Thank you to Blue Slip Media and Two Lions Publishing for the free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The little girl in What if Everybody Said That? (Words by Ellen Javernick; Pictures by Colleen Madden), will immediately remind you of someone you’ve encountered, or perhaps even of yourself at one time. She’s a little girl who never thinks of anyone, but herself. She’s one who never “thinks before she speaks”, something my mother was always reminding me to do when I was growing up!

Every page of this story offers a perfect opportunity to begin a conversation about how the little girl’s, or another child’s, harsh words are making the other kids feel. The boldly colored and expressive illustrations add so much to the story. Your little ones can study every child’s expression to imagine just what that child is feeling and thinking after they hear the thoughtless words.  This can lead to wonderful discussions about what else the little girl might of chosen to say that wouldn’t have led to sad feelings.

Here’s one of my favorite scenarios in the book.

Happily, by the end of the story the little girl begins to have an understanding of the words, “What if EVERYBODY said that?” Her kindness begins to shine!

This book provides a perfect read aloud for children ages 3-7. It would be great to read during the first week of school as the classroom climate is being established. Perhaps it might even be a fun “back to school” gift for your little one’s new class!

Ellen Javernick is the author of more than twenty books for children, including the Children’s Choice Book Award finalist The Birthday Pet, illustrated by Kevin O’Malley, and the bestselling picture book What If Everybody Did That?, illustrated by Colleen Madden. She has been an elementary school teacher for more than twenty years and currently teaches second grade. She lives in Loveland, Colorado.

Colleen Madden is the illustrator of numerous children’s books, including the picture book adaptation of All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey and the bestselling picture book What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick. She lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and two sons. To see more of her work, visit: http://www.mbartists.com/cgi-bin/iowa/artists.html?artist=77

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More about Susan

Hi! I'm Susan, a wife, a mom and a recently retired elementary school librarian with 22 years of experience. One of my greatest joys is to connect kids with a perfect book, which then leads them to a lifelong love of learning. Through my blog, I'm hoping to reach parents, their children and teachers to help them find those special books. I’m also hoping to offer some tips and techniques to use with your children as you read aloud.