Broken crayons still color

Collier, founder of the international women's ministry Broken Crayons Still Color, and co-author Bak help kids tackle first-day-of-school jitters. There's nothing like a new box of crayons, especially when the first day of school is right around the corner. Avery tries to enjoy coloring, but she feels "flippy, fizzy, and fluttery inside." When Avery doesn't want to eat dinner, her father realizes she's nervous and encourages her to pray. Avery replies that she's too scared; her father tells her, "You can do hard things." Later, Avery draws with her crayons, but her depictions of her first day reflect her anxieties--attempting to draw the school playground, she scrawls an image of her being hit by a ball while another child laughs. Suddenly, Avery's crayons break. Realizing she's made a mess, she begins to sob: "I'm a mess, just like these crayons." But one of the crayons Avery broke begins talking to her, telling her not to put herself down. The very polite crayons reassure Avery, telling her it's OK to feel bad, offering her strategies for calming herself, and telling her that "no mess is ever too big for God." Vasilica's sprightly illustration are charming and inviting, while the message is a soothing one--though one more likely to appeal to religious, especially Christian, readers. Avery and her family present Black. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Religious-themed affirmation to help steel little ones fretting about school. (feelings color wheel) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.