Published: 2014
Author: Kobi Yamada | Illustrator: Mae Besom
Genre: Children’s Growth-Mindset Picture Book
Audience: Pre-K–Grade 5 (with a universal message for all ages)
Number of Stars: ★★★★★
Goodreads Link: What Do You Do with an Idea?
Themes: Creative Confidence, Innovation, Overcoming Skepticism, Perseverance, Growth Mindset.
Review by: Megan Powell
Publisher’s Summary
Review
This book beautifully tracks the psychological journey of a young child who strikes upon a new idea but doesn’t quite know what to do with it just yet. To make this abstract concept perfectly accessible for young children, the illustrator brilliantly uses a bright yellow, crown-wearing egg-looking object that physically follows the boy around as a gorgeous visual metaphor for his internal creative spark.
Before diving into the mechanics of the review, I want to share a personal story about this book. My best friend and I were browsing at Barnes & Noble during the summertime right before we both were scheduled to start our very first year of professional teaching ever. We each wanted to select one powerful book to read aloud to our new classes during the first week of school, and she helped me pick out this masterpiece.
I fell in love with it because it fiercely encourages students to run with their creative ideas regardless of what discouraging or skeptical things people might say around them. If an idea brings you genuine joy, run with it! This has become one of my core mottos for life, so I was able to relate to this book on a deep, personal level.
I highly recommend this book to any teacher, honestly. While the whimsical illustrations are semi-geared toward younger children, the underlying message is incredibly powerful and important for people of all ages to hear. This book is profoundly uplifting, motivating, and packed with reasons why you should never give up on an idea. The simplicity of the illustrations—which shift from muted black-and-white to full, vibrant color as the idea grows—makes the message incredibly easy for students to visually follow, which is so cool. Great book!!
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Social-Emotional Learning (Nurturing Innovation & Growth Mindset):
- Activity Idea: “Incubating My Idea.” Give each student a blank, egg-shaped paper template modeled after the book’s signature illustration. Have them draw or write about a “big, strange, or difficult” idea they have—whether it’s an invention, a story plot, or a project to help the school community. Display the eggs on a bulletin board titled “Our Classroom Hatchery” to show that all ideas are welcome.
- Visual Literacy & Art Studies (The Emotional Shift of Color):
- Activity Idea: “Coloring My Mood.” Mae Besom starts the book in stark, pencil-sketch grays and transforms the landscape into a technicolor wonderland as the boy embraces his idea. Have students look at the pages flip by and analyze how color choice reflects the main character’s confidence. Have them paint or draw a two-panel comic strip showing a problem in dull tones changing into a bright solution.
- Speaking & Listening (Overcoming Naysayers):
- Activity Idea: “The Armor of Joy.” In the book, the boy faces people who laugh at or dismiss his idea. Lead a class circle discussion about how it feels when someone doesn’t understand your thoughts. Practice brainstorming phrase strategies students can use to protect their creativity when met with skepticism (e.g., “It might seem silly to you, but it brings me joy”).
