The Problem with Problems

Rooney and Hicks have some intriguing advice for readers living through anxious times: think of problems as goofy creatures—a blue blob with red boots, a green behemoth with a pink nose and lengthy eyelashes, or a bright orange slinky whatsit with blue ears and a tail. Thus visualized, the problems may be no less irksome (Hicks’s naïf creatures, rendered in bright marker and crayon textures, exude all kinds of trouble), but they may feel more manageable. Some may not even deserve a solution. “The small ones annoy you/ but often get bored,” the narrator explains as a trail of bug-size problems follows a child: “They’ll wander away when/ they’re being ignored.” Even seemingly insurmountable problems have a weak spot: they’re a secretive bunch that “hate to be shared,” so unburdening oneself to a caring grown-up or friend might just cause a quandary to vanish. Picking battles, talking it out, letting some things slide is advice that adults often give each other, and it’s refreshing—and up-to-the-minute relevant—to see it aimed at kids. Ages 3–7. [em](June) [/em]