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The Creature of Habit Tries His Best

Part of A Creature of Habit Story

Author Jennifer E. Smith

Illustrated by Leo Espinosa

Hardcover

$18.99 US

RH Childrens Books | Random House Studio

10.19"W x 11.81"H x 0.4"D | 19 oz | 24 per carton

On sale Nov 19, 2024 | 40 Pages | 9780593434611

Age 4-8 years

Reading Level: Fountas & Pinnell M

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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.

Jennifer E. Smith is the bestselling author of nine books for young adults, including The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, both of which have been adapted for film. Her other titles include The Unsinkable Greta James and the picture book The Creature of Habit. She earned a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her work has been translated into thirty-three languages. She lives in Los Angeles. View titles by Jennifer E. Smith

Leo Espinosa is a New York Times bestselling illustrator and designer. His picture books include No More Naps by Chris Grabenstein; Islandborn by Junot Diaz, for which he was awarded a Pura Belpre illustrator award; and Goldfish on Vacation by Sally Lloyd-Jones. In addition, he has given multiple lectures and workshops at schools, such as Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute, and has served on the faculty of the Rhode Island School of Design. He is from Bogotá, Colombia. View titles by Leo Espinosa

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"Espinosa’s comic-style illustrations have.... an expressive flair that captures a range of emotions from frustration to triumphant glee. [A] great storytime pick." —Kirkus Reviews

"The message about a change in mindset to tackle a new skill versus needing to be perfect at it from the start is a good one.... Give this one to any kid who is daunted by the proverbial scraped knees in store for them once they try their hand at a new skill." —The Bulletin

Classroom Activities for The Creature of Habit Tries His Best

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

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