Responsibility – She Just Loves Books

Knucklehead Fred by Arias Williams

Published on June 11, 2020November 24, 2020 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

What I Loved:

I’m a mom, and I have two kids that struggle to clean up after themselves…I think all moms live this life! I loved that this story offered a fun way for children to see what responsibility is, and how wonderful it is to feel proud of yourself after having accomplished something!

My Synopsis:

Fred is a normal young boy who chooses not to pick up after himself. He brushes off his chores to do things that he wants to do instead. His actions have not caused him any issues until the day he wants something and his parents say

“NO“

Whoops, Knucklehead Fred, it might be time to start taking the time to do the chores.

Knucklehead Fred follows a boy as he learns the value of following directions and helping out at home.

How I Felt:

I liked this story. It’s a simple, easy to follow picture book that had my children’s full attention. They connected with Fred. They had both been there themselves. It was nice to see their reactions to the positive behavior that Fred shows as the story progresses. Overall, the both enjoyed this book, and would absolutely ask for a second reading!

Continue reading →

Bandit the Cow Dog by Phil Mills Jr.

Published on May 28, 2020May 16, 2020 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

What I Loved:

This story reinforces the importance of responsibility and consequences for a child in a way that made it easy to understand and an enjoyable story. I loved the way it was written and my daughter did too!

My Synopsis:

Mary Andrews is spending the summer on her grandparent’s ranch. Her grandmother discusses with her the chores she will be responsible for while at the ranch. There are eggs to collect and in an exciting turn of events, a horse that she can care for!

Bandit, the retired cow dog on the ranch, still keeps on eye on everything happening. One night, he sees Mary sneak out to give her new horse some carrots. The next day, when the horses are missing because the gate was left open, grandpa is very upset. Thinking it was a forgetful cowhand, grandpa is close to firing him, but Bandit knows the truth and so does Mary.

How I Felt:

I found this book to be a delightful story that captured a child’s actions perfectly. Children are often forgetful and accidents happen. I liked that Bandit was there with Mary, acting as a conscience for her as she considered her options. The story shows Mary’s guilt over what happened and her struggle with deciding to make the right choice or not.

Continue reading →

Kids Book Review: Cami Kangaroo Has Too Much Stuff by Stacy C. Bauer

Published on January 14, 2020January 15, 2020 by shejustlovesbooksLeave a comment

What I Loved: The artwork in Cami Kangaroo Has Too Much Stuff was so well done. It fit the story so well. My daughter mentioned things about the artwork multiple times. “Mom her pouch is REALLY stuffed with toys.” “Mom, that’s a REALLY messy room.” I found that my daughter absolutely loved how the story mixed with the illustration so well.

How I Felt: The story in this book is great. I loved that the missing teddy bear was added because that is such a real issue for children. The mess doesn’t bother them like it does for adults. Children seem to get upset when they can’t find something that they want in all the mess. I liked how the father gave Cami a chance to do it herself and then helped her find a way to clean without being frustrated or overwhelmed when she needed help.

To Read or Not To Read: This is a great book for a preschool to early elementary school. It has a great lesson about cleaning up and offers an easy-to-remember tool to help a child clean.

Cami Kangaroo is going to her cousin’s birthday party today! Before she can leave the house, her dad asks that she clean her room. This turns out to be a big task! Her room is a mess. Cami likes to keep everything. She places items in her pouch and everywhere in her room.

She tries to clean, but she gets distracted over and over. She realizes she has lost her cousin’s teddy bear and begins to look for it. Her dad comes in and helps her focus on one clean up task at a time and she discovers that it is much better to have her room clean. She is able to find the missing teddy bear and make it to the party.