Review - Go Out and Play

Go Out and Play
by Adam Ciccio
illustrated by Katrien Benaets
Date: 2021
Publisher: Clavis
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

A cheerful and imaginative book that invites everyone to go outside. For adventurers ages 5 years and up.

The clouds are gone and the sun is out. It’s time to put the phones away and enjoy the sunshine before the sun goes down. There are so many things to explore outside. Play soccer, skateboard, or find new bugs! What will you do with your time outside?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

While I really appreciate the premise of this book, I'm not loving the execution.

Part of that is the way the book is written, in rhyme, but without any discernible metre.

Another part of that is the illustrations, which seem a bit uneven. On some pages, the little badger and his friends are adorable. On others, they look a little creepy.

The message about turning off screens and doing other stuff is great. No complaint there. Check out The Couch Potato by Jory John and Pete Oswald for another example of the "get your butt outside" premise for kids. We need more books that encourage offline activities.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: 1/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.43 out of 5