A metaphysical approach to ideas, perhaps even a compliment to What Do You Do With An Idea? Four of the subject headings are spot on- Persistence, Adaptability, Imagination and Cooperativeness. I would love to discuss this book with a young child. ( )

A little girl has an idea. But before she can do anything with her idea, she receives a “No” . . . and another . . . and another . . . and another . . . until she has so many “Nos” she must find a way to handle all of them and, at the same time, hold on to her brilliant idea.

What will she do? And what will happen to her idea?

Clever [albeit a tad creepy . . . think Tim Burton] drawings accompany the narrative. Done primarily in black and white, children are likely to notice the pops of color that appear late in the story. And there’s a positive unspoken message in the diversity illustrated in the drawings of the children.

Underlying the narrative is an important message, one that champions perseverance, imagination, and collaboration. Unfortunately, it is likely to confuse the young readers it is trying to inspire. Who is sending our intrepid unnamed heroine all those “No” messages? And why are they sending them to her? How can “No” change and become something else? Parents should be prepared to provide an extensive explanation of the message the author is trying to convey.

Note to author/editor:
In the title of the book and in the telling of the tale:
“No” is a plural, not a possessive or a contraction . . . there’s no reason to use an apostrophe. ( )