Book: “It Will Be OK” by Lisa Katzenberger
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Blogger’s Note: Thank you to Sourcebooks Kids for the gifted copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review!
Empathy is such a hard concept to teach young kids. With two young kids, my husband and I are currently at the stage where we need to constantly reinforce good behavior and teach our little ones life lessons like manners, respect and how to show kindness towards others. The book, “It Will Be OK” arrived on our doorstep at the perfect time. When I opened the package, I didn’t realize that this children’s book would be an essential read for every single member of our family.
In the story, the main characters Giraffe and Zebra are walking together to the watering hole when all of a sudden, Zebra notices that Giraffe is stuck up in a tree scared of a spider and refusing to come down! The book details an entertaining exchange between the two friends which includes all of the typical questions and statements that a parent might make to a child afraid of something.
“But you are stronger than the spider,” said Zebra.
“You’re as solid as stone and he’s as wispy as the wind.”
“It Will Be OK” by Lisa Katzenberger
The tale of the two friends then takes an interesting turn. The Zebra decides to be patient, kind and empathetic towards Giraffe. He models what it means to be a good friend and helps Giraffe to work through his fear of the spider.
As we read the book, my kids became friends with Zebra and Giraffe. They cheered when Giraffe overcame his fear. They talked about how the spider was cute and how he wasn’t scary at all. My little ones loved the book, the illustrations and the endearing characters.
As a parent, I loved the book because it provided our young readers with the confidence to do two things.
- If you’re afraid, it is OK to be scared and it is OK to overcome that fear!
- If someone near you is scared… be a good friend and help them.
The book provided some concrete examples of things that children (and adults!) can do to help others in times of anxiety, stress and fear. What a good reminder for everyone in our family! It is also important to note that although this book is fundamentally sound and demonstrates a purposeful learning component, our children enjoyed the story. They have asked to read this same book over and over again, to revisit these characters who have now taken up a residence inside all of our hearts.
Recommendations: This should be an auto-buy for anyone with young kids. Highly recommend!
Happy Reading!
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