What Do You Do with a Problem? by Kobi Yamaha

Recently my students are bringing picture books from home and asking me to read them to the class. I love when they share a snippet of their home book collection with us. Last week I don't think my student realized how much I needed the book she brought.

What Do You Do with a Problem? by Kobi Yamaha and illustrated by Mae Besom is in our classroom library and I hadn't read it to the class yet and I don't know why. It would be a great book to read earlier in the year for our community to refer back to when problems arise.

I love the main character and the honest sharing for the worries that come with a problem. As we think about worries they grow and spread to new worries; this text explains all of this in a natural way and the illustrations softly show worries and how they expand.

My favorite lines in this book are...

"My problem held an opportunity!

It was an opportunity for me to learn and to grow. To be brave. To do something."

I think the idea of problems being viewed as an opportunity is one our students can navigate with help and an idea I'm currently pondering myself. This book is just what I needed and reminded me when we recommend books to others we can't plan the full impact a story may have on another person.