Make It Better

Elizabeth Levin is a professor of psychology at Laurentian University.

These two volumes in the Lifeskills for Little Ones series can be
detached from the cardboard backing in which their practice props are
stored.

Make It Better is a story about a little boy who loves bandages. When
his uncle gives him some bandages, Jonathan imagines a series of
accidents and uses up all his bandages. Then he hurts his knee in real
life. His uncle cleans his knee and covers it with gauze. Fifteen
assorted bandages accompany the book, which includes four simple
first-aid tips on treating scrapes.

In On the Phone, Gabby learns to use a telephone (with the help of her
brother) when she has to track down her lost kitten Mischief. Although
the basics of telephone use are covered, no attention is given to
telephone etiquette or safety rules. The small cellular-style phone
accompanying the book features a microchip with prerecorded messages.
The circuit board in the phone tested by the reviewer broke within a few
hours. Here is a story that is only as good as its prop.

Eugenie Fernandes’s illustrations are as appealing as ever, but it is
unlikely that these books will appeal to the 4- to 8-year-olds for whom
they are designed. They seem more suitable for preschoolers. Not
first-choice purchases.