Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires -- ESSENTIAL

Spires, Ashley The Most Magnificent Thing. PICTURE BOOK. Kids Can Press, 2014. $16.95. Content: G

A little girl sets out to create a mysterious gadget, but no matter what she does, it's just not right. The more she tries, the more frustrated she becomes, and the more frustrated she becomes, the harder it is to do what she's trying to do, until it's all just one big, horrible mess. Now what? Quit? Or regroup and find a way to make it work after all?

The Most Magnificent Thing is a wonderful lesson in persistence and overcoming frustration. Readers will empathize with the girl's annoyance every time her attempts are thwarted, and the mystery of what she's trying to build will keep both kids and adults guessing. The illustrations make the perfect accompaniment to the story, full of color and character, and the lesson is clear without being overtly stated. An all-around great read.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) -- ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Caryn

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