KIRKUS REVIEW

An energetic boy tells his animal friends that they already know how to dance in this board book for very young readers by Craig (In Our Tree, 2016, etc.).

A young boy in a cave with a flashlight in the cartoonish illustration by Tan announces that bears, like the gigantic brown one he stands next to, “love to roar!” The boy does, too, and soon the two (the child only a quarter of the beast’s size) roar together like best friends. The sound effects of the bellowing are written in a decorative font that spreads wide on the page around the pair. The boy also likes to fly with candy-colored pastel birds; the sound of their wings flapping as they carry him through the air displays that same oversized font. Next the boy joins his bunny pals to hop on the grass and his otter friends to play “slippity-slide” in their watery home. But when the muddy boy invites the animals to dance with him, they decline, embarrassed at their lack of ability (“Oh no! We can’t dance! / say my friends all-a-giggle”). Nonsense! The boy explains that if they can flap, wiggle, roar, hop, or slide, they can dance, too. All it takes is a little effort, as the book’s title emphatically declares. Soon, the animals are all vigorously dancing, using one another’s moves: the bear flaps and the squirrel (wearing an amusing “Dance Baby” T-shirt) roars. The cheerful volume offers suitable vocabulary for newly independent readers just gaining confidence. And lap readers impatient with longer books should find the pacing a joy. The lush illustrations remain a bit wiggly—on the cover, the boy’s limbs look a bit like wet noodles—but they delightfully fit the tone of the exuberant work. Readers should be encouraged by the message that they can apply the skills they love and are proficient at to pursuits they may be nervous about trying.

A lively and clever volume about the importance of tackling new activities; perfect for toddlers who are ready for a little plot with their pictures and for children who can proudly read aloud to a younger sibling.

Try! Try! Try!
Written by Lindsey Craig
Illustrated by Ying Hui Tan
Age Range: 1-5
Board Book: 32 pages
Publisher: Owlbop Publishing (August 1, 2016) ISBN: 978-0996721240
What to expect:
Try! Try! Try! is an entertaining board book that encourages young readers to try new things. It contains everything needed for a wonderful participatory read-aloud session: animals, sounds, movement, and repetitive phrasing.
A young boy mimics the movements and sounds of the animals featured on each double-page spread in the book, all the way until the pleasant and surprising end when he turns the animals’ attributes into a wiggly and giggly dance. At first the animals are unsure they know how to do this entertaining dance, but the young boy encourages them to “try, try, try.” From roaring like a bear to hopping like a bunny, kids will jump right in with the young boy to try all of the wonderful animal actions and noises.
Lindsey Craig is an award-winning author and her forte is creating lively and encouraging stories for young readers. Try! Try! Try! is a lovely little board book and it hits the mark perfectly. The text and illustrations are an uplifting combination that encourage readers with their positive tone and affirmative phrasing. The text is perfectly complemented and lifted to the next level by the playful illustrations. The colors throughout add a cheerful brightness and feature joyful faces and energetic body language on the boy and animals.
Try! Try! Try! is a fun and sweet book to share with toddlers or preschoolers and is highly recommended.
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