Review sponsored* by Carole P. Roman
The Children’s Book Review | December 21, 2016
Written by Carole P. Roman
Illustrations by Mateya Arkova
Age Range: 4-8
Paperback: 38
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 978-1539590668
What to expect: Worries, Coping, Friendship, Animals
“Problems aren’t the problem; coping is the problem.” This quote by Virginia Satir, which is found at the beginning of One to Ten: Squirrel’s Bad Day, helps remind parents that we can provide and model coping mechanisms for our children. Carole P. Roman’s latest picture book compels readers to look for the silver lining, no matter how big or small the problem.
When a young squirrel drops his load of acorns into a river, his friends come to his aid to help cheer him up. Rabbit teaches squirrel how to give upsetting moments a number from one through ten, and while rating the moments the animal friends find the positive outcomes of each negative situation. After discussing a variety of different circumstances, some worthy of a ten (the worst) and others worthy of much less, spirits rise and Squirrel and his friend continue the day with an acorn gathering party. For the story’s finale, a useful poem summarizes how to use the “one through ten” chart and reminds readers that:
“One through five is pretty low.
Six through eight are not.
Nine and ten sound kind of bad.
The truth is they don’t happen a lot.”
While Roman’s text is the healthy backbone to this social-emotional picture book, it is Mateya Arkova’s vivid watercolor illustrations that bring Squirrel and friends to life. Her use of magenta and brighter hues of blues, along with more natural tones such as olive green and autumn orange, pop from the pages and engage the eye to look closely at the carefully animated faces. Sometimes dramatic and sometimes comical, the always adorable animals help provide visual clues to help young readers gain a deeper emotional understanding.
As well as being a story with likable characters, Roman’s book can be used as a tool to aid in conversations about difficult situations and also to help soothe the minds of young worriers. Highly Recommended.
Available Here:
About the Author
Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of the Captain No Beard series. Both Captain No Beard-An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life and Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis have received the Kirkus Star of Exceptional Merit. The first book in the series was named to Kirkus Reviews Best 2012. Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis has been named to Kirkus Reviews Best of 2015. Each book in the series has won numerous awards including the NABE Pinnacle Award, ERIK Award for 2013, ForeWord Review Five Star and Finalist in the Book of the Year, and Reader’s Views Children’s Book of the Year 2013. Roman is also the author of the award-winning non-fiction culture series, If You Were Me and Lived in… that explores customs and cultures around the world. She lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children and grandchildren.
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Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. Carole P. Roman, the author of “One to Ten: Squirrel’s Bad Day,” paid for this non-biased review. Learn more about getting a book review …