How to Be

Prepare to be charmed. Prepare to rise off the couch.

Lisa Brown's How to Be will have your young reader, and perhaps an adult or two, up and about. In rich, vibrant watercolor, How to Be's expressive, and often hilarious illustrations feature two children at home, imitating animal behavior and attitudes.
. . . How to be a Bear, a Monkey, a Turtle, a Snake, a Spider a Dog.

But do not be fooled by the book¹s simple language and classic illustrations. How to Be is a wise book that explores how in imitation of the admirable characteristics we share with each animal, we can define and bring out the best aspects of human nature, the traits that make up who we are.:

. . . .Be Brave, Be Curious, Be Patient, Be Charming, Be Creative, Be Friendly, Be a person----Be yourself.

This book's potential for home, library or school story time is exciting. The subject, a perceptive observation of animals and a distilled sense of their noble qualities that as humans we should emulate--is of intense natural interest to many young children. But the repetitive prompts make How to Be also a wonderful resource for classroom use in reading class and as a model for prompted writing activities.

Reviewed by Vivian