Sallie Bee Writes a Thank-You Note
by Courtney Sheinmel and Susan Verde ; illus. by Heather Ross
Primary    Abrams    32 pp.       g
11/22     978-1-4197-4960-5     $17.99
e-book ed.  978-1-64700-864-2    $15.54

Sallie Bee, a little girl with bee-shaped clips in her hair, is surprised to receive a present one day in the mail—a yellow scarf with black stripes accompanied by a note from her grandmother. She immediately wants to text Grandma Bee to thank her, but Mom is using the phone. Sallie Bee decides to put her thoughts on paper so she won’t forget, including “I love my new scarf. It has two of my most favorite colors.” By the time she’s done, she has written a full thank-you note, so instead of texting, she and her mother put the note in the mail. Sallie Bee enjoys the process so much that she begins finding people to whom she can express appreciation, such as the crossing guard and a friend who lends her an umbrella, and she writes a note to someone each day. Ross’s pencil, paint, and digital illustrations use bright colors with expressive lines against white pages with words incorporated into the pictures—all of which make the task of writing thank-you notes look like fun, not work. More importantly, this is not a book about manners; it is a very upbeat demonstration of the satisfaction to be found in noticing others’ helpfulness and expressing gratitude for it.

From the November/December 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.