This or That: A Story about Choosing

A funny, instructive story about making decisions
Alexander can’t decide on a Halloween costume, so he winds up as a pumpkin; he can’t decide what to wear to school, so he misses the bus; he can’t decide what school lunch to eat, so he winds up with tuna casserole.
Alexander’s breakthrough comes on his birthday, when he asks for a sundae with everything but then realizes that chocolate swirl is all he wants. After that, Alexander finds his own decision-making style: not as deliberate as his mother or as quick to decide as his father, but somewhere in between. And when he tells his mom he wants a baby brother, he learns that sometimes “you get what you get, and that can be OK too.” full color\nFrom School Library Journal\nK-Gr 2-Making a decision is not always an easy task, but it is especially hard for young Alexander Levine, a white boy and only child. Whether it is picking out clothes for the day, snacks for the movie, or his Halloween costume, difficulty making up his mind is starting to cause some problems for Alexander, like being late for the bus or having to wear a sweater he despises. Even when his mom encourages him to try out every option or his dad suggests that he just make quick decisions, it doesn't get any easier. But when Alexander gets to choose what the family would do for their Saturday outing, he learns that making choices is as easy as considering what he knows and making the best decision possible, even if it isn't the right one in the end. Alexander's indecisiveness puts him in some funny situations, which are amplified by the comical and colorful illustrations. But with the lesson taking center stage, this story is sometimes contrived; Andrew has a simple epiphany after ordering a sundae with all of the ice cream flavors, and his future decision-making process goes smoother. Although it might not be a natural choice for story time, this book might be useful for a whole group lesson or as a social story for an individual or small group. VERDICT Consider this as an additional purchase for collections looking for supplemental SEL materials.-Louie Lauerα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.