Tayra is starting school and she is extremely shy. She doesn't talk to anyone, but wants to fit in. Originally the children thought she was being mean and ignoring them, but it doesn't take long for the other children to learn that there are other ways to communicate besides talking, such as gestures, expressions, drawings, and with our hands. They make Tayra feel welcome and they are all friends. This story teaches children about emotions, compassion, friendship and belonging. The story is told in rhyme and had a great cadence to read. My grandchildren kept wanting to know why Tayra wouldn't talk, and it wasn't really told in the story, so I just said she was afraid and shy. Children want to know why, which is normal at that age. Everyone has different reactions to strange situations and nervousness, so we talked a little about that. This is a good story to open those discussions, and would be good to use in a classroom.

This feels like a book with a fairly narrow use case. It certainly encourages empathy in young children.

Tayra’s Not Talking by Lana Button is good book. Tayra’s Not Talking tells the story of Tayra who going to a new school, but she refused to talk to people. Her classmates and teachers are welcoming to her and don’t give up in hopes that Tayra will starts talking. While this book was good, I felt like a lot more information of the story was missing to make it an excellent book (like maybe explaining better why Tayra was quiet—does she have a disability?). Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This is an important kids book! love how they explain everything and would have loved a book like this as a kid. my best friend refused to talk until well into 2nd grade and a book like this would have been a big help for her and other kids to get why she didn't talk.

Tayra is the new girl in class, yet she doesn't talk. Is she deaf? I don't think so. But some people choose not to talk much, and we have to appreciate them for being themselves. It is not wrong, and we have to accept them and befriend them. This is what the author wants to convey to her little readers. A good book to have that reminds me to be kind to others.

There's a new student at school today--but why doesn't she talk? Tayra is non-verbal and at first the other kids are confused and suspicious. But, with some encouragement from the teacher, they learn to empathize and look for new ways to connect.

This is so, so sweet and uplifting! The students' reaction to Tayra is nicely balanced. They don't understand and begin to assume the worst, but are easily coached to being kind, accepting, and inclusive. The book doesn't bother with explaining exactly why Tayra doesn't talk, which is great because the point is accepting people as they are and for what they CAN do. And Tayra has lots to share. This would be a wonderful addition to preschool and elementary school and classroom libraries and I can't wait to read it in class!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Introverts rejoice, here is a story just for you. Powers has crafted a tale celebrating the quiet, shy person inside of us.

Many children are shy and quiet. When they are not outgoing or social butterflies, adults can often worry or think that something is wrong. Sometimes children can wonder themselves about why they are different from other kids. But it is okay to be quiet and there is nothing wrong with it. It is a tale about embracing your inner odd duck, your own unique way of experiencing the world, and being okay with being on your own. It teaches us that quiet is okay, and that quiet is its own kind of strength.

The main character might be quiet on the outside, but on the inside, her imagination is loud and wild and vivid. She is curious and is able to see the world differently. There are so many different ways to communicate and just because someone doesn’t talk, doesn’t mean they don’t have a voice.

Beautifully illustrated, this book is a wonderful homage to the quiet ones.

Tayra is new in school and she's not saying a single word. Her classmates keep asking her questions, they even try speaking LOUDER and it really doesn't work. Things get a little rough for a bit, but their teacher reminds them that sometimes people don't feel ready to talk, and instead of listening to what they say with their words, perhaps the students should use their eyes to see what Tayra says with her actions.

My little reviewer (age 5) really loved this book. They are also sometimes a bit shy and overwhelmed, and don't appreciate it when people try to get them to talk when they're not ready. So seeing that Tayra was able to communicate with her friends without words was very neat for her. I'd recommend this to every single preschool and early elementary school teacher, because I think it's super important. Highly, highly, recommend!

<spoiler> At the end of the book, Tayra doesn't magically start speaking. She says nothing throughout the whole book, and I think that might be the most important lesson that this book imparts to kiddos. Because not everything is "fixed" by the end of the book and sometimes people can't or won't talk, for a myriad of reasons. </spoiler>

A huge thank you to the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars

This was such a good book about understanding differences, and accepting people for who they are! Ronan definitely enjoyed this one, as did I. The story was cute and important, and the pictures were adorable and inviting. I appreciated that Tayra never "found her voice" in this story, and how it showed the other ways in which she communicated. As a mother to a shy child, it's so important for them to know they don't have to be forced to talk if they're not ready. And as special education teacher, it's great to see acceptance and awareness around children who may be non verbal and never talk, which is 100% okay. Overall, this was a great story with a subject matter I don't see addressed enough in children's books!

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 Kids Can Press for a digital copy of this book! This book is due for publication 6/7/22.

💙 Mommy (@𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐦𝐨𝐦) and Ronan (@𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐤𝐢𝐝) approved ✅

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒎𝒂𝒛𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒚!

I fully expected Tayra to "find her voice" at the end, and I fully appreciate that she didn't, as some children never do. Those children still deserve respect, friendship, and kindness, and this book does a great job at emphasizing that message. I will be purchasing this for my library, as this kind of disability awareness is lacking on my shelves. However, I wish picture books would address serious topics like this with real people, rather than anthropomorphized animals.

This is an important book that teaches children about compassion, patience, acceptance, and understanding. At the beginning of the story, the other children think that there’s something wrong with Tayra and that’s why she’s not talking. Through the help of the teacher and a kitten friend, the children learn that Tayra communicates just fine through gestures, pictures, and actions. They learn to understand and communicate with her.

It seems as if Tayra is either very shy or has selective mutism or autism. My 4-year-old twin daughters enjoyed this book and the bright illustrations, and identified with the kitty friend who advocated for Tayra. As the parent of a young differently abled child, I appreciate books like this that help teach young children how to be more understanding and inclusive.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for thus digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Tayra's Not Talking" is the sweetest little book. Tayra doesn't talk and it confuses the other kids in school. They aren't sure if she can't hear them or if she is just being rude. This puts the children off at first but then they realize that they can still have fun and play with Tayra even if she isn't talking. This book is a great way to show kids that nonverbal children are not weird and that our differences can be celebrated instead of made fun of. No matter what differences or disabilities a child has, there is always a way to adapt and still make friends and have fun together. Communication doesn't always have to be verbal. I think this a great book for children just starting school to learn that we are all different in some way and that's ok.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a preview of this book for free.

As a toddler teacher, this book include very important moments for young children. I enjoyed the demonstrations of the children helping the new student even though she wasn't talking to them. They continued to show kindness to her, even though they were confused on her behavior.

It's extremely important to show that all children aren't going to always communicate through words. Children can be shy but also develop at different paces. Even in a classroom of all the same ages some children can be delayed. It was great that she got to communicate in other ways and her classmates accepted her as a new friend.

This is a story of a young girl who does not speak and the reactions and acceptance her classmates develop as they get to know her. I’m not sure if the main character is intended to have a disability such as autism or selective mutism, but I believe this book is trying to teach young children that all classmates are worth getting to know and we are each special and unique. I think the book is set in a preschool or kindergarten class, so I would recommend this book for children ages 3-6 or so. I think my grade 3/4 students might think it is more for younger students because of the look of the classroom in the story. Books about inclusion are so important and as young children begin to understand that there are others who are different, it will be important to have books like these ones to help them see that we are all different and that’s a good thing!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

Tayra is a new student, who chooses not to talk. The students try talking louder, Then the student pushes another. The teacher explains that they need to give her time. That maybe she if overwhelmed. The students find that there other ways to communicate with Tayra.

I really loved this book. I have a selectively mute student this year and would love to have read it at the beginning of the year. I really appreciate that the book didn't end with Tayra talking. I am finding that it could take a long time for a SM to talk or he/she might not at all.

This is a must buy for anyone with a SM student or even one with differences.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for a free digital copy.

Tayra is a new kid at school who doesn't talk and at first that seems weird, but the other kids learn what it means to adapt and be a friend. Lovely illustrations and a story with a wonderful message for kids and adults alike.

What a lovely book! I loved the message of patiences and problem solving. The kids weren't able to use just words to communicate so they communicated with actions. The illustrations were beautiful lesson was clear.

Starting a new class at school can have different emotions. Classmates can be excited about making a new friend however, when Tayra has her first day, she is very quiet. Her classmates ask her many questions, but Tayra is not saying a word. The teacher helps Tayra and her classmates see a new perspective and Tayra is able to express her emotions in a safe way.

Tayra may be your young student or maybe the other classmates. Exuberant and loud. Tayra's helps others see that we may be different in how we express and help each other feel safe. The illustrations and characters bring out a needed advocate for those that are shy! Highly recommend.

A special thank you to Kid's Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

With beautiful illustrations done by Christine Battuz, Lana Button introduces Tayra, a new student, trying to make her way in the world which has become comfortably familiar to her other classmates. She is misunderstood & the other children around her are quick to accuse her of being less than kind when her doesn’t behave in the ways in which they were taught are wrong from right.

What is most important to take away from this story is its ability to nuzzle itself into a variety of situations. Though this particular story takes place in the classroom, in an elementary school setting; meeting someone knew who approaches life in a different way than you is not uncommon. Whether we meet someone who giggles at the wrong time or whose facial expressions translate to something we might not have been accustomed to seeing in a particular setting or, if its as simple as come across someone who is experiencing something new, for the very first time; we all benefit from the patience & kindness that Tayra’s surroundings show her.

This book opens the discussion for younger audiences to explore how certain behaviours might be recognized as common or ‘appropriate’ for them, based on their upbringing, culture & environment but that people live lives that differ from theirs & should they meet someone who, at face value, might seem to be in the wrong, that it is beneficial for all to always act in kindness.

As we grow in this life we come to understand that neurology plays a greater role in our behaviours than what we might have been able to absorb or appreciate as children. Many people simply view reality through a different lens. Perhaps, Tayra isn’t just shy, perhaps she struggles with finding the ‘right’ words. Or, perhaps she is shy & only speaks when she really has something she feels, of great importance to say. That is the value of this short story. We are able to walk through the pages perhaps taking something different from each perspective. I think it’s important to sit with ourselves & understand our ways of approaching life, social interactions & what our reactions are to a variety of situations. By so doing we might be in a better state to sit with someone who is different than us, in whatever way, & be more able to hear what they are trying to say, even if they do not use words to communicate it with us.

My only qualm with this story was that the introduction felt as though there could have been an additional 1-2 pages that saw Tayra making her way into the school yard or illustrations of the other classmates noticing someone new. We jump into the storyline rather quickly & I felt as though something was missing. Otherwise, it’s a beautiful way of reminding us that different does not equate to bad just as familiar does not equate to good; behaviours are complex & revelatory should we have it in ourselves to be patient.


Thank you to NetGalley, Kids Can Press & Lana Button for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

#TayrasNotTalking #NetGalley

Thank you, Kids Can Press, for the advance reading copy.

The story is about a young bear who doesn't talk much in school. Everyone is worried about her.

But with time they get to know her and understand her better and accept her as she is.

I find this idea beautiful. Not every kid wants to talk all the time. They need to take their own time to adjust and get used to a new surrounding.

I find the illustration simple and easy to the eyes.