About the Author

Mari Schuh's love of reading began with cereal boxes at the kitchen table. Today Mari is the author of hundreds of nonfiction books for beginning readers, covering topics from tomatoes to tornadoes. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and still enjoys a big bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios. Learn more about her at marischuh.com. Mike Byrne grew up near Liverpool, U.K., and then moved to London to work as an illustrator by day and a crayon wielding crime fighter by night. He now lives with his wife and two cats in the countryside. He spends his days doodling and creating children's books fueled only by tea and cookies.

Reviews

Sometimes the text in emotional learning titles is dry and didactic. However, this series rises to the challenge, and presents small vignettes that focus on basic social emotional strengths and characteristics. In Enough To Go Around, for example, a young boy starts a food drive at his school after he worries that one of his friends might not get enough food to eat at home. In Yes I Can!, a determined girl works on staying focused on her science project as her friends and family offer distractions along the way. Each title has a clear beginning, middle, and end to the story and leaves readers feeling positive about the choices they can make. The illustrations throughout the volumes are bright and colorful, showing a number of classroom and family life settings while depicting children with different skin tones. VERDICT Using real-life examples and scenarios to teach social emotional skills to young children, this series is a good choice for both classroom and library settings across the board.--School Library Journal, Series Made Simple

The Cloverleaf Books: Stories with Character series (4 titles) seeks to deliver lessons in character education to a young audience, and this title focuses on respect. Using a fictional story, it follows a diverse group of students through a school day, pausing to discuss how particular interactions were respectful or disrespectful. In the first chapter, Pete's passion for pizza leads him to cut into the lunch line, and he later answers a question directed to another classmate, interrupting him in the process. Boxed asides point out how Pete's behavior is rude and disrespectful. The picture-book narrative continues with additional faux pas identified and other characters demonstrating better ways to treat friends and peers. The blend of fiction and nonfiction works well here, as it gives abstract concepts a relatable form.--Booklist