Don't Say No-Board Book

In these thoughtfully conceived board books, O'Brien offers portraits of four children experiencing difficult emotions. Jessie feels frustrated when everyone in her family tells her what not to do. Adam isn't ready to leave the playground when his mother calls him. Tiffany doesn't want her mother to put a bandage on her scraped knee. And Alex hates having to wait for his father to finish his chores before they can play together. These are very common experiences for toddlers and the books provide a valuable opportunity for them to explore their emotions. They'll be relieved to learn that other children feel these ways too. The books may also serve as a reminder to parents that children's feelings are as legitimate as their own. O'Brien remarkably true-to-life illustrations are richly evocative of her characters' situations. (2-5)