Margo Thinks Twice

Thank you to Netgalley,the author and publisher for this digital ARC for a honest review.

This story is about Margo, and expressive but rather worried little girl. When her mother gives her gentle warnings to try and keep her safe Margo's imagination thinks up scenarios that start to make her just a bit too cautious. My daughter seemed to really identify with the character and it did make me think of all the warnings I give her all the time. It's a wonder I don't have a 5 year old having a nervous breakdown! The story ends with the purchase of a dog who initially worries Margo (like everything) but we see her at the end happily rolling around and seemingly less worried. Whilst the message is sometimes a little muddled it's still a book to make both a parent think about what they say, and how we can worry ourselves and our children, and also a nice way of communicating to children that everyone can feel anxious.

Margo is an extremely imaginative young lady. Her only problem is that her imagination has turned her thinking into major worries. When her mom reminds her of something such as "be careful not to use too much glue" Margo stops doing crafts because she envisions herself glued to everything, including the furniture, in the room. Mom decides that Margo needs something to help her with her worries. When they go to the mall and visit the pet store, Margo's imagination turns all the animals into ferocious beasts. When she gets a sloppy kiss, she realizes it is just a dog that is big and probably clumsy and messy. "He will fit right in" says her mom. Hopefully the new dog will help her deal with her worries.

The illustrations are very colourful and full of detail. The various facial expressions shown on Margo's face while her imagination works overtime are priceless. I like the idea of this book. Children worry and sometimes blow things out of proportion and a read aloud of this book will help them see how silly Margo's worries really were, but without that kind of discussion, I am not sure if children will understand the message. The story is very fun to read regardless.