Play to Your Strengths: Yes We Can by Sam McBratney

Sam McBratney, author of the best-selling Guess How Much I Love You?, has a soon-to-be published story for preschoolers, Yes We Can!, with another positive theme.

In this story Little Roo, Country Mouse, and Quacker Duck are having a great time piling up a mountain of leaves, when Little Roo challenges his friend Quacker Duck to jump over a big, big log. High-jumping is not exactly Quacker's strong suit, and her sally is a big, big flop. Grumpy because her two friends laugh at her landing, Duck challenges Country Mouse to float on a puddle. Gamely, Mouse tries and winds up wet and soggy. Angry, Country Mouse dares Little Roo, "You can't catch your own tail!" When he fails the tail test as expected, Roo joins his friends in chagrin.

"NO ONE WAS HAPPY."

When Little Roo's mother appears, she sizes up the situation immediately and points out that "No one likes to be laughed at! Show what you CAN do!"

Little Roo sails over the big log with aplomb; Quacker Duck floats majestically on the puddle; and Country Mouse catches his own tail with ease. "There now," said Roo's mother, "Can we all be friends again?"

And all three answer, "YES WE CAN!"