About the Book:
Title: This is (Not) Enough
Author: Anna Kang
Illustrator: Christopher Weyant
Pub. Date: March 1, 2022
Beagles and Books is excited to be part of the blog tour for This Is (Not) Enough published by Two Lions/Amazon Publishing. Special thanks to the publisher and Barbara Fisch of Blue Slip Media for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review:
In the sixth book in Kang’s and Weyant’s You Are (Not) Small series, the bear friends explore the life lesson of gift giving. Each bear is on the hunt for the perfect gift. The brown bear wants to find a gift that is cool, fun, big and wow. The purple bear wants a gift that is one of a kind, warm, soft, and from the heart.
But each time one of the best friends boasts about their idea, the other second guesses their choice and worries that their gift is not enough.
The bears both go through great lengths to impress their each other. Will they finally decide on the perfect gift for their best friend?
I am a big fan of the You Are (Not) Small series because the stories are a wonderful vehicle for discussing topics like friendship, facing fears, self-regulation, sharing, and perspective with young children Kang’s concise and lively dialogue moves the plot along. Weyant’s bright illustrations fill up the page spreads and clearly and comically show the friends’ multitude of feelings (excited, nervous, sad, frustrated).
After reading I Am (Not) Enough to a kindergarten class, we discussed what the author and illustrator are teaching us about giving gifts to those we love. At first, kids focused on giving a gift that was big and fun, but then a student said “At the end, both bears made a gift for each other.” Then I asked the class, “What do you call a gift you make?” A child excitedly said “It is a gift from your hands.” Another child then shared “It’s from your heart AND your hands!” We wrapped up our discussion categorizing gifts from the heart and hands such as making a card rather than buying a card or drawing a picture instead of printing it from a computer. It is (Not) Enough is a sweet story reminding us that homemade gifts are the ones we most cherish.
About the Author & Illustrator:
Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant are the creators of Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small as well as series titles That’s (Not) Mine, I Am (Not) Scared, We Are (Not) Friends, and It Is (Not) Perfect. They also wrote and illustrated Christopher Award winner Eraser, Hudson and Tallulah Take Sides, Can I Tell You a Secret?, and Will You Help Me Fall Asleep? Christopher’s work can also be seen in The New Yorker and the Boston Globe and his cartoons are syndicated worldwide. This husband-and-wife team lives in New Jersey with their two daughters and their dog, Hudson. Visit them at www.annakang.com and www.christopherweyant.com.
Twitter: @annakang27 @ChristophWeyant
Instagram: annakangbooks; christopherweyant
Facebook: Anna Kang – Author; Christopher Weyant
Beagles & Books 
Bella looks like she enjoyed the book:-) I can’t wait to read it and discover what the final bear gifts were!
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