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Sometimes it’s hard to stay positive: when you live in an old school bus instead of a normal house; when you have mostly just bread and ketchup to eat; and especially when you have to go to a new school where all the other kids already have friends. But the sweet and creative boy in this story discovers that he can do things he never thought possible, by using the skills his parents have taught him: imagining . . . and trying . . . and finding a way to look on the bright side.
This honest, accessible, and compassionate story is based on the author’s own childhood. Its message about resourcefulness and courage will resonate with every listener.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
February 21, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593634684
- File size: 2491 KB
- Duration: 00:05:11
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 560
- Text Difficulty: 2-3
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Reviews
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December 19, 2022
This story from Otis (A Little Ferry Tale), based, per the author’s bio, in personal experience, opens with the young, pale-skinned narrator waving goodbye to friends, explaining, “We live in an old school bus now. At least until we can get a normal house again.” Mom and Dad keep telling their child to “look on the bright side,” but they’d prefer not to when the phrase means that one “gets” to do school on the bus, have “pizza toast” dinners made of white bread and ketchup, snuggle together when it’s cold, and make their own toys. When the child eventually enters school, they quickly run afoul of classroom rules and find themselves friendless, but they also find that they possess imagination, resilience, and the power to define “the bright side” for themselves. And when a class pizza and movie party is canceled, they organize a shadow theater and cookout, forging new connections and underscoring the idea that “we can do just about anything... if we look on the bright side.” Digitally enhanced, watercolor-textured pencil and ink drawings keep the mood relatively light throughout this reportorial, child’s-eye view of changing circumstances and financial precarity. Ages 4–8.
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