Sophie and Sam

Sophie and Sam is written by Tori Cloud and based on her husband’s million-plus-selling book, Boundaries (written by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend).

Sophie and Sam are siblings learning when to say “Yes” and when to say “No.” The book is divided into several stories following these two mice and their friends. Told in rhyming verse, all the stories are easily relatable to children. Bible verses are given at the end of each chapter to reinforce the lessons learned. Here is a list of the chapters:

Say YES to Respect
Say NO to Arguing
Say YES to Thanking God
Say YES to Telling the Truth
Say YES to Sharing
Say NO to Whining
Say YES to Clean-up
Say NO to Meanies
Say YES to Following the Rules
Say YES to Manners

The illustrations by Becky Valentine are adorable. The characters are personal and emotion-filled. The colors are mostly pastel.

What I Like: Seldom does one book cover so many important topics! I like following the same characters as they encounter different situations. I also like that the stories are short, perfect for early readers or quick reminders in the middle of the day. My daughter loves this book; she will have me read several stories in one sitting.

What I Dislike: The rhyming is not perfect. Some spots are stretched or disjointed. Also, the conclusions come quickly. The author does a great job setting up the problem, but ends it in “Brady Bunch” fashion: everything tied up with very little explanation of why or how. I know we’re reading about mice, but I would prefer a more realistic ending to some of the stories.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 4-8

Publisher Info: Thomas Nelson, 2006; ISBN: 1591452996; Hardback; $14.99

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