I will be especially VERY careful by Lauren Child

This book really captures the way children think and act. I will be especially VERY careful takes me back to my childhood when I would borrow things from my friends. In the book, two best friend Lola and Lotta decide to exchange items. Lola gives Lotta her red bag and Lotta gives Lola her brand new fluffy white jacket. Lola promises to be especially very careful. After a day of avoiding disaster to the coat, Lola takes it off when at the library and accidentally leaves it behind. She is afraid to tell Lotta, but the next day at school she tells her she lost the coat. Luckily another friend from class found it and returned it to Lotta. In the end the two girls are still friends and Lola wants to borrow Lotta pencil case, but Lotta knows better now then to say yes.

This story put a smile on my face. The way the author writes the characters is exactly the way kids talk. This is a great way to make the story even more relatable to the kids reading it. The story in itself is one that I feel most kids can relate to whether you are a girl or a boy. Though the main characters are girls, I can see boys lending each other toys and having similar things happen. Another detail that I liked was that the two girls are of different races. This is not formally brought up in the book, but is important in my eyes. When children read this and see the girls who are of different races being friends it sends a positive message about acceptance and that things like race do not matter in friendship.

The pictures were different then any of the other books I had read. The children drawn impeccably but that is part of the books charm. It looks like a child could draw the two girls themselves if they wishes to. The pages all have different color backgrounds and the words on the page are written in cool and unique ways. Another detail I enjoyed is that some of the pictures contained real items like the picture of a cat was a real not,a drawn one, or a picture of a cookie that was an actual cookie. That was a nice touch that children will notice.

This book is great for students in K-2nd grade. They will be able to follow along and enjoy the story. I really liked this book and would like to read other books by the creator.