Mommy, What is Confidence? by Shal Chirkut, Brianna Baker

Rating: WORTHY!

From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

Again on the topic of confidence, this is another well-done book for young children, but I have to make a point once more that yet again the artist, in this case Brianna Baker, is badly underserved here. Predictably she gets a tiny text mention on the cover, but her name doesn't appear on the Net Galley listing where I downloaded the review copy of this book, nor does Amazon-owned Goodreads Jug O'Nought review website bother to credit her. I can tell you that's because they're a bunch of self-serving jerks at Goodreads, but I would have thought the publisher might treat her with a little more appreciation and consideration on the book cover and in the Net Galley listing.

The observation I'm about to make is far less applicable in this case, because there's a lot of well-thought text in this book - more than you'd usually see - but it's a fact that very many children's books have very little text and to be honest, it's not like it takes months to put together a book like this in terms of the writing. The artwork on the other hand, especially when it's as well done as this, does take time, and thought and work.

As I said, in this case the writing and art are more balanced, but that still doesn't excuse the artist being treated like a minor player. Maybe it's just me, but it bothers me that book illustration artists are treated so shabbily. And no, I am not a book illustrator for hire, so I have no skin in this game. I just feel that every contributor should be fairly treated.

That aside, this book was sweet and well done, and it told a worthy story of a young child, Nikko, who lacks confidence, and the lessons he learns with the aid fo his teacher and his mopm, abotu putitng himself otu there a bit more than he's used to. I commend this as a worthy read.

I Can Believe in Myself by Jack Canfield, Miriam Laundry, Eva Morales

Rating: WORTHY!

From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

This book is a little bit on the simplistic side, but for the age range it's aimed at, I think it does the trick. It tells the story of young Molly, who is expected to give a speech the next day in front of class, and she's soooo nervous about it. I can relate to Molly since I was that way myself in school. When I was very young, I didn't care so much, but as I grew a little older, something, I know not what, happened and I lost whatever confidence I'd had.

It seems that Molly never did have confidence, and it's quite the ordeal for her. She makes rather bizarre excuses which her teacher seems to buy, to get herself out of speaking, but then she has an epiphany as she realizes that she's not alone: everyone is lacking confidence in doing something or other. She comes up with an ingenious idea to get her friends to dispose of their fear and grow some confidence in themselves.

The only issue I have with this book is the short-shrift that Eva Morales gets for her excellent illustrations, which are beautifully-done and very sweet. I know that writing, particularly in a book of this nature is important, but in terms of sheer effort and work, the artist is the one putitng in the hours and I felt she deserved better than a tiny acknowledgement way down at the bottom of the front cover, and not a word about her at all on the Net Galley page where I downloaded this copy for review. But that's just me, and it's not just this book that underserves artists.

A Crocodile in the Family by Kitty Black, Daron Parton

Rating: WORTHY!

From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

A crocodile is hardly the companion you'd think of as someone who might be kind to birds. I think a better subject could have been chosen, but if you're willing to let that slide, then this was a fun book nicely and amusingly illustrated by Daron Parton and well-written by Kitty Black.

The birds find a stray egg and naturally take it home with them to raise the chick as their own, but it's all a croc! The chick isn't all the egg is cracked up to be! It's green with a large jaw and some dangerous claws, and you might think that bites, but this is Australia where they have bites for breakfast. And we certainly shouldn't expect everyone else to be just like us - in fact that's the whole point of the story!

Croccy grows large and enjoys dancing and wearing colorful sweaters, and he always helps people crossing the river. The family is often asked if one or another of these various aspects of his personality are the reason why they keep him, but the answer is always no. I fully expected the answer at the end to be "Because we love him" but it isn't! Now you'll have to read it to find out what that answer is!