We Believe in You

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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Beth Ferry's gentle picture book, We Believe in You, is a warm, uplifting story that celebrates unique gifts through kind words and the colorful softness of Molly Idle's illustrations. Different animal parents tell their young what they love about their family and encourage their babies to dream big. There's a nice amount of word repetition for young readers as an ewe celebrates climbing higher and a sloth celebrates beauty sleep. The layout and phrasing offer many opportunities for parents reading aloud to talk about their families' strengths and kids' dreams.
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What's the Story?
Animal families look at their unique skills throughout WE BELIEVE IN YOU, a collection of encouraging moments between parents and their young. Author Beth Ferry's bunnies, jellyfish, tadpoles, bighorn ram, rays, butterflies, and more show their talents, and each page has a different gift the animals believe in: climbing high, digging deep, shining light, families, that groups are smart, that life's a journey, and more. Molly Idle's illustrations cover every page with warmth and soft details.
Is It Any Good?
The soft illustrations are as much a part of the story as the kind animal parents in this lovely read-aloud that's perfectly suited for bedtime (or anytime) snuggles. We Believe in You brings young readers into a world where each animal's trait is celebrated, and builds to an affirming last page. The different values in each animal family offer lots of opportunity for talking about the reader's family and can help the child feel secure and loved at bedtime and other transitions. There's a variety of animals shown here, and word repetition to help with learning sight words.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what their family's strengths are, the way the parents in We Believe in You talk about their own families. What do we do well?
What do you like to do together as a family? What do you want to do or try?
What other animal books have you read? Which are your favorites?
Book Details
- Author: Beth Ferry
- Illustrator: Molly Idle
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
- Publication date: October 27, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 3 - 6
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: January 4, 2021
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love bedtime stories and read-aloud books
Themes & Topics
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