The power of Yeti

When a rosy-cheeked "small-footed human" visits the park, he spies a gaggle of friends showing off their playground skills -- they are sports stars, reading machines, and even adept backwards-counters. Small-footed human, however, is more...human. Running to keep up with the pack, he trips over his shoelaces, forgets how to re-tie them, and totally loses his cool. His verbal frustrations summon an unlikely support team to his side: a Yeti and his close relations Sasquatch, Bigfoot, and the Abominable Snow Monster, all ready to help the protagonist back onto his feet with some friendly growth-mindset wisdom. With loosely drawn limbs and toothy grins, the fuzzy quartet bounds around the park demonstrating the punnily identified "Power of Yeti" -- as in, when asked to high-five a Sasquatch, remind yourself that you're "not tall enough...YETi!" The ambling cryptids assure their small-footed friend that their own skills -- in everything from basketball to ballet -- developed with time, practice, and persistence. Van Slyke's bubbly narrative and Karas's ever-smiling figures paint the acquisition of social-emotional skills in a perhaps-too-rosy glow, but the straightforward presentation makes for a practicable introduction that will make even the biggest and hairiest challenges seem more approachable. Jessica Tackett MacDonaldSeptember/October 2023 p.62 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A child builds confidence and skills alongside a Yeti. "Look at those feet! Those muscles! I wish I was like that!" A light-skinned child excitedly observes Yeti, Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Abominable Snow Monster as they romp in a grassy field. The legendary characters can lift giant boulders with gleeful ease, but the discouraged protagonist is still struggling to get the hang of shoelace-tying. Yeti offers to share "THE POWER OF YETI" with the young narrator. "Instead of 'I can't tie my shoes,' try saying 'I can't tie my shoes…YETi!' " The others agree, noting that the mantra helped them learn to ride a bike and jump-rope. After a brief shoe-tying lesson, the narrator tries…and…success! Chunky block lettering for exclamations, varied layouts, and action-focused illustrations of the other creatures using the power of YETi do double duty as entertainment and inspiration. Even though the big concepts about learning life skills and loving who you are come into play, the banter between the Yeti and the child is hilarious and effortless. Readers will start thinking about new talents to master and will be sure to adopt a positive learning mindset with Yeti on their side. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Equal parts silly and seriously motivating. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.