Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

➕ This book is a great introduction to understanding that disappointments will always happen in life, but looking for positives in every situation can help!

➕ It can be a hard lesson for kids to learn that they can’t always win, things won’t always be perfect, and life won’t always be fair. So, rather than dwelling on the negative, this book will help kids learn how to shift their perspectives and see the good things that happen to them. This type of social-emotional learning is important to instill in children at an early age IMO.

➕ The illustrations are adorable and definitely convey the important concepts. I think kids will absolutely relate to the situations presented in the story.

➕ If you have a child who is a perfectionist, or one who doesn’t understand that they can’t always win, you may want to consider this book. It should also be in classrooms and children’s libraries.

Thank you @netgalley and Capstone Editions for an eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

“A Bad Case of The Almosts“ by Janet Sumner Johnson, with illustrations by Alexandra Colombo, is a picture book for young readers about the things we miss out on.

Abby feels like she’s missing out on things. She’s almost tall enough. She’s almost a student with great grades. When the science fair comes around, Abby decides to track the almosts in her life and discovers something really interesting: there are good almosts and bad.

I liked this book about learning how to be scientific about the things that happen in our lives, and realizing that not only bad things can happen to us but also good things. The illustrations are bright and cheery and I think young readers will like the lesson.

An interesting concept for a picture book. Johnson addresses the feelings of inadequacy a child can experience, not being the biggest, oldest, fastest, etc. It holds it's own.

A Bad Case of the Almosts is cute, cute, cute! My grandson loved the story and the decision tree at the end. Abby has a bad case of the “Almosts”. So many times she is “almost” there. Then someone points out that “Almost” would have been nice. Abby decides to make a list of good and bad “Almosts”. She is surprised to see she has more items on her good list than bad. This is a great book for K-3rd grade kids.

What a cute book! From the moral to the story to the illustrations just a cute little book. Perfect addition to any little ones library!

This book is more than "almost" adorable. Young audiences will absolutely relate to Abby's opinion about being almost tall enough, almost smart enough, and almost first in line for class. They'll learn alongside Abby, that having "almosts" is actually a positive. I enjoyed the voice of Abby and how her pessimistic outlook wasn't depressing rather realistic. I also loved how Abby turned these situational lemons into lemonade, which is always a great message for any age. I think Janet Sumner Johnson has a done a wonderful job capturing a child's lens and how they interpret the world via their daily activities. A Bad Case of the Almosts is an absolute re-readable book! Thank you NetGalley and Capstone for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me access to this book ahead of publication.
Very relatable book with colourful and eye-catching illustrations. Showing the bright side of all the "almosts" that are tormenting us at times. A great addition to the collection and a clever way to show kids that there word "almost" doesn't have to be a bad thing!

Thank you to the author, Capstone Editions and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This children's book shows the effects of looking at both the negative and the positive side of things. Abby starts out by seeing "almost" negatively, as not reaching her goal, falling short etc. and realizes that "almost" has a positive side too. What an important life lesson, to have a mindset that is open and sees different outcomes. I loved the modified use of the scientific method, to evaluate pros and cons, and the illustrations were fantastic.

This book is super interesting and has a great premise. At the beginning of the story, a girl named Abby shares all of the good things that almost happened, which of course meant missing out on fun and positive activities, for example, almost getting 100% on a test, almost being first in line, almost getting the last cookie. As the story progresses, Abby creates a hypothesis that all almosts are bad. She learns by observing almosts that sometimes almosts are good things like: almost running out of the best cereal and buying more, almost getting hit by a soccer ball and almost being too scared to do something she really wanted to do. In those cases she almost didn't get the positive but she did! At the end of the story there is a decision tree concept which I think is super cool, but I think it is a little too complex and there is not a lot of explanation about using it. Perhaps a smaller example of the decision tree would have been a better option to not overwhelm young readers as I think it is a really important idea to include!

The fonts are a little bit all over the place and can be a bit challenging to read at times. With random speech bubbles and things I could also see struggling readers having a hard time figuring out how to read and comprehend this text. The illustrations are wonderful though and really help with telling the story. I also love how stylish the mom is, totally not the way moms are usually represented in picture books haha! Overall it is a super great book and teaches about a concept that we don't often thinking about or teach kids. I would definitely recommend this book, thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

A successful book with the eye to turning our attention to the small successes, as opposed to those little failures and downers our days are peppered with. So you almost found yourself out of your favourite cereal, almost did a face-plant in front of your schoolmates, and almost electrocuted yourself when playing with a power socket – those almosts are good ones, and easily go further to making our life a joy than moaning about almost winning a sports event. It's about having the right response and mindset to anything where we see a different outcome, and realising we're a lot better off than we might at first think. Vibrant colours help the illustrations engage with young attentions, and this ends up a hit – no almost about it.

I absolutely positively love the illustrations in A Bad Case of the Almosts; they definitely are the best part of the book! I wish the story had been just a tiny bit more cohesive at the end -- six out 32 pages focusing on the time at the pool felt unbalanced, and the ending seemed rushed to compensate. (I feel like I would have to *explain* the moral of the story to my kids instead of the story speaking for itself.)

This is sweet! It teaches kids to always look on the bright side of things and promotes positive thinking.

In a Nutshell: A meaningful story about the role ‘almosts’ can play in our life. Balances fun and moral well.

Abby is struggling with the ALMOSTS. Whatever she does, she is defeated by an ‘almost’, whether it is in studies, or in school projects or at home with her brother. When she ends up *almost* slipping one day, she is fed up and decides to give up trying. However, when another child encounters the same situation with a different result, Abby wonders if almosts can be good as well. Thus begins her investigation of each almost she faces.

There are many things to love in this picture book. Abby makes for a wonderful character as you can feel her frustration with every subsequent almost. She won a greater chunk of my heart when she made a journal to keep track of her investigation. Gotta love a little girl who is organised with her lists! 😉

The level of competitiveness among today’s children (and parents) is extreme. In a world where kids are taught to aim for perfection and success in every single thing they attempt, knowing that you *almost* made it can be detrimental to the mind. The book takes this idea and presents a clear picture of the stress the quest for perfection creates. It also highlights how having an *almost* situation is sometimes better than the alternative. I appreciate how the authors show almosts both as positive and negative, rather than showing every single almost to be a good occurrence. Realistic depictions are always better.

The vocabulary level of the book is great for beginner readers. The official target reader age is children aged 4-7 years.

I loved most of the illustrations. Abby, with her freckles and spectacles, is cute. The children in her classroom have varied skin colours and body sizes, thus adding to the inclusivity factor. Abby’s pug is also adorable, and his antics in very appearance are fun. The only illustration I wasn’t fond of was that of Abby’s mom. She didn’t appear like a mom, what with the ever-present flower clip in her hair and dangly earrings even during bedtime. I know there are young mums too, but somehow, this sketch just felt off to me.

Overall though, no major complaints. It is a sweet book with a great message. Definitely recommended. It would work wonderfully in homes as well as in schools.

4.25 stars.


My thanks to Capstone and NetGalley for the DRC of “A Bad Case of the Almosts”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is so cute. I can relate to Abby's case, of course. I think this is not a bad thing for kids to learn early either. Sometimes things don't go your way, for better or for worse! Unrelated to most of the story but I really love the almost chart at the end of the book. It's cute.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The book tells the story of Abby who is having a day full of almost . Abby goes from almost winning a fight with her brother to almost being the first at school. She then decides to work to see if the almost's are good or bad. I enjoyed this book so much as someone who has also experienced a day of almost's. The book is relatable , the illustrations are exceptional and it's catchy. I recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read "A Bad Case of the Almosts". I loved the art and all the examples of "Almosts".

I think everyone has had one of those days where things just don't quite go right. Like how you really, really want to get to the bus and the door just shuts as you get to the bus stop, or you just missed one too many points on your test in school. Like Abby, sometimes, we're thankful that we almost fell but didn't or we almost were out of cereal but had just enough for your morning bowl. Almost is that precipice from which good or bad could happen. It could turn out really bad, but it can turn out just as good.

This book is charming and sweet. It has a great message for kids about looking on the bright side and that even though things aren't always perfect, not every "almost" is a bad thing. The illustrations are fun, whimsical, and colorful. I would happily buy this book as a gift for my nieces and nephews.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Clever way to teach kids on how to see the bright side of life.

How an almost can be seen in a positive manner versus being seen from a regretful, negative viewpoint.

Love the illustrations, the little "what if you pick this route instead" game as well.

Great job to both the author @janetsumnerjohnson and illustrator @alexandra.colombo

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Love the message of this book. Very encouraging for young readers on how to look for the good and stay positive.