A bright and unique picture book perfect for children of any age, maybe just this once is a lovely little story all about friendship and kindness.
The writing has a repetitive structure, perfect for beginner readers as they will be able to join in with the tale, recalling the catch phrase, ‘Maybe just this once,’ without any need to decode! What I also liked was the sequencing of the story – spread across the days of the week, it allows children to recognise chronological order. Therefore, as learning material for beginner readers, it’s a fantastic little trove of information.
What’s more, the story itself delves into not judging a book by its cover, recognising that everyone has needs and wants, and that honouring them is the kindest thing to do. I know that as a small child myself, I would have loved meeting the animals in this book and discussing what would happen if they really had escaped from the zoo! What might have been nice is if the animals themselves were given names, perhaps alliterative ones, just to bring them to life a little more. However, this is merely a suggestion as there is no real need to do so. The book works perfectly fine as it is.
The pictures are bright and vibrant, and the illustrator has given even some of the ‘scarier’ animals friendly faces meaning the book has a warm and welcoming feel. I’m not sure I personally would have selected the font within the book for younger readers as some of the slants of the ascenders may be a little off-putting. However, the black font and clear spacing means it does not pose too much of a problem.
A perfect little read to share with your little ones as they learn and grow. The Book Dragon has had the pleasure of reviewing this on behalf of the author, Stella Baker, and awards it a well-deserved 4 stars.
