When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left

I love ‘The Dot’, Peter H. Reynolds’s timeless and inspirational story about creativity, perseverance and self-confidence, celebrating ‘Dot Day’ every year. He has written and illustrated many other books, each of which carries a very positive, self-affirming message. They are perfect for using in school- for individual classes, for assemblies, for whole school projects- and each with Reynolds’s wonderful illustrations.

‘When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left’, written by Marc Colagiovanni and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, is an inspirational story about making a choice about how to deal with worries, frustrations, fears and doubts.

The little boy at the heart of the story is faced with a day when nothing is going right. So, he decides to go left- leaving all his worries, doubts, fears and frustrations behind. He perseveres, finds the courage to try again and realises that the more he does this, the more ‘right’ he feels. The wonderfully positive, affirming message is simply, but directly told, perfect for sharing with children and offering strategies for coping with being overwhelmed or overcoming adversity.

Language play, a direct, optimistic tone and lovely artwork make this an appealing text to use with any age group as its message is as relevant to adults as it is to children. The guidance it offers is full of optimism, reminding the reader they have the power to choose to ‘go left’ and ask for help when needed. It is a joyful book- one for sharing again and again.

When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left!

Marc Colagiovanni, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Scholastic ISBN: 978-0702324765

You can read my review of ‘Our Table’ here , ‘Playing from the Heart’ here and ‘The Word Collector’ here.

Our Table

International Dot Day is an annual event in any school I teach in and I have loved Peter H Reynolds’ books since I first encountered ‘The Dot’ way back when! Since then, I have eagerly looked out for his new titles, keen to get them into class and share them with children. Inspiring, often poignant and always brilliantly illustrated, his books are a key feature in my book corner and school library.

‘Our Table’ is a heart-warming story about the importance of family. Once, the table was at the heart of Violet’s home- a place where the family gathered and memories were made. But recently, everyone has been busy and Violet often finds herself alone at the table. One day, she notices the table is smaller- and smaller- until by the end of the week, it has disappeared altogether. Violet knows she must take action to put things right again.

As Violet appeals to her family for help, she draws them all back together as they once more share experiences and spend time together, connecting as a family should. The illustrations are so evocative of the emotions she experiences. As he family drifts apart and she feels lonely, shades of purple (or violet!) are used to capture the weight of her feelings whilst her joyful memories are in full colour, vividly standing out against the white of the page. Once her family reconnects, jubilant colour returns once more, even spilling over onto the end papers. The final picture is a complete joy as the family gathers round the table once more, sharing their meal, laughing and enjoying being together. Mum is even sneaking food to the dog under the table!

The text is simple and to the point, allowing children to reflect on the pictures and consider what the characters might me thinking/ feeling at various points, encouraging them to empathise, and perhaps identify, with Violet as her family are engaging more with the screens in their lives than with each other.

One to treasure!

Our Table Peter H Reynolds

Scholastic ISBN: 978-0702313738

You can read my review of ‘The Word Collector’ here and ‘Playing from the Heart’ here.