Cover Image: What's All The Commotion?

What's All The Commotion?

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Member Reviews

I received an electronic copy Eldredge Books through NetGalley.
A read together book for families to talk about social distancing and why it's important. Simple text and illustrations provide basic information at a level elementary students will understand. The book begins with actions everyone was already doing and moves on to why people are more aware of their actions and doing more to stay separated.

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The sentiment of this short children's book is great - trying to explain a little about the Coronavirus and social distancing. I really liked the fact it was quite simple and designed to elicit interaction from the child, by asking them questions about what they are thinking and feeling about the situation. What let's it down for me is the illustrations. While colourful and obviously designed with children in mind (I do like the block coloured pages), some of the drawings are a little haphazard and mildly confusing (not sure a child would get what the man is going with the groceries at the door) and I'm not sure they are interesting enough to a child to make them want to repeatedly look at this book.

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This book provides a very simple and engaging look at what is going on in our world with Covid-19. The colorful pages and great illustrations help to keep young children engaged. The simple language and the relatable feelings and issues addressed help to give kids a guide for talking about what they are experiencing. The ending pages with the bright outlook and the kids hugging leaves the reader feeling positive even in an uncertain time. Nicely done!

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This is a great, easy-to-understand book that addresses the current pandemic. Although I know that this book is geared toward children, I know of quite a few adults who could use the information in this book.

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The book poses questions for children regarding feeling and fears experienced during the Covid pandemic allowing adults to better understand And address their specific concerns.

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Thank you so much for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book has good ideas and is a good starting point for discussions around COVID 19 and the precautions one should take to remain healthy and keep others healthy. I liked the open ended questions and the brief description of social distancing. Some things I would have liked discuss was the reasons and importance of wearing a mask, more details and explanation of social distancing for kids and what that looks like (besides just keeping a big space ), washing hands, covering your mouth as well as your nose when you sneeze and cough.

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We are all living a nightmare these days. It is nice to find a book explains why and how to do children since they don't know or understand. This book is nicely thought. It explains we should take on some precautions.

It covers the situation by colourful and sincere illustrations but the text is very plain. Also the text induced pages look like a news article. I am well aware that the situation is dire. However, this is a children's book and didactic approach is better be diminished for them to be interested and learn and apply.

Nevertheless, this book will give the idea to children and I appreciate this very much.

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*Read Now title on NetGalley*

"What's All the Commotion?" is a good picture to help parents, guardians, and educators have an open discussion about covid-19 and the drastic life changes that have occurred.

It's a very matter-of-fact book and simplistic with text and full color on one page and a beautiful, full color illustration on the other. The facts and information presented in this book is clear, concise and accessible.

I liked the tone of the story. It was inviting and welcoming, encouraging kids that it's okay to have questions about what's been happening and any fears or anxiety they've been having as a result of this virus.

"What's All the Commotion?" is worth the read and free on Kindle Unlimited.

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This timely book is a gem. The book is an excellent conversation starter, as children are hearing and feeling so many things and it is often difficult for them to verbalize. It is also difficult to simply explain to young children about the pandemic and the why behind what we all need to do to be responsible. This book does it. It would also be good for social stories. Facts are told in simple words and simple, wonderful illustrations.

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Very simple conversation starter book for younger elementary kids. The illustrations are a little lacking but the intent of the text is very good. I think this would make a good first day/week of school text to help students open up about their emotions during this troubling time.

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A timely picture book that may be a useful resource for some young children struggling to understand the changes in their environment due to COVID-19, or other contagious illnesses.

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What's All The Commotion? This book answers questions little ones may have about COVID and offers reassurance with comforting words and fun illustrations.
Jessie Glenn outlines how to navigate the pandemic for young readers, including talking about hygiene and social distancing in ways that kids can understand.
Many thanks to Eldredge Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

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This is a fantastic book for kids and parents to read together about the current pandemic. It explains how germs and social distancing work in very basic, non threatening ways. My favorite part about this book is how interactive it is. There are multiple pages that ask the reader questions about their feelings which is such a fantastic way to have an open dialog with kids about what is going on. For example, one page asks the reader, "Is there anyone you are worried about right now?". The pages are very concise and allow the reader to read the short page for short attention spans or expand on the information, making differentiating among multiple age ranges very easy. The illustrations are sure to keep the kids interested and involved as well.

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Thank you Net Galley for making this available to read. I believe this book is a good conversation starter for parents and teachers of young children. The illustrations were simple and provided a stopping point to answer questions and discuss. I would definitely recommend.

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The storytelling can be better.

The art can be better too.

But yes, it serves its purpose.

Thank you #NetGalley for the copy.

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*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Liked how this asks questions and is an overall pretty good guide book to help with like having a conversation about things.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one a lot. It's very timely and provides a structure and groundwork to talk to kids about the virus. I appreciated the interactive elements that will make it easier for kids to talk about their feelings around everything going on. I especially appreciate that when discussing social distancing, they used "people who don't live with you" instead of how a lot of people are discussing it as "family" since that's not the most accurate term. I also liked that they mentioned how kids might perceive their family's reactions and that even grown ups don't always like change!

Overall, this is super timely, age appropriate, and sets up for good conversations with parents. I'd recommend this for kids and everyone else right now.

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What's All The Commotion? by Jessie Glenn is a great conversation starter for small children that are struggling to understand why things are the way they are right now during the pandemic shutdowns. If you are struggling with how to explain the circumstances, then this may be the way to go for you. The book includes awesome inclusive illustrations that will aid in the conversation as well. Glenn breaks down the details of the current happenings into a couple, easy to understand sentences that can lead your child to more questions to facilitate the conversation even more.

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While I might recommend this book to a parent who doesn't know where to start explaining COVID-19 to a child, it is not one I will purchase for my library's collection. I think there are better sources. I had a hard time figuring out what age is being targeted; the concepts were preschool appropriate but the language read more 3rd grade. I didn't love the pictures, and while they did go rather well with the text, the artwork itself left something to be desired.

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What’s all the Commotion is the quintessential picture book for young kids right now. Author Jessie Glenn breaks down the current COVID situation in a snappy, fun, and informational read for the kiddos. Beautifully illustrated by Kevin King, this book is a must have for all kids and many adults. I will be picking up copies for all friends and family members with little ones so that they will have a better understanding of what’s happening in our world today.

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