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Book Resume
for When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni and Peter H. Reynolds
Professional book information and credentials for When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left.
- School Library Journal:
- K - Grade 3
- Publisher's Weekly:
- Ages 4 - 8
- Kirkus:
- Ages 6 - 11
- TeachingBooks:*
- Grades PK-2
- Lexile Level:
- 500L
- Genre:
- Picture Book
- Year Published:
- 2023
14 Subject Headings
The following 14 subject headings were determined by the U.S. Library of Congress and the Book Industry Study Group (BISAC) to reveal themes from the content of this book (When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left).
- Estime de soi--Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse
- JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Emotions & Feelings
- Change
- Resilience (Personality trait)--Juvenile fiction
- Resilience (Personality trait)
- Change--Fiction
- JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
- Re?silience (Trait de personnalite?)--Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse
- Changement (Philosophie)--Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse
- Change--Juvenile fiction
- Resilience--Fiction
- Self-esteem--Juvenile fiction
- Self-esteem--Fiction
- Self-esteem
3 Full Professional Reviews
The following unabridged reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers. Reviews may be used for educational purposes consistent with the fair use doctrine in your jurisdiction, and may not be reproduced or repurposed without permission from the rights holders.
Note: This section may include reviews for related titles (e.g., same author, series, or related edition).
From School Library Journal
May 1, 2023
K-Gr 3-Colagiovanni's affable journey will make children into orators: "When life's burdens start to feel too heavy... don't be afraid to put them down for a while." When nothing is going right for the main character, he decides to go left. Along the way he leaves behind his worries, doubts, fears, and frustrations. The more he leaves behind, the lighter and more confident he feels, taking on a high-dive challenge and finding that he can carry those old worries and doubts but he won't let them best him. Reynolds's iconic style features bold lines and clear images, all finished off in soft watercolors. The look of handwritten messages across the pages tells children just which words to emphasize and which ones to whisper, making this a perfect book for practicing read-aloud skills. VERDICT Although the message is simple, it's solid, and the collaborators give it appeal for all ages needing an inspiring story of strength, confidence, and perseverance.-Heidi Dechief
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
From Publisher's Weekly
April 24, 2023
Resilience and optimism win the day�"and the long game�"in an encouraging fable about finding one's way. One gloomy, rainy day, when "Absolutely, positively, NOTHING was going right," a young protagonist loaded down with baggage opts for a course correction, explaining: "So... I decided to go left." The child first leaves behind a crate full of worries�"fiery red gremlins who yell, "Where are you going?" Further down the line, the protagonist sheds a sack of bellowing green doubts and approaches a diving board that brings back memories of a
previous failed dive, where ditching more luggage eventually leads to exhilarating success. Heading home, the child's gradually retrieved bags boast quieter contents that, Colagiovanni writes, "weren't so hard to handle anymore." Scenes rendered in Reynolds's bold, loose lines introduce a protagonist with brown skin as well as a bird companion, who travel through pages with mottled backgrounds that moodily shift hue. It's a straightforward take on managing emotions that's just right for new grads. Ages 4�"8.
From Kirkus
January 15, 2023
A simple strategy for lightening the weight of worries, doubts, fears, and frustrations. For all that Reynolds depicts a young child (brown-skinned, with Afro-textured hair) walking along a road shedding bags and other luggage in the simply drawn illustrations, Colagiovanni's allegorical wordplay seems addressed more to audiences that are old enough to see their lives in abstract terms. "One day, for no particular reason, nothing was going right. Absolutely, positively, NOTHING was going right. So...I decided to go left." The decision alone allows a box full of worries--depicted as small, red monsters--to be left behind...followed by a bag of hairy green doubts and, at the bottom of a high-diving platform, both a suitcase of jagged orange fears and a backpack of beaky yellow frustrations yelling, "You can't do it!" and "Give up already!" But after taking the plunge and suddenly realizing that going left eventually made everything go right, the narrator discovers that all the embodied bugaboos have shrunk so much that it's easy to take them up again. Though it wraps up a bit neatly, those grappling with their own anxieties may find Colagiovanni's words of wisdom useful. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A little easy-peasy but not bad advice. (Picture book. 6-11)
COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
6 Selections for State & Provincial Recommended Reading Lists
When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left was selected by educational and library professionals to be included on the following state/provincial reading lists.
United States Lists (6)
California
Colorado
- Colorado Children's Book Award, 2024 -- Picture Books for Grades K-2
Iowa
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
Preview Digital Book
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This Book Resume for When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left is compiled from TeachingBooks, a library of professional resources about children's and young adult books. This page may be shared for educational purposes and must include copyright information. Reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers.
*Grade levels are determined by certified librarians utilizing editorial reviews and additional materials. Relevant age ranges vary depending on the learner, the setting, and the intended purpose of a book.
Retrieved from TeachingBooks on February 24, 2025. © 2001-2025 TeachingBooks.net, LLC. All rights reserved by rights holders.