind allows the child to see the dark, cloudy problem for what it really is opportunity. Equal parts pep talk and instruction manual, this simple tale shows how a small shift in perspective can make all the difference. The illustrations mirror the narrative nicely, using expressive pencil drawings and saturated watercolor washes to create atmospheric movement that heightens the emotional content of the story, from stormy skies to a clear day with bright golden sun. While not every problem can be so easily dismantled, this is a beautifully illustrated reminder of possibility.--Hayes, Summer Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Yamada and Besom follow What Do You Do with an Idea? with the story of a boy plagued by a problem, which Besom imagines as a violet cloud hanging over the boy's head: "I didn't want it. I didn't ask for it. I really didn't like having a problem, but it was there." The boy wanders through a medievalesque town, accompanied by sleek, silvery flying fish that dart about like swallows. Soon the cloud grows into a storm: "The more I avoided my problem, the more I saw it everywhere." At last the boy has an epiphany: armed with goggles, his hair thrown back by the force of the storm's energy, he reaches into the heart of the cloud and finds light: "I discovered it had something beautiful inside. My problem held an opportunity!" Though some younger readers may find the story overly vague-it's easy to imagine questions like "What is his problem?" and "What is he talking about?" popping up-Yamada's inspirational prose and the romance of Besom's spreads make an impact. Ages 5-8. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-In this follow-up to What Do You Do with an Idea?, a nameless boy has a nameless problem. He ignores it, worries about it, avoids it, and wishes it would go away. When he finally decides to tackle it, he finds that inside the problem is an opportunity to learn and grow, to be brave and to act in a positive manner. He ends by declaring that he is no longer afraid of problems, because "every problem has an opportunity for something good." This flawed and abstract story is full of adult buzzwords. The skillfully drawn but busy illustrations are dark and monochromatic (although they turn golden at the end). Adults with the experience to understand the metaphor may find the story inspiring, but children will be baffled by the didactic and confusing message. The notion that every problem contains a golden opportunity is simplistic and seems to come from a place of privilege. Viewing child abuse or life in a war zone as opportunities for personal growth is unrealistic at best and heartless at worst. Some problems are daunting, especially for the powerless, and to dispatch them so blithely is to belie their severity and their effects on young psyches. VERDICT A well-meaning but misguided look at problem-solving. Stick with any of the many stories in which relatable characters face specific challenges, like Kevin Henkes's Wemberly Worried, Mo Willems's Can I Play Too?, or even Virginia Lee Burton's classic Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A child struggles with the worry and anxiety that come with an unexpected problem.In a wonderful balance of text and pictures, the team responsible for What Do You Do With an Idea (2014) returns with another book inspiring children to feel good about themselves. A child frets about a problem that won't go away: "I wished it would just disappear. I tried everything I could to hide from it. I even found ways to disguise myself. But it still found me." The spare, direct narrative is accompanied by soft gray illustrations in pencil and watercolor. The sepia-toned figure of the child is set apart from the background and surrounded by lots of white space, visually isolating the problem, which is depicted as a purple storm cloud looming overhead. Color is added bit by bit as the storm cloud grows and its color becomes more saturated. With a backpack and umbrella, the child tries to escape the problem while the storm swirls, awash with compass points scattered across the pages. The pages brighten into splashes of yellow as the child decides to tackle the problem head-on and finds that it holds promise for unlooked-for opportunity.A straightforward, effective approach to helping children cope with one of life's commonplace yet emotionally fraught situations, this belongs on the shelf alongside Molly Bang's Sophie books. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
