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The Creature of Habit Tries His Best

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
The Creature of Habit is back in this humorous picture book that tackles a perennial challenge for every kid – learning to ride a bike! This story celebrates the power of persistence and reminds us that sometimes, it's not about being the best but about giving it your best try!
On the island of Habit, there lived a very big creature who was about to go on the ride of his life!
While he’d recently learned to try new things, the very big creature had also learned that he wasn’t always very good at everything. It turned out trying was hard! The kind of hard that made him stomp his feet and roar his biggest roar . . . and sometimes even feel like quitting. And learning to ride a bike? That was really hard—every time he tried, he wobbled and fell right off.
But the very big creature wouldn’t give up. He might not ever be the best at riding a bike, but maybe—just maybe—he could be the best at trying to ride one. After all, trying was a lot like sticking with something—and he was already an expert at that!
Charming and vibrantly illustrated by award-winning artist Leo Espinosa, Jennifer E. Smith’s picture book about a character with big feelings tackles the ups and downs of learning something new with humor, reminding readers to take pride in each effort to try again — big or small.
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    • Kirkus

      September 1, 2024
      The titular character, introduced inThe Creature of Habit (2021), returns for a lesson in perseverance. Clever wordplay immediately elevates Smith's story beyond mere moralizing about the value of a growth mindset: "Habit" is the name of a tropical island, home to the eponymous creature, a large, rabbitlike being who prefers the tried-and-true to the new and unfamiliar. A "very small creature," a bespectacled blue sphere with skinny limbs, encourages the very big creature to stretch himself, first by finding a way for the two of them to leave the island for a snowy place with "trees shaped like triangles. And rocks covered in moss. And snow that [falls] from the sky like dust, like magic, like stars." Here, the very small creature excels at trying new things, such as climbing trees and riding a bicycle. The very big creature struggles and fails to do the same, much to his disappointment, but a shift in his thinking makes all the difference. The very big creature soon realizes that attempting to be the best is fruitless; it's better to try to be the best attrying. Throughout, Espinosa's comic-style illustrations have a retro feel that will appeal to fans of Zachariah Ohora and Bob Shea, with an expressive flair that captures a range of emotions from frustration to triumphant glee. Try your best to find this great storytime pick.(Picture book. 3-6)

      COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • The Horn Book

      January 1, 2025
      In this companion to The Creature of Habit, the titular large white rabbit-like being and his "very small creature" friend, a blue puff with green-tinted glasses, make a newspaper sailboat ("sort of") and set off from the tropical island of Habit. They arrive in a place filled with triangle-shaped trees, moss-covered rocks, and snow that falls "from the sky like dust, like magic, like stars." In this new land, the possibilities seem endless. The big creature attempts to climb trees (his small friend does it effortlessly) and to make daisy chains and snowballs, but "he couldn't do it." When he sees his pal zipping around on a bike, however, he decides he has to learn how to ride. With his friend's encouragement, he doesn't give up despite many, many failed attempts. Eventually our protagonist has slow, wobbly success, and that night he dreams about "being the best at trying to ride a bike." Espinosa's comical digital illustrations enhance Smith's funny, warmhearted story about a character who concludes that "maybe trying wasn't so different from sticking with something." Emily Reid Green

      (Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

    • The Horn Book

      January 1, 2025
      In this companion to The Creature of Habit, the titular large white rabbit-like being and his "very small creature" friend, a blue puff with green-tinted glasses, make a newspaper sailboat ("sort of") and set off from the tropical island of Habit. They arrive in a place filled with triangle-shaped trees, moss-covered rocks, and snow that falls "from the sky like dust, like magic, like stars." In this new land, the possibilities seem endless. The big creature attempts to climb trees (his small friend does it effortlessly) and to make daisy chains and snowballs, but "he couldn't do it." When he sees his pal zipping around on a bike, however, he decides he has to learn how to ride. With his friend's encouragement, he doesn't give up despite many, many failed attempts. Eventually our protagonist has slow, wobbly success, and that night he dreams about "being the best at trying to ride a bike." Espinosa's comical digital illustrations enhance Smith's funny, warmhearted story about a character who concludes that "maybe trying wasn't so different from sticking with something."

      (Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

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  • OverDrive Read

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  • English

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