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All the Ways to be Smart
Smart is not just ticks and crosses,
smart is building boats from boxes.
Painting patterns, wheeling wagons,
being mermaids, riding dragons...
From the award-winning creators of The Underwater Fancy-dress Parade and Under the Love Umbrella comes this joyful ode to all the unique and wonderful qualities that make children who they are.
smart is building boats from boxes.
Painting patterns, wheeling wagons,
being mermaids, riding dragons...
From the award-winning creators of The Underwater Fancy-dress Parade and Under the Love Umbrella comes this joyful ode to all the unique and wonderful qualities that make children who they are.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
8 people are currently reading
860 people want to read
About the author
Davina Bell
34 books57 followersDavina Bell is a writer for young people of many ages, and a children’s book editor. Her award-winning and Notable picture books include All the Ways To Be Smart, All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors, Under the Love Umbrella, The Underwater Fancy-dress Parade, Oh Albert! and Hattie Helps Out. She is also the author of the Alice books in Penguin’s best-selling Our Australian Girl series, the Lemonade Jones series of Junior Fiction, and the Corner Park Clubhouse series (Middle Grade). Her debut young-adult novel will be published in June 2020.
Having been a Senior Editor at Penguin Books, she now works on the children’s list at Affirm Press in Melbourne. A lover of words and ideas in many forms, Davina regularly travels the country, speaking to children and adults about books and writing. The magic of picture books continues to enchant her.
Having been a Senior Editor at Penguin Books, she now works on the children’s list at Affirm Press in Melbourne. A lover of words and ideas in many forms, Davina regularly travels the country, speaking to children and adults about books and writing. The magic of picture books continues to enchant her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
May 7, 2019
2.5 stars This was disappointing, the illustrations were really nice, very interesting, a lovely style and bright colours in a retro look, but the text was just a list of things that are ways to be smart. All the usual things were mentioned like being kind but the rest was a huge list of random things to justify the illustrations. An illustration of a group of witches stirring a cauldron says 'smart at rhyme and telling time, and building cubbies, making slime' I've no idea what cubbies are. Also 'Smart at bugs and squeezy hugs' doesn't make much sense to me, then 'feeling scared but taking chances. Jumping off so you can fly!' That one doesn't always work.
5 stars for the illustrations but no stars for the text I'm afraid, reading lists can be really boring!
5 stars for the illustrations but no stars for the text I'm afraid, reading lists can be really boring!
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September 22, 2020Every page of this book in joyous, imaginative and life-affirming … All the Ways to be Smart is a celebration of what childhood can be, and it will likely become a classic.
Books+Publishing
The book, All the Ways to Be Smart, aims to teach children that there is more to being smart than reading to maths and encourages the pursuit of the arts.
The Leader
This book is funny and tender, exuberant and whimsical, and an absolute joy to pore over … Colpoys’ distinctive illustrations fizz with her trademark charm and vivacity; the colours burst out of the page with wild abandonment.
Bronte Coates, Readings
Joyful and vibrant … Allison Colpoys’ illustrations shimmer with movement and vivacity, with her loose-line illustrations and selective colour palette exuding a nostalgic retro charm. Children will want to pore over each page, while the seamless read-out-loud rhyming pattern will ensure this is a favourite for years to come.
Kids’ Book Review
This collaboration between Davina Bell and Alison Colpoys is a celebration of what makes us us, of the strengths that we all have within ourselves – whether we’re dreamers, adventurers, readers or artists … The illustrations are whimsical and fun, with a beautiful colour palette.
Noveltea Corner
All The Ways to be Smart is the most beautiful, brilliant new picture book. Full stop. Charming illustrations in pretty, appealing colours? Check. Great rhyming text that is super fun to read aloud? Check. A wonderful message conveyed in a beautiful non-judgey way? Check. The book is a joyful celebration of childhood and all the different, unique ways to be smart.
Courtney Adamo, Babyccino
This book needs to be in the hands of every policy-maker in the sphere of Education, in every classroom, in every library, and in every home … This book is an utterly glorious call to celebrate your strengths and your own unique smarts.
Oh Creative Day
After a colourful, rollicking, joyful, rhyming read there is only one word for this book: wise. Good scores in a test are great but the importance of celebrating the creative, collaborative and just plain quirky things that make us emotionally intelligent and well-rounded could not have been better portrayed.
Readings ‘Best Picture Books of 2018’
A celebration of creativity and emotional intelligence featuring a diverse cast of kids. A reassuring read for primary-aged children who feel like a round peg in a square, academic hole.
Philippa Chandler, Guardian Australia
From the dynamic partnership of Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys comes a tender, funny, and exquisitely illustrated picture book celebrating the myriad talents that each child brings to the world, from being able to read or tell the time to being good at blowing bubbles.
Good Reading
This book teaches children that intelligence is so much more than being book-smart. Intelligence can also mean being empathetic, artistic, athletic, and inquisitive. It places value in every kind of talent, from ‘building boats from boxes’ to ‘kindness when there’s crying’. All the Ways to Be Smart is the perfect feel-good bedtime story that I can’t wait to gift this Christmas.
Sherry Landow, Writing NSW
All the Ways to Be Smart by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys (Scribe) is a joyous picture book that enthusiastically celebrates the power of the imagination while challenging stereotypes about what it means to be clever. With its flawless rhymes and winning illustrations, this book has all the makings of a classic.
Sydney Morning Herald
I think this unique book with colourful illustrations by Allison Colpoys can help children feel proud of what makes them special.
Mummy in the City
Simple, flowing words coupled with fluorescent illustrations (created from ink, charcoal, and pencil, then digitally assembled) give young readers a book brimming with examples of how they are smart all day, every day … Realistic illustrations show children of varying racial presentations joining sentient animals and benign, hairy monsters to confidently explore their world, real and imagined.
Kirkus Reviews
In this cheerful exploration of all the nonstandard ways a person can be smart, the creators paint an expansive picture of intelligence that goes well beyond ‘being best/at spelling bees,/a tricky test.’ ... Colpoys’s ink, charcoal, and pencil drawings burst with a profusion of neon orange and green, literally highlighting each scene with an incandescence that more than matches the rhyming couplets’ jauntiness. A feel-good paean to individuality.
Publishers Weekly
Brilliant.
Mariela Summerhays, Buzzfeed Australia
This illustrated picture book is an ode the unique and wonderful qualities that make children who they are. It celebrates the special strengths, skills and passions in each of us.
Fiona Stager, Tweed Daily News
A picture book that is joyous, life-affirming, and challenges stereotypes about what it means to be clever.
Jane Sullivan, The Age
All the Ways to Be Smart by Davina Bell explores multiple intelligences in a way that small children can understand and appreciate. Every child is smart in his or her own way. Some of the ways highlighted in a pleasing rhyme include creativity, physical activities, music, emotional sensitivity, memorising information, math, and traditional academic knowledge ... The illustrations by Allison Colpoys are colourful and inviting, reminiscent of the early Dr. Seuss style ... This is a charming book to help children understand that everyone has special skills and talents.
Catholic Library Journal
What does it mean to be smart? This beautiful book inventories all the unique, not-so-academic ways a person might be smart throughout their day; from being good at taking risks, to being kind, or knowing how to sit quietly and observe. A welcome message that is a delight to share with students with its gentle and warm rhyming text. The illustrations depict a wide array of diverse people and creatures in colourful scenes that take up the whole page. A gorgeous addition to school and public libraries, and a lovely gift for any child.
Southeast Pennsylvania School Library Book Reviewers
For any child who has ever worried about being ‘smart’, Australian author Bell and artist Colpoys offer an expansive, reassuring look at the many ways there are to be that way ... The energy of Bell’s rhyming couplets reflects the very inventiveness the book celebrates, the ebullience of kids’ imagination, emotional intelligence and practical talents. Climbing trees, making slime, inventing games ... Colpoys’ illustrations, showing a busy, multiracial, multi-gifted cast, convey joyous variety and abundant compassion.
Toronto Star
What does it mean to be smart? This beautiful book inventories all the unique, not-so-academic ways a person might be smart throughout their day; from being good at taking risks, to being kind, or knowing how to sit quietly and observe. A welcome message that is a delight to share with students with it’s gentle and warm rhyming text. The illustrations depict a wide array of diverse people and creatures in colourful scenes that take up the whole page. A gorgeous addition to school and public libraries, and a lovely gift for any child.
SE Pennsylvania School Library Book Review
This book celebrates the myriad ways one can be smart — knowing the right thing to say, being welcoming to a shy friend, using your imagination, taking chances. A needed reassurance that tests can’t measure everything, and that we need all kinds of kids to create a smart and inventive world. This book is comforting, inspiring, and fun!
Bethany Strout, Staff Pick, Tattered Cover
An important reminder for readers of all ages that there are so many wonderful ways to be smart. Vibrant colours and charming whimsical illustrations fill the pages with character, and the rhythmic, rhyming text makes it a delight to read out loud. A necessary and joyful celebration of all the different things that we can do, from ‘reading, writing, spelling’ to ‘caring, sharing, scaring’ to my personal favourite ‘drawing very pointy stars’.
Sarah R., Staff Pick, Powell’s
This should be required reading — in families, at workplaces, in schools. I love this beautiful, confidence-building book. I think everyone will find something here to make them feel better about themselves (and appreciate those around them).
Tegan Tigani, Bookseller Review, Queen Anne Book Company
[G]orgeous, accessible, simple, true and brilliant. Everything I want in a picture book.
Jessica Peterson White, Bookseller Review, Content Book Store
I remember feeling so frustrated as a child because I wanted there to be more than one meaning of ‘smart’. This book validates how everyone is smart in their own unique way. I want to share this book with every child (and adult!)
Lafe Cantrall, Bookseller Review, Oblong Books & Music
Smart is as unique as each of us and there are infinite ways to be smart. What if we all grew up with this message, imagine the doors it would open and the opportunities it would provide. One of the most pivotal messages that children need to har and illustrated with a brilliant spectrum of colours that leap from the page and right into the heart.
Jesica Sweedler DeHart, Librarian Review, Neill Public Library
It’s a great resource for raising confident, happy kids who love themselves and others!
Dani Maher, Kidspot
Books+Publishing
The book, All the Ways to Be Smart, aims to teach children that there is more to being smart than reading to maths and encourages the pursuit of the arts.
The Leader
This book is funny and tender, exuberant and whimsical, and an absolute joy to pore over … Colpoys’ distinctive illustrations fizz with her trademark charm and vivacity; the colours burst out of the page with wild abandonment.
Bronte Coates, Readings
Joyful and vibrant … Allison Colpoys’ illustrations shimmer with movement and vivacity, with her loose-line illustrations and selective colour palette exuding a nostalgic retro charm. Children will want to pore over each page, while the seamless read-out-loud rhyming pattern will ensure this is a favourite for years to come.
Kids’ Book Review
This collaboration between Davina Bell and Alison Colpoys is a celebration of what makes us us, of the strengths that we all have within ourselves – whether we’re dreamers, adventurers, readers or artists … The illustrations are whimsical and fun, with a beautiful colour palette.
Noveltea Corner
All The Ways to be Smart is the most beautiful, brilliant new picture book. Full stop. Charming illustrations in pretty, appealing colours? Check. Great rhyming text that is super fun to read aloud? Check. A wonderful message conveyed in a beautiful non-judgey way? Check. The book is a joyful celebration of childhood and all the different, unique ways to be smart.
Courtney Adamo, Babyccino
This book needs to be in the hands of every policy-maker in the sphere of Education, in every classroom, in every library, and in every home … This book is an utterly glorious call to celebrate your strengths and your own unique smarts.
Oh Creative Day
After a colourful, rollicking, joyful, rhyming read there is only one word for this book: wise. Good scores in a test are great but the importance of celebrating the creative, collaborative and just plain quirky things that make us emotionally intelligent and well-rounded could not have been better portrayed.
Readings ‘Best Picture Books of 2018’
A celebration of creativity and emotional intelligence featuring a diverse cast of kids. A reassuring read for primary-aged children who feel like a round peg in a square, academic hole.
Philippa Chandler, Guardian Australia
From the dynamic partnership of Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys comes a tender, funny, and exquisitely illustrated picture book celebrating the myriad talents that each child brings to the world, from being able to read or tell the time to being good at blowing bubbles.
Good Reading
This book teaches children that intelligence is so much more than being book-smart. Intelligence can also mean being empathetic, artistic, athletic, and inquisitive. It places value in every kind of talent, from ‘building boats from boxes’ to ‘kindness when there’s crying’. All the Ways to Be Smart is the perfect feel-good bedtime story that I can’t wait to gift this Christmas.
Sherry Landow, Writing NSW
All the Ways to Be Smart by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys (Scribe) is a joyous picture book that enthusiastically celebrates the power of the imagination while challenging stereotypes about what it means to be clever. With its flawless rhymes and winning illustrations, this book has all the makings of a classic.
Sydney Morning Herald
I think this unique book with colourful illustrations by Allison Colpoys can help children feel proud of what makes them special.
Mummy in the City
Simple, flowing words coupled with fluorescent illustrations (created from ink, charcoal, and pencil, then digitally assembled) give young readers a book brimming with examples of how they are smart all day, every day … Realistic illustrations show children of varying racial presentations joining sentient animals and benign, hairy monsters to confidently explore their world, real and imagined.
Kirkus Reviews
In this cheerful exploration of all the nonstandard ways a person can be smart, the creators paint an expansive picture of intelligence that goes well beyond ‘being best/at spelling bees,/a tricky test.’ ... Colpoys’s ink, charcoal, and pencil drawings burst with a profusion of neon orange and green, literally highlighting each scene with an incandescence that more than matches the rhyming couplets’ jauntiness. A feel-good paean to individuality.
Publishers Weekly
Brilliant.
Mariela Summerhays, Buzzfeed Australia
This illustrated picture book is an ode the unique and wonderful qualities that make children who they are. It celebrates the special strengths, skills and passions in each of us.
Fiona Stager, Tweed Daily News
A picture book that is joyous, life-affirming, and challenges stereotypes about what it means to be clever.
Jane Sullivan, The Age
All the Ways to Be Smart by Davina Bell explores multiple intelligences in a way that small children can understand and appreciate. Every child is smart in his or her own way. Some of the ways highlighted in a pleasing rhyme include creativity, physical activities, music, emotional sensitivity, memorising information, math, and traditional academic knowledge ... The illustrations by Allison Colpoys are colourful and inviting, reminiscent of the early Dr. Seuss style ... This is a charming book to help children understand that everyone has special skills and talents.
Catholic Library Journal
What does it mean to be smart? This beautiful book inventories all the unique, not-so-academic ways a person might be smart throughout their day; from being good at taking risks, to being kind, or knowing how to sit quietly and observe. A welcome message that is a delight to share with students with its gentle and warm rhyming text. The illustrations depict a wide array of diverse people and creatures in colourful scenes that take up the whole page. A gorgeous addition to school and public libraries, and a lovely gift for any child.
Southeast Pennsylvania School Library Book Reviewers
For any child who has ever worried about being ‘smart’, Australian author Bell and artist Colpoys offer an expansive, reassuring look at the many ways there are to be that way ... The energy of Bell’s rhyming couplets reflects the very inventiveness the book celebrates, the ebullience of kids’ imagination, emotional intelligence and practical talents. Climbing trees, making slime, inventing games ... Colpoys’ illustrations, showing a busy, multiracial, multi-gifted cast, convey joyous variety and abundant compassion.
Toronto Star
What does it mean to be smart? This beautiful book inventories all the unique, not-so-academic ways a person might be smart throughout their day; from being good at taking risks, to being kind, or knowing how to sit quietly and observe. A welcome message that is a delight to share with students with it’s gentle and warm rhyming text. The illustrations depict a wide array of diverse people and creatures in colourful scenes that take up the whole page. A gorgeous addition to school and public libraries, and a lovely gift for any child.
SE Pennsylvania School Library Book Review
This book celebrates the myriad ways one can be smart — knowing the right thing to say, being welcoming to a shy friend, using your imagination, taking chances. A needed reassurance that tests can’t measure everything, and that we need all kinds of kids to create a smart and inventive world. This book is comforting, inspiring, and fun!
Bethany Strout, Staff Pick, Tattered Cover
An important reminder for readers of all ages that there are so many wonderful ways to be smart. Vibrant colours and charming whimsical illustrations fill the pages with character, and the rhythmic, rhyming text makes it a delight to read out loud. A necessary and joyful celebration of all the different things that we can do, from ‘reading, writing, spelling’ to ‘caring, sharing, scaring’ to my personal favourite ‘drawing very pointy stars’.
Sarah R., Staff Pick, Powell’s
This should be required reading — in families, at workplaces, in schools. I love this beautiful, confidence-building book. I think everyone will find something here to make them feel better about themselves (and appreciate those around them).
Tegan Tigani, Bookseller Review, Queen Anne Book Company
[G]orgeous, accessible, simple, true and brilliant. Everything I want in a picture book.
Jessica Peterson White, Bookseller Review, Content Book Store
I remember feeling so frustrated as a child because I wanted there to be more than one meaning of ‘smart’. This book validates how everyone is smart in their own unique way. I want to share this book with every child (and adult!)
Lafe Cantrall, Bookseller Review, Oblong Books & Music
Smart is as unique as each of us and there are infinite ways to be smart. What if we all grew up with this message, imagine the doors it would open and the opportunities it would provide. One of the most pivotal messages that children need to har and illustrated with a brilliant spectrum of colours that leap from the page and right into the heart.
Jesica Sweedler DeHart, Librarian Review, Neill Public Library
It’s a great resource for raising confident, happy kids who love themselves and others!
Dani Maher, Kidspot
January 18, 2022
I want every child (and adult, for that matter!) to read this book! What an encouraging message we all need to hear and internalize. My friend told me that when she gave the book to her son to read it made him cry and not talk to her for an hour because it gave him all the feelings!
June 14, 2021
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is All The Ways To Be Smart, written by Davina Bell and illustrated by Allison Colpoys, a delightful ode to different types of intelligence.
Being smart is more than just one thing; it’s not just being good at taking tests or doing math or getting good grades in school. No, a person can be smart in lots of ways! They can be smart at making crafts or drawing pictures, or dancing, or being brave. They can be smart at caring for others, especially when that person is hurt or shy. They can be smart at imagination, play, music, tea parties, or even blowing bubbles. Even simply sitting still and being quiet; this is something smart, too. Rest assured, not everyone has to be smart in the same way – and sharing all the different ways we are smart makes the world better every day.
LOVED. THIS. From the bright, fluorescent illustrations featuring a diverse cast of children and imaginary creatures, to the comforting and important message about the values of emotional and technical intelligence, this is an adorably cute yet critically valuable lesson for young kids. In particular, the themes of how being smart in often-overlooked ways struck me; as the parent of a special-needs child, it’s wonderful to find stories that celebrate people who think differently, yet are no less intelligent. For neuro-atypical or otherwise differently-abled kids like JJ, a book like this can make them, and their caregivers, feel seen. It’s a perfect length for storytime, and well-worth a read by any young, developing mind. We adored this one, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
July 8, 2020
Een schattig boek, maar net iets té lang voor mij. Ik had op een gegeven moment echt wel door dat slim zijn duizend dingen is, en ik vroeg me af of we echt naar duizend dingen gingen. :P Maar wel een erg motiverend boek voor kinderen (en volwassenen), slim is niet alleen maar academisch maar ook in andere kleinere dingen, zoals dapper durven te zijn, beslissingen maken, te kunnen springen en kopjeduiken, aardig kunnen zijn. Ik vond dat echt een fijne boodschap.
Ook de art was zeker erg mooi gedaan, heerlijk fel en fluo.
Ook de art was zeker erg mooi gedaan, heerlijk fel en fluo.
September 5, 2019
Australian author/illustrator team Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys, who previously collaborated on
Captain Starfish
(originally published as The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade) and
Under the Love Umbrella
, join forces again in this lovely picture-book exploration of intelligence. The rhyming text describes the many different kinds of activities and personal qualities that require intelligence, thereby highlighting that there are many different kinds of smarts, while the colorful artwork depicts those activities and qualities...
Having greatly enjoyed Captain Starfish , I was eager to pick up All the Ways to Be Smart, which has a bright, colorful cover that drew me right in. I appreciated the narrative, with its message about the many kinds of intelligence - emotional intelligence, creative intelligence - since I think many people (including kids) might think that academic intelligence is the only sort that matters. An online friend didn't care for the text here, and I do think that it sometimes felt a little too convenient and list-like, but I was willing to forgive it, because overall I enjoyed it, and because I found the artwork simply beautiful! Allison Colpoys outdid herself here, with illustrations that utilize bright, jewel-like colors that leap off the page, and have a fun, stylized sensibility that just works on the page. Needless to say, I particularly loved the scenes in which the children are dressed up as witches! I wish Colpoys would do a Halloween book! Recommended to young children who wonder about smarts, and whether they have them, and who need a reminder that there are lots of ways to be intelligent.
Having greatly enjoyed Captain Starfish , I was eager to pick up All the Ways to Be Smart, which has a bright, colorful cover that drew me right in. I appreciated the narrative, with its message about the many kinds of intelligence - emotional intelligence, creative intelligence - since I think many people (including kids) might think that academic intelligence is the only sort that matters. An online friend didn't care for the text here, and I do think that it sometimes felt a little too convenient and list-like, but I was willing to forgive it, because overall I enjoyed it, and because I found the artwork simply beautiful! Allison Colpoys outdid herself here, with illustrations that utilize bright, jewel-like colors that leap off the page, and have a fun, stylized sensibility that just works on the page. Needless to say, I particularly loved the scenes in which the children are dressed up as witches! I wish Colpoys would do a Halloween book! Recommended to young children who wonder about smarts, and whether they have them, and who need a reminder that there are lots of ways to be intelligent.
June 30, 2020
All the Ways to be Smart (Scribble / Scribe 2018) is a gorgeous, life-affirming children’s book that deservedly won the Children’s Picture Book of the Year in the 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards. Written and illustrated by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys, this colourful, rhyming story depicts all the ways a child can be smart other than intelligence, including emotional intelligence and kindness, creativity, problem-solving, curiosity, sharing, building things, drawing, imagination, caring for others, taking chances and risks, being a team player, enjoying your own company, as well as counting and telling stories. A joyful, sensitive and compassionate book with superb illustrations that represent diversity and difference.
February 1, 2022
I love the text, but it’s the illustrations that make this one a keeper!
October 18, 2018
Positively illuminating, this books glows with spirit and gentle reminders that each of us is special and smart in our own unique way. Whether you are inquisitive, daring, caring and kind or the type of smart person who can spell really long dinosaur names, Bell's touching rhyming text quietly reinforces the value and diversity of intelligence in all its many guises and its partnership with ability, like 'finding treasures' and 'flower picking'.
Many facets of 'being smart' are covered in this exploration of brilliance including: creativity, spacial awareness, ingenuity, empathy, numeracy ... all delightfully coupled with Colpoy's whimsical illustrations. Each page bursts with fun and movement using a limited palette of blues, browns and greens all tied exquisitely together with cheeky luminescent orange. A feast for mind and soul.
Many facets of 'being smart' are covered in this exploration of brilliance including: creativity, spacial awareness, ingenuity, empathy, numeracy ... all delightfully coupled with Colpoy's whimsical illustrations. Each page bursts with fun and movement using a limited palette of blues, browns and greens all tied exquisitely together with cheeky luminescent orange. A feast for mind and soul.
November 1, 2019
I love the idea of this book, and I love the message. However, I think the writing could've been better.
January 13, 2020
With sing-song rhymes and bright colors, All the Ways to Be Smart echoes classic children's literature with a modern take. It looks as though printed via lithograph, and with a bold, strong font the harks back to a few decades ago, Bell and Colpoys take a diverse perspective on what it means to be smart, and who can be smart. So, who exactly can be smart? Anybody! And Colpoys means it, given the variety of boys, girls, interests, and races. And what exactly is smart? Everything! And Bell means that, given the exploration of imagination, creativity, math, science, and leadership. This is a fantastic book that has no room for judgement: smart refers to anything, and anyone can be smart. Great for grades PreK-2.
Review cross-listed here!
Review cross-listed here!
March 31, 2019
I loved the joy and breeziness of the illustrations paired with validating words on all the amazing ways you can be smart. Also, the Anne of Green Gables reference was a heart stealer.
Cannot wait to send this to my nieces.
Cannot wait to send this to my nieces.
June 25, 2020
This book was such a lovely way to say that all children are smart at different things but that doesn’t make anyone more or less smart. I absolutely love the illustrations, they are very diverse and drawn in such an inviting manner. A lovely book.
July 15, 2023
A Sari recommendation 🙂
A nice book pointing out that there are so many other ways to be smart than the stereotypical ways we generally confine that description to.
The cover gives you the color palette for the basic illustrations.
A nice book pointing out that there are so many other ways to be smart than the stereotypical ways we generally confine that description to.
The cover gives you the color palette for the basic illustrations.
September 29, 2019
I was going to give this 8,726,372 stars, but the max is 5 so it’ll have to do.
January 9, 2020
The illustrations were gorgeous. I also enjoyed the rhyming. I found that while some of the things listed as ways to be smart could be seen as silly, it's a smart choice to shows kids there's no one right way to be smart.
July 12, 2020
Highly recommend this for teachers, parents and children. Gorgeous illustrations and a really brilliant message
March 6, 2019
Can't possibly fault this amazing book. Read it to my 5 year old as well as my disabled client and all 3 of us found wonderful things from it.
November 22, 2019
Fantastic rhyme and metre and a lovely idea. Could be used in a tender storytime or as a lap-sit at home. Should be read to all kids before they start school and get ideas of what smart means. Might try it in a kindergarten visit to the library.
August 31, 2021
(read to me by mum)
It was really good. There are lots of ways to be smart, like being kind is smart.
It was really good. There are lots of ways to be smart, like being kind is smart.
December 26, 2018
A lovely book to give children a sense of pride within themselves and to know there are many ways to be smart.
November 16, 2020
Davina Bell is an award winning children's author. She has written many books such as "All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors", "Under the Love Umbrella", "The Underwater Fancy-dress Parade", "Oh Albert!" and "Hattie Helps Out". These books have won many awards and Bell is working on a young-adult novel to be released later this year.
This book (“All The Ways To Be Smart”) is about how being “smart” isn’t just about intellectual “smartness” but instead can encompass kindness, being artistic, being a good friend, etc. I think it’s a really important lesson that as teachers, we should be hyper aware of. It shows children that being "smart" is so much more than doing well in tests and reminds them of other important aspects of their personalities whilst showcasing all kinds of abilities.
I have noticed that in year 1, a lot of children begin to get a fixed mindset when it comes to their ability and it would be very beneficial to remind them that smartness isn’t about how well they do on a maths test, it is much more about how they act, how they respond to each other and how they think. Everything that a child does can be a form of smartness when it is approached in the right way and this is a really important lesson to remind children of all age groups. It would be good to introduce it young so that the idea is intrinsic to them.
This book is also beautifully illustrated and the two year old that I looked after absolutely loved it, he would often sit looking through the images on his own. This is a lovely thing as it introduces them to the book and its teaching before they have been conditioned to think anything else.
This book is perfect for a KS1 class but would also be interesting to read with year 6 to get a deeper conversation about what "smart" means to each of them and how it has been taught throughout their schooling so far.
This book (“All The Ways To Be Smart”) is about how being “smart” isn’t just about intellectual “smartness” but instead can encompass kindness, being artistic, being a good friend, etc. I think it’s a really important lesson that as teachers, we should be hyper aware of. It shows children that being "smart" is so much more than doing well in tests and reminds them of other important aspects of their personalities whilst showcasing all kinds of abilities.
I have noticed that in year 1, a lot of children begin to get a fixed mindset when it comes to their ability and it would be very beneficial to remind them that smartness isn’t about how well they do on a maths test, it is much more about how they act, how they respond to each other and how they think. Everything that a child does can be a form of smartness when it is approached in the right way and this is a really important lesson to remind children of all age groups. It would be good to introduce it young so that the idea is intrinsic to them.
This book is also beautifully illustrated and the two year old that I looked after absolutely loved it, he would often sit looking through the images on his own. This is a lovely thing as it introduces them to the book and its teaching before they have been conditioned to think anything else.
This book is perfect for a KS1 class but would also be interesting to read with year 6 to get a deeper conversation about what "smart" means to each of them and how it has been taught throughout their schooling so far.
October 9, 2022
As someone driven by academic validation, this book would have saved me so much pain growing up. Such a beautiful book that talks about the different ways you can be smart
December 15, 2022
So as a teacher, I’ve always been super sensitive to use the word “smart” because it carries so much weight. This title intrigued me. What I found however, was a beautiful look at the many ways to be smart. After reading it with my 2nd graders, they were able to discuss all the wonderful ways they are smart, none of which had to do with the traditional definition. I’d highly recommend this book! It would be cool to do a spin off of this and have kids dive into all they ways that they are smart!
October 28, 2020
An instant classic. Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys have done it again, following up the absolutely beautiful 'Under the Love Umbrella' with this gem! Don't even hesitate to buy this book for literally every young person you love.
February 3, 2023
A beautiful book. Lovely illustrations, enlivened by an unusual colour palette, and pictures that work concertedly with the meaning of the text. It is a truism in education and education adjacent fields that there are multiple kinds of intelligence -- there's that whole thing about Gardner's theory of intelligences, and some kinds of skills and abilities that seem a bit abstract are listed: body intelligence, musical intelligence etc. (don't @ me, I know musical and mathematical abilities are linked, and I know you can't hold a pen without hand eye coordination, ok). But saying "we're all smart in our own ways" is often code for, this kid isn't great at drawing/reading/maths whatever. Education is forced into adopting a standardised testing framework, and to prioritise a narrow band of skills and behaviours - compliance, reading, writing, maths - or risks losing its funding. This process has meant younger and younger children are expected to demonstrate these skills and behaviours, and we talk about "school readiness" with three and four year olds, at least in my sector. The reality is, for very young children all those abilities are intermingled and inextricably woven with play. There is research that children are better at information and skill retention when their learning has happened in a joyful environment. So in the book, cutting out bats out of cardboard, imagining being a monster, picking out one's own outfit, being sorry when you're naughty, building cubbies (I am loving other members of the Anglosphere tripping over that word, incidentally, having had to explain various dialectal differences to children many times reading books from North America), these are crucial markers of "intelligence" if intelligence can be said to exist for little kids, because play is their work. Imaginative and creative play is the river from which all the streams of what we envisage as separate intelligences flow. So this is a beautiful book, with a positive and affirming message about valuing difference and diversity -- but also, about meeting small children at their own level.
September 10, 2019
The summer that I was preparing for my first teaching job, I met with some elementary and independent school administrators. They gave me 2 recommendations that stuck with me throughout my ten-year teaching career: to do a Responsive Classroom “morning meeting,” and to buy, read, and share with kids Thomas Armstrong’s book You’re Smarter Than You Think: A Kid’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences. Fortunately now, there are many wonderful picture books for children that center around the idea of multiple intelligences, and today I’d like to introduce you to my new favorite— All the Ways to Be Smart by Davina Bell, illustrated by Allison Colpoys.
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Published last October, All the Ways to Be Smart immediately caught my attention, but… It was published in Australia, our local library didn’t have it, and it was going to take a long time to order it and have it shipped… So I put it in my Amazon wishlist and waited. Then, @patzmill sent me Remarkably You, and I remembered how much I had wanted to check this one out, too (thanks for the nudge, @picturebookplaydate). So, I ordered it, waited, and waited some more, and finally it came! And, let me tell you, All the Ways to Be Smart was worth the wait!
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It’s bright, happy, diverse, affirming, challenging, positive, and so much more. Bell reminds us through her words that smart can be so much more than good at reading and math. And Colpoys illustrations help make Bell’s message accessible to all children.
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While All the Ways to Be Smart would be an amazing addition for preschool and elementary classrooms, especially in this school climate where children worry at younger and younger ages about their performances in reading, writing, and math, the way Bell wrote this book makes it perfect to read one on one with a child you love at home as well.
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Trust me— this one is worth ordering from Australia!
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If you liked this, check out:
You’re Smarter Than You Think by Armstrong
Remarkably You by Miller
I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can’t by Dillon
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Published last October, All the Ways to Be Smart immediately caught my attention, but… It was published in Australia, our local library didn’t have it, and it was going to take a long time to order it and have it shipped… So I put it in my Amazon wishlist and waited. Then, @patzmill sent me Remarkably You, and I remembered how much I had wanted to check this one out, too (thanks for the nudge, @picturebookplaydate). So, I ordered it, waited, and waited some more, and finally it came! And, let me tell you, All the Ways to Be Smart was worth the wait!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s bright, happy, diverse, affirming, challenging, positive, and so much more. Bell reminds us through her words that smart can be so much more than good at reading and math. And Colpoys illustrations help make Bell’s message accessible to all children.
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While All the Ways to Be Smart would be an amazing addition for preschool and elementary classrooms, especially in this school climate where children worry at younger and younger ages about their performances in reading, writing, and math, the way Bell wrote this book makes it perfect to read one on one with a child you love at home as well.
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Trust me— this one is worth ordering from Australia!
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If you liked this, check out:
You’re Smarter Than You Think by Armstrong
Remarkably You by Miller
I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can’t by Dillon
August 26, 2019
I teach Reading to 4th graders, and they absolutely loved this book as our read aloud. My students range in abilities, and gifted and talented students are a majority. I felt like it was extremely important to make sure my learners understood that just because a few students are smart at academics, doesn't mean that they themselves have nothing else to offer. It opened up a lot of very thoughtful dialogue amongst my students, and it helped them think critically about what it means to be intelligent. This paired perfectly with a lesson on Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, and the 8 different modalities (art, music, word, people, self, math, body, and nature). Throughout the book, students made connections with every single illustration and the actual text. This is a wonderful book to introduce this multiple intelligence notion to students, and serves as a reminder of the diversity we have with our peers, as well as inside ourselves.
June 28, 2023
The purpose of this book is to boost self-esteem and let kids know they can be smart even if it's not in the conventional, academic sense. From an adults perspective, this book is quite lovely. The illustrations are beautiful and the writing has a nice rhythm that makes it pleasant and easy to read - even if it is a little dry. I'm not surprised it's won awards, from an adult's perspective it certainly hits all the marks.
My kids (6 and 8 yo) both lost interest in the premise quickly. I think it went on for too many pages without advancing on the idea very much. My 6 year old in particular felt patronised at being told 'clicking fingers' or 'saying hi and bye' makes a person smart. That's not to say it didn't open an interesting conversation because we did talk about what smart means, although I don't think that was by design.
Nice idea, lovely imagery, but a little cheesy and not very impactful. Three stars overall.
My kids (6 and 8 yo) both lost interest in the premise quickly. I think it went on for too many pages without advancing on the idea very much. My 6 year old in particular felt patronised at being told 'clicking fingers' or 'saying hi and bye' makes a person smart. That's not to say it didn't open an interesting conversation because we did talk about what smart means, although I don't think that was by design.
Nice idea, lovely imagery, but a little cheesy and not very impactful. Three stars overall.
June 29, 2024
This book is an award winner for very good reason. It is delightful.
Rhymes are difficult to make work. It needs to harmonise on so many levels, to make the words flow while telling a story and hitting the right tempos, it’s hard. Davina Bell has a magic touch because the rhyme and storytelling works seamlessly.
The message itself is such an important one. Yes, there are many ways to be smart. This book helps children to celebrate what they are good at instead of feeling upset by what they’re not good at. The pressure on children to perform academically can have serious consequences on their mental health. By celebrating a broader spectrum of skills, this book empowers children to know they are smart in their own way.
The illustrations are so beautiful, and I love the use of neon orange throughout the pages. The whole palette of the book is so fresh and not one I see often in picture books, the illustrator Allison Colpoys has done beautiful work for this book.
Rhymes are difficult to make work. It needs to harmonise on so many levels, to make the words flow while telling a story and hitting the right tempos, it’s hard. Davina Bell has a magic touch because the rhyme and storytelling works seamlessly.
The message itself is such an important one. Yes, there are many ways to be smart. This book helps children to celebrate what they are good at instead of feeling upset by what they’re not good at. The pressure on children to perform academically can have serious consequences on their mental health. By celebrating a broader spectrum of skills, this book empowers children to know they are smart in their own way.
The illustrations are so beautiful, and I love the use of neon orange throughout the pages. The whole palette of the book is so fresh and not one I see often in picture books, the illustrator Allison Colpoys has done beautiful work for this book.
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