What If Everybody Said That?

I am more than a dozen times the age of the intended demographic for this book and I have no grandchildren (as a matter of full diaclosure), so you may discount my opinion accordingly, but I read it because it was free and because a friend of mine writes children's picture books, so I was curious to "compare and contrast." It's impossible to overemphasize the exquisiteness of the artwork, and the message is an incontrovertibly positive and affirming one (except perhaps to narcissists), so I'd certainly recommend it for adults to read to very small children (at bedtime, or otherwise). The only potential downside, from the perspective of the adult who has to do the reading, is that there is absolutely no narrative, and exactly the same message is repeated, with different situational parameters substituted in, over and over and over again, ad infinitum. But this is actually a very helpful approach from the standpoint of imparting a sense of empathy to young children, so the effect on adults is pretty much immaterial. They'll still enjoy the beautiful artwork.

I bought this for my grandson for Christmas, and it didn’t work out for us to be together then. In June we finally got together to celebrate his birthday and had a late Christmas. He absolutely loved this book. It was a big hit with the parents too.

Thinking before speaking is something the world could use a lot more of. Some kids learn to be intentionally mean, and most children naively blurt out things that can hurt feelings at some time. This charming and colorfully illustrated book teaches kids to apply filters in a playful series of real life situations. In an extended thought experiment, the author asks kids to put themselves in others' shoes and consider how people would feel if everyone said the first self-centered things that popped into their heads. Frank, but not heavy-handed, it allows kids to see the results of accumulated unkindness. (YouTube trolls could learn something here!) This will definitely be on the reading itinerary when my new grandbaby reaches the target age. Addendum: I wanted to add a bit more about the illustrations. They are bright and lively with great communication of facial expressions. I love the little details added into each illustration, like the crab tattoo on the lifeguard or the expressive emoticons sprinkled throughout. I should mention the reason I did not give a five star. It's more my preference than any fault of the book manuscript or illustrations. The facial expressions and text in the book express a wide range of negative emotions: sad, mad, mean, disapproving, frightened, smug. They are excellently and even humorously done--completely appropriate to the topic. However, I could have used a little more mood brightening at the end, showing more smiling and approving faces when children think before they speak and speak kindly. Like I said, it's my preference, which does not limit the usefulness and entertainment value of "What If Everybody Said That?"

I purchased this back in July, because I was curious how, in this fractious society, an author would get people to STOP COMPLAINING and be kind. This book should be REQUIRED reading for everyone OVER THE AGE of 20. Most kids already know that they shouldn't be negative, BUT they learn by example, and I've met many, many parents who need to read this book in order to "get it". I loved this. To the person who said that the illustrations were negative: Nope, not at all. They show the kids, when words fail, how negative it is to say something nasty. Too bad adults forget this when they grow up. This is going to be my Christmas gift to a handful of young men and women who need to learn how to do things such as say please and thank you, or compliment someone when that person needs it, or maybe just be kind when a person looks down (or NEW, or a stranger, or whatever sets them apart). The division in this country isn't caused by politics, and anyone who thinks it is really needs to examine people for a change, instead of issues. We have lost the ability to be kind and gentle to others. Name calling and rudeness have become the normal way of life, especially online. This book brings it home just at a time in young lives when they are learning how to make friends and BE friends with people. If Amazon were eBay, the stars would be purple, or maybe bright red with sparkles and tails. And this book, with its 14 Kindle pages would be the bible that people referred to when we wanted to know why this person or that person doesn't like us. Kudos to the author!

Through delightful art work and excellent text the author steps children through multiple ethical dilemmas faced by children in their everyday lives. The situations include criticism, playing pranks, making new friends, and other similar occasions where a child's words or actions affect others. This is real gem of a book. It is non-judgmental and allows the child reader or listeners to reach their own answers. The best part is it not necessarily politically correct but would not be rejected by those who prefer PC books. It is a fun read and could be used by parents or teachers to trigger discussions with children.

Cool, Iliked to read the book. I recommend it german kids as well. Hm Twenty words are really a lot.

This book was perfect for my primary grade classroom! It gave me great ideas for introducing rules and routines in a way that was clear and engaging for students. A wonderful resource for setting a positive tone at the start of the year.

It’s not easy not to pick on friends sometimes if they act awkward, but we should all know that respecting others and not saying nasty things goes a long way and we should teach our children that. Lovely book.

A fantastic book with a powerful message about kindness and the impact of our words. It helps kids understand how what we say can affect others, making it a great conversation starter about empathy and respect. Highly recommended!

I loved this book because it was so funny, meaningful and silly. I will ask my friends to read this book.