Ready for Anything – Children’s Story Book Makes You Wonder -

What if?

Ah! The universal question that puts a damper on pretty much anything you ever want to do.

How many childhood dreams and adventures have we all given up, not daring to follow through because of this very question sneaking its way into our eager, curious minds…either because someone planted it there or it just sort of weaved its way in somehow?

On the other hand…how many fantastic discoveries have been made because of this very question? Because someone took the fear out of it and put the wonder back in ‘What if’.

If you think about it, I’m sure you’ll trace pretty much every memorable experience, adventure or event that you can think of to a ‘What if’…either in a good, wouldn’t-have-missed-it-for-the-world way or a regretful, why-did-I-ever-listen-to-them-and-not-to-my-heart way.

As you turn the colorful pages of Ready for Anything by Keiko Kasza, with your child, you’ll discover together how easy it is to turn things around simply by asking a set of What if’s!

Buddies Raccoon and Duck are almost ready for a picnic when one of them comes up with some of the scariest situations that might ruin their day. Just when they decide that picnics are way too dangerous for them and opt to stay home hidden beneath the safety of their blankets, the other wonders…What if none of those horrible things were to happen? Instead what if all that’s in store for them is a beautiful day with a picnic-basket full of fun – just the way they had planned? Their enthusiasm returns as they visualize a wonderful day out and encouraged by pleasant thoughts, they do end up going on their picnic after all.

Things are going well until one of them realizes he’s forgotten a huge detail! But, luckily the other – is ready for anything.

Ready for Anything is a great book to read aloud with your child for many reasons. First of all, it’s interesting. It takes you into the workings of a child’s mind via the two friends in the book – one of whom is afraid horrible things might happen and the other imagines just the opposite. It’s not just a great read for kids, but a charming, simple reminder to us grown-ups to replace some of the negative What-ifs that prevent us from enjoying the lighter moments in life with a few positive ones. Camouflaged beneath the simple, child-friendly plot lie layers of sub-text reflecting how we think, why we don’t take risks and how by choosing to imagine the worst, we often miss out on the best. I love the way this book is designed and written to appeal to very little ones as well as to older children and parents who read to them. The illustrations capture the vivid details visualized by the two friends, bringing the characters and their worlds – real and imagined – alive.

Whether to encourage your child to try a new hobby or to alleviate her pre-school separation anxieties or just to enjoy a good read with her – Ready for Anything lives up to its title.

Additional activities to try with your child -
- Talk about a picnic your child would like to go on. Come up with a few What if’s together. (Try the same for any situation – first day of school, first swimming lesson, first weekend away from parents with a grandparent or relative)
- What does Raccoon bring to the picnic? How many can you/ your child remember without looking at the book?
- Think of a situation where each of those items may come in handy.
- Which of the ‘What if’s’ do you think really happened on their picnic? Whose version was closer to what actually took place?