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meredithink's review
5.0
A very touching book and a positive message children need to hear as a balance to all of the negativity they are seeing and hearing.
quietlyhermione's review
5.0
Beautiful. True and encouraging. 10yo noticed that the person who did bad things and changed was just a kid who stole an apple, not a true “bad guy.” Good observation.
lustrousowl's review
5.0
Great book to read to kids that explains there are some bad/grumpy/angry/mean people in the world but MOST PEOPLE are friendly and kind and want people to be happy. A good reminder for our world right now.
kstarthelibrarian's review
5.0
Recommended this book to a coworker’s family the day after I read it at home with my daughter. Totally useful, in these times and awaits, to help keep our kids (and ourselves) feeling assured.
librarybonanza's review
2.0
Like most people, most of this book is truly a jem but that one part about looking nicer when you smile or laugh is truly a miserable choice of words. A better phrasing could have said
"That person would almost always rather be happy, smiling, and laughing.
But it takes a kind gesture to make that person feel loved and appreciated."
gordiedev's review
3.0
Most People, written by Michael Leannah with illustrations by Jennifer E. Morris is an important book for today, when news about bad things happening reach the ears of children. In this book, the author emphasises that most people are positive, wanting to do good and be helpful, intending to make life enjoyable and be happy, but that there are people who are gloomy and unpleasant, sometimes choosing to do bad. The illustrations depict an harmonious society, not too negative for the young reader.
bookbatz's review
3.0
I was on board with this book for much of the text, I appreciated the inclusivity of the illustrations (people representing a wide variety of races, ages, physical abilities*, family-types, living situations, lifestyles, and hobbies). One passage really jumped out at me as misleading and unfortunate in a book designed for allaying fears about "bad people": "A person who is frowning and mad, or sad, or mean is like a sour grape in a bunch of sweet grapes...Everyone looks nicer when they smile and laugh." This sounds almost like it's encouraging kids to not display anger or sadness, which are both extremely valid emotions that we need to be guided in how to deal with as opposed to just hiding it or not feeling that way. It's a small thing, but it can have big impact if kids aren't getting other validation on how to deal with negative emotions.
*The book has an elderly woman using a cane as well as a younger woman with sunglasses and an assistance dog, but there is also a throw-away line about "Most people like to run and dance and play" which indicates that's what "good" people do with no acknowledgement that plenty of "good" people have disabilities that prevent them from doing those things and it doesn't take away from their goodness. I understand the point of the book is to talk about how good people outnumber bad, but it doesn't have to reinforce unfortunate stereotypes in the bargain.
*The book has an elderly woman using a cane as well as a younger woman with sunglasses and an assistance dog, but there is also a throw-away line about "Most people like to run and dance and play" which indicates that's what "good" people do with no acknowledgement that plenty of "good" people have disabilities that prevent them from doing those things and it doesn't take away from their goodness. I understand the point of the book is to talk about how good people outnumber bad, but it doesn't have to reinforce unfortunate stereotypes in the bargain.
meaghunt's review
3.0
Five-star illustrations with 1.5-star copy. I'm not sure "most people" can be categorized into a bucket of "good people" or "bad people." While this book tries to explain the gray area, I think it does a disservice to young readers by encouraging them that most people are "very good," and even those who aren't wish they were.
I think young readers understand nuance more than we credit them for, but this book doesn't rise to meet their complex questions and thinking.
I think young readers understand nuance more than we credit them for, but this book doesn't rise to meet their complex questions and thinking.