The New York Times Book Review - Pamela Paul
Fashioned as a motivational manual…this humorous book shows children how to turn the tables in their favor.
How to Negotiate Everything
by Lisa Lutz, Jaime Temairik (Illustrator)There’ll be no more hearing “no” after this clever picture book teaches you how to get everything you want.
Have you ever wanted something and been told “No”? Then this is the book for you. Through several simple steps, you will learn the best way to ask for what you want, how to ask for more of what you want, and the
Editorial Reviews
Publishers Weekly
“There are very few things in life that you can’t get if you ask for them in a rational manner and offer something in return,” asserts Lutz in this story derived from her Spellman books for adults. “Author” David Spellman is a lawyer in that series, and the text and some artwork in this picture book appeared in 2012’s Trail of the Spellmans. With a child named Sammy as her example, Lutz shows readers how to eschew tantrums, manage expectations, and move Mom from “No” to “We’ll see” (readers are reminded that this phrase is “not binding”) to acquiescence. Temairik’s digital drawings tend toward the literal, though there are some clever moments (Sammy stands in an ankle-deep pool of tears in his initial tantrum, and various inside jokes and puns are tucked into the art). Lutz ignores her own advice and overreaches for a funny ending (Sammy negotiates his way to the presidency so he can get a pet elephant), but much of what’s in these pages hits the right notes of wit, nuance, and sophistication for an audience with a burgeoning sense of confidence. Ages 4–8. (May)Children's Literature - Claudia Mills
Well, almost everything. If you really want that pet elephant, you might have to settle for a turtle—for now, at least. But you can probably get yourself new shoes, junk food treats, and more television time if you substitute rational strategies for emotional tantrums and follow the negotiation guidelines amusingly presented here: be polite, compromise on inessentials, do not overreach, and make sure that you actually close the deal ("Okay, if you eat all your vegetables, except the broccoli, we will get ice cream after dinner"). While the book has a subversive flavor of whispering secrets to little kids behind their clueless parents' backs, the advice it presents about negotiating your way to success is indeed reasonable and likely to pay off in allowing young readers to get more of what they want in life with less family-stressing conflict along the way. The book fails to make good on its promise that "You CAN get everything you want," but it is probably true that "there are very few things in life you can't get if you ask for them in a rational manner and offer something in return." Sound life-coaching advice combines with abundant humor for a win-win package for parents and children alike. Reviewer: Claudia Mills, Ph.D.Kirkus Reviews
Temper tantrums no longer working? "There are very few things in life that you can't get if you ask for them in a rational manner and offer something in return." Giving one of her fictional characters both the narrative voice and lead author credit, Lutz extracts canny principles from her adult novel Trail of the Spellmans (2011) that guide a lad named Sammy in dickering for ice cream and then a pet. Illustrated in large, simply drawn cartoons (some of which are drawn from the same source as the text), the negotiations demonstrate the sort of give-and-take required to reach an accommodation. These are embellished with side notes about managing expectations, sealing the deal ("The phrase ‘We'll see' is not binding"), setting realistic goals, the hazards of getting too aggressive and the value of persistence. This last is of particular importance if the chosen pet is, for instance, an elephant. The closing glossary both reinforces previously made guidelines and adds more: "Find out what your mark's weakness is (quiet, candy, wine, elephants) and you've got your negotiation in the bag." Firmly tongue in cheek, but even less sophisticated readers (and parents) should find these elemental suggestions helpful in getting to yes. (Picture book. 6-9, adult)Product Details
- ISBN-13:
- 9781442451193
- Publisher:
- Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
- Publication date:
- 05/21/2013
- Edition description:
- Reprint
- Pages:
- 32
- Sales rank:
- 906,165
- Product dimensions:
- 8.60(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.40(d)
- Age Range:
- 4 - 8 Years
Meet the Author
David Spellman is a lawyer, a stay-at-home dad, and a fictional character invented by Lisa Lutz.
Lisa Lutz is the author of the Spellman series of comedic novels about a family of private investigators, beginning with The Spellman Files. She is a fictional character invented by Jaime Temairik.
Jaime Temairik is an illustrator in Seattle. How to Negotiate Everything is her first picture book. She is a fictional character created by Sammy’s elephant.
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