Just Being Me #3: I LOVE Messes!
PreSchool-K–InMesses, a girl enjoys dumping food items from the fridge and mixing them up on the floor. InDressed, a boy insists on dressing himself but puts his clothes on upside down or on the wrong body parts. In both cases, the parents patiently and lovingly explain what is tolerable behavior and what is going too far. Both children happily accept these boundaries. The pen-and-ink cartoons are simple and bright. The texts and art are playful and cheerful, and the layouts are clear. The books are best suited for families dealing with similar problems. In each one, a professor of child psychiatry describes the characters' actions in the story and explains why children need to pursue them. Some parents and caregivers will find these trite and patronizing; others will find them reassuring.–Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AKCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.