Children can do everything!

 Author: Allan Ahlberg

 Illustrator: Colin McNaughton

 Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton, 1985 in Sydney

 First Published: Walker Books, 1985 in London 

 Review by María Cecilia Morilla

             “So Can I” is a short book that has a delightful and simple way to show that every child is able to do everything. Allan Ahlberg has worked with the illustrator Colin McNaughton on a number of books and they both have the amazing ability to integrate each other’s work very well. The colourful and non-complex pictures enhance the short simple sentences and repetitive structures on each page. And they are really useful for teachers to work with children in their classes.

            As soon as the book starts, there is a picture of a girl brushing her teeth and a corresponding sentence about what that girl can do. It simply says “I can brush my teeth”. On the following page there is a picture of a crocodile brushing its teeth and saying “So can I!”.  Pictures of the same girl doing different habitual actions go on appearing with their corresponding sentences. And so do different animals saying that they can also do those actions. Lastly, the girl lists all the things that she can do and an octopus appears doing them altogether and saying “So can I!”. As it can be seen, not only the repetition of the same structure but also the introduction of some habitual actions are presented in a rhythmic and funny way, in order to make little children acquire that new vocabulary very easily. Teachers can also work with the names of the animals and their descriptions while reading this book, as well as asking for predictions throughout the story. But as mentioned above, the value of self-confidence is a crucial issue to work with little children in the class. Reading this book repeatedly in many classes will allow teachers to encourage their students to show their abilities. In consequence, the children will feel free and confident enough to do more things day after day.

            So I highly recommend this book to be on the school shelf and use it many times because its didactic potential is really broad enough. Remember that no sooner is this book read than children will be captivated by the rhythm it shows specially through the repetition of that amusing structure. And moreover, the well-drawn expressive animals will make children keep their eyes on the pictures. What is more, this book will also help teachers to have more self-confident children, and I could assure that those children will be anxious to show a new ability every class!