Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn YouTube
    • Home
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Media Kit
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest TikTok
    The Children's Book Review
    Subscribe
    • Books by Subject
    • Books by Age
      • Ages 0-3, Infant and Toddler
      • Ages 4-8, Preschool to Elementary
      • Ages 9-12, Preteen and Tween
      • Ages 12+, Teen and Young Adult
      • Books for First Grade Readers
      • Books for Second Grade Readers
      • Books for Third Grade Readers
    • Favorites
      • Diverse and Inclusive Books
      • Books About Activism
      • Best Books for Kids
      • Star Wars Books
      • Board Books
      • Books About Mindfulness
      • Dr. Seuss Books
    • Showcase
    • Interviews
      • Growing Readers Podcast
      • Author Interviews and Q&A
      • Illustrator Interviews
    • Kids’ Book Giveaways
    • Directory
    • Podcast
    The Children's Book Review

    What Do You Do With An Idea? By Kobi Yamada | Book Review

    Gi HallmarkBy Gi Hallmark4 Mins Read Ages 4-8 Gift Books Picture Books Social Emotional
    What Do You Do With an Idea? By Kobi Yamada
    #9
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    The Children’s Book Review | June 29, 2014

    What Do You Do With an Idea? By Kobi YamadaWhat Do You Do With An Idea?

    By Kobi Yamada; Illustrated by Mae Besom

    Hardcover: 36 pages

    Age Range: 4-8

    Publisher: Compendium, Inc., February 2014

    ISBN: 978-1-938298-07-3

    What to expect: Inspiration, Artful Illustrations, Encouragement, Creativity

    Once in a while, a picture book comes along and challenges every reader to recalibrate their expectations on what a picture book can deliver and accomplish. The books in this category contain creativity, mindfulness, complexity, masterful illustrations, and arresting inspiration. What Do You Do With An Idea? by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Mae Besom, is one such picture book.

    What Do You Do With An Idea? is about a boy who has an idea, illustrated as a golden crowned egg with legs. The boy wonders about the peculiar golden biped; its origins, its purpose, its place in the world. The boy was uncomfortable, he was unsure what to do with the idea and so he tried to deny its existence. But the idea was persistent and would not leave, in fact it seemed to be growing and eventually, the boy got used to having this idea around. As the boy becomes more comfortable with the idea, he tentatively starts sharing it with others. Many laughed at the peculiar looking idea, as the boy suspected they would, but the boy perseveres. Becoming more confident, the boy decides to ignore his detractors and nurture and love the idea, to the point where he can’t imagine life without it. The boy discovers his idea gives him the feeling of being alive and also perspective on seeing life differently. With the boy’s attention and dedication, the idea beautifully changes the world and permanently becomes part of everything around him.

    What Do You Do With an Idea? Illustration 2
    What Do You Do With an Idea Illustration copyright © 2014 Mae Besom
    What Do You Do With an Idea? Illustration 1
    What Do You Do With an Idea Illustration copyright © 2014 Mae Besom

    Mae Besom’s delicate illustrations in What Do You Do With An Idea? are a perfect accompaniment to Kobi Yamada’s beautiful narrative and message. As the story begins and the idea is introduced, the pages are expertly illustrated in pencil, with striking depth and light. There is little use of color in the beginning but as the boy begins to warm to the idea, more color is introduced. Still, it’s clear as the narrative suggests, that the boy has not completely embraced his idea. Finally, when the boy accepts the idea, the world changes and color is everywhere and alive on the pages. The color progression is a brilliant way to portray the ascension of the idea’s importance in the boy’s life.

    What Do You Do With an Idea? Illustration 3
    What Do You Do With an Idea Illustration copyright © 2014 Mae Besom

    The message in What Do You Do With An Idea?  is clear-welcome and nurture ideas with patience and persistence, no matter how big or small, no matter how unique or popular, and they may grow to change the world. It’s a message that’s been shared before by teachers, business leaders, parents and mentors. What makes this message so unique is the simple but beautiful way it’s delivered, in narrative and illustration, through the eyes and voice of an innocent and hopeful child. What Do You Do With An Idea? is a spectacular book for all ages and is a wonderful treasure for any home or school library.

    Add this book to your collection: What Do You Do With An Idea?

     About the Author

    Kobi Yamada is the creator of many inspiring gift books and ideas as well as the President of Compendium, a company of amazing people doing amazing things. He happily lives with the love of his life and their two super fun kids in the land of flying salmon where he gets to believe in his ideas all day long. He thinks he just might be the luckiest person on the planet.

    About the Illustrator

    Mae Besom began her career as a character designer in Sichuan, China after graduating from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. She then decided to embrace her love of illustration and now works as a full-time children’s illustrator. She uses traditional media-both pencil and watercolor-to create texture and light within her enchanting illustrations.

    Readers May Also Enjoy

    The World Belongs To You By Riccardo Bozzi, Illustrated by Olimpia Zagnoli (Templar, March 2013)

    Anything Is Possible By Guilia Belloni, Illustrated by Marco Trevisan (Owlkids Books, August 2013)

    For Just One Day By Laura Leuck, Illustrated by Marc Boutavant (Chronicle Books, August 2009)

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    ABCmouse 30-Day Trial + Starter Pack! 728x90
    Artful Illustrations Compendium Creativity Encouragement Ideas Inspiration Kobi Yamada Mae Besom Mindfulness
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleWin a $100 Amex Gift Card & The Darracia Saga, by Michael Phillip Cash | Giveaway
    Next Article Best New Kids Stories | July 2014
    Gi Hallmark
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Gi Hallmark, founder of The Children's Blog, is a freelance writer and mother of two lovely girls. She currently resides in Charlotte, NC, where she enjoys reading and reporting about a variety of children’s topics. For more information, visit: www.thechildrensblog.com or follow @thechildrnsblog on Twitter.

    5 Comments

    1. Pingback: What Do You Do With An Idea? By Kobi Yamada, Illustrated By Mae Besom - The Children's Blog

    2. Pingback: What Do You Do With an Idea? | Lower Division News

    3. Pingback: Queen Anne View | Queen Anne Neighborhood Seattle, Washington

    4. Pingback: Must-Read Guest Review: "What Do You Do With An Idea?" Feed it! -

    5. free ip proxy on June 21, 2017 7:17 pm

      Hello,I log on to your blog named “What Do You Do With An Idea? By Kobi Yamada | Book Review : The Childrens Book Review” on a regular basis.Your writing style is witty, keep it up! And you can look our website about free ip proxy.

      Reply

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    TCBR Supporter
    Recent Articles
    • The Children’s Book Holiday Gift Guide | 2023
    • Brian Thalhammer Talks About Jessica Warrior: The Heartbeat Hero
    • The Best Children and Family Listening Audiobooks of 2023
    • 7 Beautiful Children’s Books about Lucky Charms and Making Wishes
    • A Stone Sat Still, by Brendan Wenzel | Book Review
    TCBR Supporters
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today

    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    Discover Kids Books by Age
    Best Books For Kids
    Media Kit: The Children's Book Review
    Author and Illustrator Showcase
    SEARCH
    BOOKS BY SUBJECT
    Archives
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Book Shop
    • Policies
    • Media Kit
    • TCBR Buzzworthy Mentions
    • About TCBR
    © 2023 The Children’s Book Review. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.