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What Can a Citizen Do?
By Jan Carr,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Timely book on citizenship engages kids on their level.
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What's the Story?
In WHAT CAN A CITIZEN DO?, a diverse group of kids works together to build an elaborate tree house. They solve their differences when one faction posts a "No trumpets" sign and another group brings a trumpet to play. While they work, they help and include animals that pass by, and they read a newspaper to stay informed. When the tree house is completed, a boy in a house nearby plugs them in to a power source, illuminating the structure with a string of bright, twinkly lights.
Is It Any Good?
This rhyming civics lesson asks the timely and important question "What in the world can a citizen do?" -- and provides some concrete suggestions. Many of the examples in What Can a Citizen Do? are clear and simple. For instance, kids work together to build a tree house, plant a tree, and right an upturned turtle. Author Dave Eggers provides some direct instruction, such as, "A citizen can write a letter. A citizen can help change laws." And he reminds kids, "We're part of a society," so "Do something for another." In places, though, the text can feel murky, as when it says we're "a land of latticed people," or claims that "a citizen can be a bear" (when a bear joins their group). And in the interest of rhyme, it sometimes lapses into cliché: "A citizen should care and care," and society is "full of joy and pain."
The art, collage and mixed media, is fun to look at and depicts a diverse group of kids. Illustrator Shawn Harris smartly gives the kids one project that carries them from start to finish. But because the concepts in the book can be abstract, it would help if the art, too, were more solidly concrete, more clearly illustrative, throughout.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the kids in What Can a Citizen Do? In what ways are they good citizens? How many ways can you find?
What different communities are you part of? Can you think of ways you contribute to society and help others?
What conflict or difference of opinion do the kids in the story have? How do they resolve it? Can you think of an example where you and your friends had a different opinion or plan? What did you do?
Book Details
- Author: Dave Eggers
- Illustrator: Shawn Harris
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Activism , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Chronicle Books
- Publication date: September 11, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 5 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: August 4, 2018
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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