I’m in Charge! by Jeanne Willis - ADVISABLE

I’m in Charge! by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Jarvis. PICTURE BOOK. Nosy Crow (Candlewick Press), 2018. $17. 9781536202595

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A little rhino declares to everyone around him that he is the boss and won’t listen to what they say. The rhino hunkers down under a mango tree and won’t share the fruit with anyone. A mouse tries to warn him that a stampede is coming, but he can’t hear because he is too busy telling the mouse to stay away from the mangos. Rhino almost gets run over and concludes that the only thing he is in charge of is being good. 

I loved the final message of the book - being in charge of our own goodness. I thought this was an interesting angle to the story, but it came abruptly after the story. The story doesn’t really build on being in charge of being good, just on not being in charge of other people. The illustrations are bright and engaging.  

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher