By Rose Rossner, Illustrated by Vanessa Matte
Sourcebooks Wonderland, 2021
Board Book, 24 Pages, ages 1-5
An affirmations board book that’s really very punny!
This book is filled with funny wordplay, messages of positivity, and lots of encourage-mint! From page to page the illustrations are bold and hilarious, the puns will get everybody groaning, but the overall message isn’t lost on either the young or the old. Written to encourage young children to believe in themselves, and foster self-esteem it offers some great thoughtfulness as well.
An affirmations board book that’s really very punny!
You can’t go wrong with the illustrations either. From hula-hooping peanuts to inner-tubing watermelon slices, this illustrator did a gouda-job… and yes that pun is from one of my favorite pages, “You’re doing a gouda-job. (I know that may sound cheesy!)”
Basically this book has every encouragement a child could need, from “donut give up when what you’re doing gets tough” to “You sometimes leave me s-PEACH-less with the wonderful things you do.” Affirmations are great, but so is the development of humor, which will also get many through some tough times. This book does a great job with both.
The ending is the best and you just can’t read it without imagining a strong Italian accent – much like the gouda-job page:0
“No matter how you slice it, you’ve got a big PIZZA my heart!”
Having grown up with a father who was the master of puns, I have a great appreciation of subtle wit. If this book had been available when I was a child I’m certain it would have been read over and over again, which is why this book truly receives five stars.
Donut Give Up by Rose Rossner receives 5 stars from this reviewer.