Independence
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Limited language skills and strong emotions can make the path toward autonomy rather bumpy for children, but by providing just the right amount of support and challenge, you can nurture their drive toward self-reliance. Independence boosts self-esteem and maturity, so use these titles to help children realize their full potential, learn that it's okay to make mistakes, and that it's always okay to ask for help.
ADAMS, Diane. I Can Do It Myself. illus. by Nancy Hayashi. Peachtree. 2009. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-56145-471-6.
PreS-Gr 2-Emily Pearl is sure that she can take care of things herself, making her bed, buttering her bread, and washing her face, using somewhat unorthodox methods. Hayashi's sweet illustrations tell the real story behind the words, and young listeners and readers will be howling with laughter. But when night comes, Emily is not quite sure she is ready to go to bed all by herself. There's a lesson here for adults, too, to let youngsters learn by doing, even if a few messes are made in the process.
HUNTER, Jana Novotny. I Can Do It! illus. by Lucy Richards. Frances Lincoln. 2005. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-84507-127-1.
PreS-Gr 1-This is the perfect choice for preparing young ones for their first visits to daycare or kindergarten. Little Guinea Pig heads off to nursery school where he pounds dough, piles sand, bangs a drum, and helps with clean-up. Words like "fast," "strong," "quiet," and "busy" are reinforced throughout the text and in the closing pages. Richards's warm acrylic paint and pencil illustrations lend a coziness to the scenes.
SCHAEFER, Carole Lexa. Big Little Monkey. illus. by Pierre Pratt. Candlewick. 2008. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-2006-6.
PreS-Gr 2-Little Monkey wants to play, but his family is still sleeping. Mama wants him to stay close, but he decides to go looking for a friend. The rhythmic bim-ba-lah, bim-ba-lah sound he makes while swinging through the trees will have listeners participating in no time. Little Monkey then meets Sly Boa, who eventually asks, "Will you breakfassst with me?," sending him back to his mango tree in a hurry, where his family is waiting. Pratt's acrylic illustrations are colorful and reflect the shadowy shimmer of the jungle.
WILD, Margaret. Puffling. illus. by Julie Vivas. Feiwel & Friends. 2009. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-312-56570-1.
PreS-Gr 1-A baby puffin grows up fast and can't wait to get out into the world. But he can't fly yet, and hungry gulls would love to make a quick meal of him. As he keeps asking if he is strong enough, tall enough, and brave enough, the answers from his parents evolve from "nearly" to "not quite" to "just right!" Young listeners and readers will feel both the joy and fear of being independent when Puffling finally jumps into the ocean to join his fellow young puffins on the next leg of their journey. Background on puffins is provided opposite the title page. Vivas's pastel and watercolor pencil illustrations are humorous, warm, and true to nature.
