TRYING

TRYING by Kobi Yamada. Illustrated by Elise Hunt

Are you familiar with the author Kobi Yamada? If not, his powerful books are seriously worth checking out!

If you have a child that balks at stepping out and trying new things, then Trying is a book you should get your hands on. This book is actually perfect for any age. I read it out loud to the whole family at the supper table the other night. We all can use encouragement from time to time to step out and try something new. That's not where the book stops, though. Oftentimes we might give something a try, but then we throw in the towel prematurely because we are unhappy with the results. I often have to remind myself and my kids that Avengers are not real people. Rarely are people born with their gifts already perfected. It takes time and growth to hone and master our gifts. Our current gotta-have-it now culture rarely celebrates the string of failures that leads to an accomplished goal, but Trying does! So go ahead and celebrate the end result of mastery with your loved ones, but don't forget to acknowledge the attempts in the process.

Illustrator Elise Hurst nails it with her artwork. Black and white blurred pictures lend an air of hopelessness and defeat, but then we start to see hints of life where green creeps into the illustrations. Beautiful!