When Sophie Thinks She Can't... - by Molly Bang (Hardcover)

About the Book

With her third book about Sophie, three-time Caldecott Honoree Bang again helps children deal with a challenging everyday issue, providing an opening to ask: What do you do when you think, "I can't!"? Full color.

Book Synopsis

Three-time Caldecott Honor illustrator Molly Bang helps children solve problems by showing a different -- and highly effective -- approach: "I can't do it" becomes "I can't do it... yet."

When Sophie can't solve a math puzzle, she feels upset and inadequate. "I CAN'T DO IT!" she shouts, expressing the frustration all of us feel when we try and fail. Will she ever be "smart" like her sister? Maybe she isn't smart at all.Luckily Sophie's teacher steps in. What does it mean to be smart? Using current, popular "mindset" techniques, Sophie's class is taught that we get smarter when we exercise our brains, such as when we work harder at solving a puzzle. Struggling to solve a problem doesn't mean "I can't do it!" Sophie and her classmates just can't do it... yet! Readers will cheer when Sophie finally prevails, and at the end of the day, she's confident and optimistic. At home, Sophie uses her new technique to help her dad solve a carpentry puzzle.In this third book about Sophie, Molly Bang again helps children deal with a challenging everyday issue, providing an opening to ask: What do you do when you think, "I can't!"?

From the Back Cover

Everybody faces problems
that seem impossible to
solve. For children, it can
be very frustrating to put
together a puzzle, solve a
math problem, or learn to
read a new word.
When Sophie gets stuck,
she feels she isn't smart.
"I

Review Quotes

"Sure to be a staple in classrooms everywhere." -- Kirkus ReviewsPraise for When Sophie's Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt: * "Bang's thickly painted images exude energy and feeling, both in the children's expressions and through the exaggerated dimensions, angles, and colors. It's another lovely study in emotion from Bang and a thoughtful exploration of art-making." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review"All libraries will want this bold offering for lessons on classroom manners, art, and individuality." -- School Library JournalPraise for When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry...Caldecott Honor BookJane Addams Honor BookALA Notable BookCharlotte Zolotow Award"Bang's evocatively illustrated book suggests no quick fixes; she treats childhood emotions with respect." -- Publishers Weekly "Bang captures the intensity of Sophie's feelings with strong, broadly brushed forms and colors....Sophie finds a way to cope with her anger, quite laudably, without a helping adult hand." -- Kirkus Reviews"Bang's double-page illustrations, vibrating with saturated colors...reveal the drama of the child's emotions."-- School Library Journal, starred review"An elegant and thought-provoking book for...children learning how to deal with emotions." -- New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Molly Bang has written and illustrated more than twenty books for young readers, including When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry... ; Ten, Nine, Eight; and The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher, each of which were Caldecott Honor books. Bang divides her time between Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Northern California.