Book Review: The Magical Yet

Reading to children is wonderful for so many reasons. It helps build language skills. It strengthens the bond between parent and child. And it can teach valuable life lessons.

Psychologist, Alfred Bandura introduced the concept of social learning theory in 1971 and it is still relevant today. Children learn through imitation and modeling. Monkey see, monkey do. This can be great (I say thank you, child says thank you) or embarrassing (I curse, child curses). Just as we can influence their behaviors and thoughts through our actions, fictional characters are valuable sources of instruction too. This can be in the form of a book, television show, movie, or game.

Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger, Bluey are all examples of television shows that effectively teach children empathy, emotion regulation, and conflict resolution through likable, relatable characters. But let's not overlook the power of books.

The Magical Yet, by Angela DiTerlizzi, is an excellent book choice for children who struggle with perfectionism. When faced with a difficult task, the perfectionist is (1) quick to be hard on herself (2) feel like she's the only one who isn't good at it (3) inclined to give up.

As those uncomfortable feelings arise and the inner critic awakens, kids need to know how to and why to keep at it. In this book children see a kid much like themselves, struggling to ride a bike for the first time. There's falling and crashing and it seems impossible, until she discovers the Magical Yet. We learn that everyone has a unique little Magical creature, called Yet, who is always there to remind us we can and will be able to do it, whatever the hard thing is, we just can't do it YET.

She writes, the Yet "doesn't mind warm ups, fixes, and flops, do-overs, re-dos, stumbles and stops." My kids have an incredible swim instructor who uses this word "yet" and I was thrilled to find a book that reinforces this concept. The author uses rhymes in a way that adds charm to the story and keeps the reader engaged. Illustrations are beautiful and she shares many instances when the Magical Yet can help soothe that worry and fear and keep you moving toward your goals.

Her book also shows other kids struggling with similar frustrations and disappointments. In the practice of self compassion this is called common humanity. Understanding that we are not alone in these feelings and experiences helps us let go of that dreadful, what is wrong with me mindset.

Remember, perfectionism is not a bad thing. It is a common personality trait that can lead to bad feelings and undesirable behaviors. YET, with early identification and the right tools, parents can help reduce those negative tendencies. The power of Yet is inside us all, you just have to believe.