Review: `It's alright to ask question when you don't understand.'
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 27, 2013
Dustin Ross has a fine handle on creating stories that involve children as characters from the start, takes them through an adventure, and ends his story with a lesson in human behavior. Of course, he further entertains by having the children be represented by favorite animal characters and that just makes them more entertaining.Billy the Goat and his family invite Zebra the baker to supper, during which time Zebra shares his love for his job, making Billy eager to learn the trade of baking. Billy goes to bed early, gets up very early (bakers start their day earlier than anyone to make sure the day's baked goods are fresh) and meets Zebra at his bakery. Zebra cautions Billy that he must follow the rules in order to be successful at baking. But Billy, when left alone, forgets the ingredients for the loaves of bread he is to make, and instead of asking Zebra for help he plunges on - the result is failed bread! Zebra steps in, advises Billy on the importance of following instructions and asking for help when needed, stating that not asking for help obviously leads to bad results. Zebra is supportive of Billy's enthusiasm for baking and by the end of the day Zebra boasts to Billy's mother that Billy is one of the best students of baking he has ever trained!`Sometimes when we think we can do things on our own without help, it takes more work to fix than if we had just asked for help.' Billy learns big lessons in a supportive atmosphere - now what child won't respond positively to information like that?  Dustin Ross understands children and writes with respect for their learning capabilities, and that makes a big difference in the quality of his books. Grady Harp, August 13