I Can't Do That, YET: Growth Mindset

by Esther Pia Cordova, Maima Adiputri (Illustrator)

She’s too shy to try. Can a glimpse into the future give her the courage she craves?



Enna isn’t a queen of confidence. Struggling to believe in herself, the young girl is certain she doesn’t have what it takes to read during bedtime. But when she finally falls asleep, she’s greeted by a wonderful woman who’s incredibly familiar…



As the journey across her dreamscape shows her potential versions of herself, Enna is amazed at everything she’s learned how to do. But she knows all that growth won’t come free – it will take time, knowledge, and dedication.



Can Enna learn to tackle challenges with a smile?



In this indispensable tool for battling gender stereotypes and other hardships, author Esther Pia Cordova reveals mentalities that can hold kids of all kinds back. And by dismantling unhealthy thought processes, she encourages a bold new approach to living life to the fullest.



I Can’t Do That, YET is the inspiring first story in the Growth Mindset children’s picture book series. If you or your child like motivational fun, reworking negative patterns, and gorgeous visual learning, then you’ll love Esther Pia Cordova’s step forward.



Buy I Can’t Do That, YET to stand taller today!

Genres: Picture Books, Growth Mindset, Childrens, School, Realistic Fiction

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2017

About the author

Esther Cordova is an accomplished author with a passion for storytelling. Known for her captivating children's picture books, including the bestseller I Can't Do That, Yet, which has sold over 90,000 copies, she has delighted young readers with tales that inspire wonder and imagination.

Now, with her debut young adult dystopian novel, Convergence, she brings her unique voice to a new audience, blending gripping narratives with thought-provoking themes. Esther currently lives in Austin with her husband, son, and toy poodle, Baxter.

Reviews

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I Can't Do That, Yet: Growth Mindset", written and created by Esther Cordova is a beautifully produced picture book, full of colour and attractively aimed at girls up to around 12 years old.
Enna doesn't believe in herself and often says "I can't do that". However, after a dream one night, when she is shown several versions of her adult self and all the possible options open to her once she starts learning more at school, she wakes up and says "I can't do that, yet!"
This is such a positive book that is modern and up to date and is just perfect for young girls to help give them the confidence needed and the help in choosing which path to take in life.
Fantastic book and comes highly recommended.

5 stars

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the kids who cannot wait to grow up. Well, it would be a bit serious for the younger ones but yes, a whole lot of reality here.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enna is a young girl who always seems to focus on the things that she is unable to do, often saying that she can't do it when asked. After an amazing dream shows her the unlimited possibilities in store for her future self, however, Enna wakes with a confident smile as she realizes that although she cannot do it now, nothing is to stop her from being able to do it someday. It all depends on the choices Enna makes along the way.

I really loved the positive energy that this story seems to ooze in abundance. Most children have many self-doubts about what the future may bring, as well as doubting their own potential and talent. Esther Pia Cordova’s tale of a young girl with little to no self-belief, yet who emerges with an abundance of confidence about where her future might take her is one which brought a smile to my face. Too many children are not shown how great they can be if they are patient and believe in themselves, not placing any limitations on what they can or cannot do. Enna seeing herself in some of the most remarkable roles as an adult brings about a self-confidence which she has never before felt, and that confidence, in turn, radiated through me as I turned each page. Whether Enna becomes a nurse, a physicist or the head of her own company, the start of that journey is simply to believe, which is something that all children should be encouraged to do. I very much enjoyed I Can’t Do That Yet: Growth Mindset and wholeheartedly recommend it to children aged 4-12, so that they can explore the possibilities of what they might someday achieve in their own futures.

- Rosie Malezer for Reader’s Favorite

** CONGRATULATIONS on receiving BOOK OF THE MONTH for November, 2017.

Awarded Book of the Month, November 2017

[Richard Linville · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Power of Your Words

My granddaughter and I enjoyed reading this beautifully illustrated book. She identified with Emma and loved the imaginative story. We talked about the power of saying, "I can't do it, yet." Highly recommended.

[Mina · Rating 5 out of 5]

We loved it!!!!

This book inspired me and me want to do more things that I believe in. I loved it! Can’t wait to read it again

[Kimberly Wright Oelkers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teaching Social Emotional Learning (SEL) through Growth Mindset is my Jam! Thanks for the great book I can use with my students.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an important message, reminding readers that not knowing how to do something yet does not have to be permanent. There are lovely illustrations like manga characters done in watercolor.

It does read as if written by a non-native English speaker, and Enna looks a little older than you would expect for someone learning how to read. Those things are noticeable, but should not take too much away from the message.

[Sharon Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

It was a quick read and my little girl really loved it. She even said she would read it again.

[Mark Restaino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encouraging Dreams

I really enjoyed this story and the illustrations. It's a great book to give children dreams of what they could be. It also encourages the little steps that it takes to get there.

[Jacqueline Ridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Can’t Do That, YET follows young Enna’s bedtime routine, in which her father asks her to read the first page of a story. Without batting an eye, Enna replies, “I can’t do that.” That evening, a dream whisks her away to meet a woman who Enna cannot remember meeting but looks very familiar. The woman leads her through her office, pointing out her technical team and commenting on some examples of her work. Throughout the conversation, the woman refers to “we,” leaving Enna confused on who she could be talking about. When the woman asks Enna to step in and help, she again replies, “I can’t do that.” The woman reveals herself to be one possibility of Enna’s future self. She brings Enna through her path of knowledge and success, showing Enna what she can achieve if this is the future she wants. Before Enna leaves, the woman shows her a room filled with a variety of other possibilities of Enna’s adult self. Enna is whisked back out of her dream and back into her bed. With a new sense of empowerment, a shift in her mindset, and a clear image of what is possible, Enna eagerly wants to try to read the book again, commenting instead with, “I can’t do that, YET.”

I Can’t Do That, YET is an encouraging and enlivening narrative that empowers our children to change their mindset and to accept their true potential. Fostering our children’s outlook, mindset, and self-worth in early ages is key to creating a lifetime of success and happiness for our children. I Can’t Do That, YET strives to shift our children’s mindset from a fixed mindset (in which children believe that they are inherently either good or not good at something) to a growth mindset (in which children believe that they can be good at anything as abilities are directly related to actions). Many aspects of this book are exceptional in promoting the best for our children:

- Fixed and growth mindsets are certainly challenging concepts for anyone to grasp, including our early readers. I Can’t Do That, YET does an exceptional job illustrating how a small shift in mindset can have tremendous impacts. Even the youngest readers will be able to see how the added “yet” changes our beliefs on what is possible, opening the doors for true growth, development, and success.

- Unlike many books that explore the possibility of future careers, the main character, of course, is a female, and the possibilities displayed are unnamed: allowing children to take their innermost dreams and envision them as possible. By granting the children space to fill in the dots, they will find Enna more relatable and walk away with a greater impact from having read this book.
When Enna first comments how she cannot do something, her father does not meet her with hostility, disappointment, or frustration. By not emotionally pushing Enna to change her mindset and instead allowing her to explore her own desires independently, he is demonstrating open acceptance for his child, an essential step in harboring growth mindset. Enna and her father’s accepting relationship (of which it is apparent that her father believes that her success is driven by effort, not by an intrinsic ability) is solidified in the final scene, with Enna openly returning to him to try again. While this acceptance is certainly a small and underlying theme of the story, it allows parents to see their role in promoting a growth mindset: presenting our children with the space, encouragement, and example to grow.

- With such profound content, I expected I Can’t Do That, YET to be a bit dry or unengaging. Rather, with the help of incredible watercolor illustrations, the book is highly appealing to all readers with a fast moving plot that keeps readers turning pages.

I highly recommend it to you and your children.

[Barbara Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Format: Paperback
Enna appears to be a pre-teen who enjoys most activities. Bedtime is not one of them. While she does enjoy the story her father reads to her before bedtime, she is reluctant to accept his suggestion that she read the first page. She lacks self-confidence and tells him that she can't.

One day at bedtime, Enna falls asleep before the end of the story. She finds herself in a computer office with a person that looks strangely familiar. When Enna is left alone and entrusted with the task of finishing the job, she panics. The woman returns and informs Enna that she is a possible future vision of Anna. While Enna is unable to do these things yet, she might be able to do so at some time in the future.

The story continues with Enna being presented with many different possible roles for Enna's future such as a doctor, a police officer or a scientist. The door closes and Enna finds herself back in bed, but not before she realizes that all these possibilities are within her grasp. She resolves to try instead of saying, "I can't."

This picture book is appropriate for young elementary school children as well as beginning readers. Perfect choice for parents and teachers who want to build up confidence in children and encourage opening their horizons.

I received a copy of this book from the author and voluntarily agreed to read and review giving my honest opinions for no compensation.

[Ella May · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this beautifully illustrated story, we see Enna starting out thinking she can't do something. Luckily she meets her future self and she realizes that there may be many things she cannot do yet, but if she tries to do them, there is so much she can learn to do. I loved this idea of Enna meeting her future self, who happens to be a successful computer programmer/ entrepreneur. I loved the idea of showing several future possibilities even more. It gives readers a glimpse of the multiple opportunities out there for their own lives. My boys enjoyed the story, and it led to a conversation about the kind of things they might like to do in the future. I'm conscious of promoting a growth mindset in our house, so a resource like this is so helpful - my kids know it's not just me harping on about making an effort and trying out new activities even if you think you can't do them very well...YET!

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the concept of this beautifully illustrated book. There are very few picture books focused on growth mindset, yet it is a much needed topic of focus for children of all ages. My children (ages 6 and 8) enjoyed the book. My eight year old understood the moral of the story well but my six year old didn’t quite grasp it by herself.
The book gets five stars for forward thinking conceptualization and interesting illustrations.

The book reads a bit choppy and has some technical punctuation errors. It may have needed a few grammatical changes to make it more relatable and clear to children. However, the concept of the book is great.

*I was given a free copy of this book and this is my unbiased and honest review.

[Helen Ishmurzin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I can’t do that,” says Enna, when her Dad asks her to read the first page of her book at storytime. However, that night in a dream Enna meets a woman who looks strangely familiar, but knows all about complicated things like coding and servers.

In this empowering story, a young girl is confronted with all manner of possible versions of herself as an adult and shown what she will eventually be able to achieve with enough hard work and patience. It uses the concept of “growth mindset” to show the importance of the word “yet” in helping children to persevere.

The illustrations are vibrant and just detailed enough to bring the story to life without being overcrowded.

A recommended read to encourage young girls (or indeed boys) to reach for the stars!

[Regina Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about a young girl who is lacking confidence in her ability to gain new skills. She starts off by feeling like she couldn’t do certain things and that was just the end of it. She eventually comes around and realized that just because she is not capable of doing certain things yet, does not mean she can’t work hard to obtain a new skill. She learns that with hard work her possibilities are endless.
I enjoyed the story and found it to be encouraging. I think everyone can benefit from the reminder that you are capable of anything you are willing to out the hard work into. Children often jump to saying I can’t do that before they actually try it, and I can see this book actually encouraging students to try and actually put effort in before accepting defeat.

[Rebecca Alidre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! Kid approved!

My 8.5 yo 3rd grader loved this book! It got her motivated to work on school work today, which is no small feat! I keep reminding her that when she feels like she can't do something, that that's a YET, not a permanent thing, and that she should try before deciding she can't. Great story, and she was so excited to catch the plot twist right before it revealed itself. :-) We will definitely be reading the other books!
My only issue is that it was a really big struggle to read on a tablet/phone. Couldn't see the entire pages. Had to read on a laptop, instead. I'm not sure what the problem is with it, though, whether it's the book, the app, or what.

[Mattison Churchwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an adorable book! I think this would be a great book to read in a classroom for many reasons. To begin, this book shows that we all have the potential to be many things. Our future isn't already decided for us, but instead, we get to make the decision of what we want to do in life. I also like that this book can show students that they may not be able to do something now, but that doesn't mean with hard work they will never be able to do it. As the title says, this book is about a growth mindset which is always important to teach students.

[Mackenzie Dunagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book “I can’t do that, YET” is an AMAZING book to read students in the beginning of the school year. This is a chapter book about a young girl who realizes that she can’t do a lot of thing. She then realizes that if she rephrases the sentence into “I can’t do that YET” she becomes motivated and has an open mind about more things. I would read this book at the beginning of the year in order to set a baseline for the year so my students know they are not allowed to use the words “I can’t”. Throughout the year I would use this phrase to motivate my students.

[Chloe Goodman]

Many children and adults use the phrase, "I can't do that" in day to day conversation. This mindset can get into the heads of people and cause them to doubt their own capabilities. However, in I Can't Do That, YET: Growth Mindset, this idea is clearly opposed. Rather, the mindset that it is acceptable to not be completely adequate at a task, but the main character realizes she can do whatever she wants to when she gets older. She realizes her potential to excel at whatever she puts her mind to.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Can't Do That, YET: Growth Mindset by Esther P Cordova
Colorful children's book about Enna. She doesn't like going to bed but she gets to listen to a story first.
She is able to watch others do their jobs and even though she doesn't know the words or what they are doing she knows she'd like to be like them one day.
The woman is her in the future...Interesting concepts.
Love that you can enlarge the digital screen by pinching and spreading your fingers.

[Tammy Manns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Fiction/Picture Book
Grade Level: Middle Grades (4-6)

You can do whatever you set your mind to is the idea of this book. Enna always says she can't do something until she has a dream and meets her future selves. Every little girl should read this book to help improve or increase their self esteem. People always say, "That's for boys!" There is nothing that is just for boys! Just set your mind to it and do it!

[Sipho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent

This would be filed under "books for which I'm not the target audience". Indeed, this book is obviously for little girls under the age 12, which, if you may not have noticed, I am not.

Little Enna struggles to read and, in fact, dreads it. In a dream, she sees the future version of herself - a computer programmer - who encourages her to keep trying hard things.

And...thats it.

A total of 5 minutes to read. Not a bad time investment. I guess.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has nice drawing and colors, to get the child attention. I like the concept that introduce the idea of "i can't do that YET" and tells the kid she will be great when she grows up. I think the text is too long for a yound child. The book shows a teenager but it seems to be old for not knowing to read. It doesn't tell how difficult it can be to reach your goals.

[Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT !!!!!

I am in a battle with my granddaughter, she really likes our reading sessions ... when I do the reading. When I have her do the reading ... not so much.
She kinda liked the “...YET” idea and I’m going to use it as a tool. Maybe all is not lost, I’m going to re-read this and chat about it with her every few weeks to see if she’s reached “YET” yet.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This children's book, with beautiful illustrations by Maima W Adiputri, teaches children that it's important to try and do things, as we can learn to be almost anything we like - but only by trying! It's a great way to show children that, and to promote perseverance, and its fabulous combination of sweet story and lovely pictures really does provide a gorgeous book that children will enjoy.

[Melissa Ganka-Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ug, who writes this stuff! I love the idea of a young person meeting their grown self to learn the concept of it being OK not to be able to do something YET. But this story is wordy and confusing. It will not make a good read-aloud and can't imagine any of my students picking it up on their own. Disappointing. Bubble Gum Brain by Julia Cook did a nice job with this concept.

[Jenny Laseur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pulled this book up on Kindle to read to my 7 year old while we were waiting on his brother. What a perfect book to read to him!! He’s in this stage where he can’t do anything himself so this lesson of “yet” was wonderful. I’m sure we’ll read it again and again just to remind him of what he’s capable of.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was a cute book about not worrying about growing up. She sees the many possible versions of herself and realizes things take time and she will have lots of chances and the possiblity of saying, "I can't do that! Yet."

[Christina Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great growth mindset read

This book is a great growth mindset book for reading at home or in the classroom. It can help children get the idea that they can do anything once they set their mind to it and learn about it.

[Haylee Tappan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute book for growth mindset! I don’t like how this page does not have page numbers, but I think the message at the end is really great. You can be anything you want to be, but it doesn’t have to be right now. You can make the future into what you want or work for.