One More Time: A Story About Perseverance

by Nancy Loewen, Hazel Michelle Quintanilla

Whee! Whoa! Whoops! Ready to try again? One More Time introduces and develops the idea of perseverance for children aged 1–3.

A boy gets a beautiful, blue scooter for his birthday. At first he falls, but after about ‘a bazillion’ tries, he learns the benefits of perseverance.

With simple stories and engaging illustrations, the Bright Start series of board books opens conversations about emotions and mental well-being, providing you with the tools and language needed to develop and nurture emotional intelligence in your child. Bright Start responds to recent research showing that emotional development begins in infancy, when children first bond with their caregivers. Early development of emotional intelligence helps children to form healthy and long-lasting relationships, builds the foundations for stable mental health, and lays the groundwork for academic achievement. Give your child a Bright Start for a healthier and happier life.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

22 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 17, 2019

About the author

Nancy Loewen grew up on a farm in southwestern Minnesota, surrounded by library books and cats. She's published more than 140 books for children. FOUR TO THE POLE (co-authored with polar explorer Ann Bancroft) and THE LAST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN were Minnesota Book Award finalists. Her WRITER'S TOOLBOX series received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Publishers.

Nancy lives in Saint Paul and has an MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University. She has two adult children and a cat who sometimes bites her knees under the table as she writes.

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book for very young children about perseverance. As an adult, I found it a little bit boring, but I can see its value for teaching about the concept of never giving up. It might be a good book to bring out when a child is having trouble doing something and wants to give up. Then they can see how the child in the story keeps practicing until they're able to ride their scooter without falling off.

The grandfather makes a good point in the story about how the child used to be unable to tie their shoelaces. But they eventually learned because they didn't give up. The same thing will apply to riding the scooter (or to any activity). The book even shows the child feeling pride for finally accomplishing their goal.

The illustrations here are kind of simple, and a little bit boring. But they do the job well enough.

This isn't a picture book that's going to have broad appeal (it isn't one of those ones that'll keep adults entertained, for example), but for its intended toddler audience, it will probably work quite well.

Thank you to NetGalley and words & pictures for providing a digital ARC.

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5. A tale of perseverance… Nothing really original here. The message is good and important but just don’t bring anything new, to make it worth it in my opinion. I like the illustrations style but that wasn’t enough...

[Genevieve Trono · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book for toddlers and young preschoolers that introduces the topic of perseverance. It is a simple story but perfect for this age group. In this adorably illustrated children's picture book, One More Time introduces us to the main character and their grandfather who is helping the child learn how to ride a scooter.

The child finds this very challenging and gets frustrated when it doesn't come easily to them. The grandfather gently reminds the child that this was just like other things they had accomplished and that it takes time and sometimes mistakes to eventually figure something out. The child keeps trying and eventually masters the skill of the scooter. This is such a great conversation starter for children of all ages but does a great job of sharing this message in an accessible way for a younger audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple story for toddlers and preschoolers about perseverance. One More Time introduces us to the main character and his grandfather who is helping him learn how to ride a scooter. When he falls off, he get frustrated. His grandfather reminds him that there are other things that he did not get the first time, but eventually did. He keeps trying and eventually masters riding the scooter. I read this to my three year old granddaughter, who is in the target audience and she did not even let me finish this one. She was not attracted to the illustrations at all, which is the best way to hook a young child. There is a good message here, but I think it would be better for an older audience. I can see children in Kindergarten (ages 4 to 6) understanding this message better. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This is an excellent picture book for kids about not giving up. I also like a picture book that's not all white characters.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

One More Time is a story from the Bright Start series of books with this one focusing on perseverance. We really love these stories as they are great to encourage children to think about common issues with children but in an easy to understand way. This book follows the journey of a young boy who excitedly tries his new scooter with his grandpa but gets upset when he falls off.

I think this is a lovely way to show children that they can get up and try again and done in such a clever way by referring it to something the boy knows he can do that he couldn't always. I like the characters in the book of the boy and his grandpa as they have a lovely book relationship and the boy seems to trust him and that is something the children can see when he is being reassured. I also like that, like the previous books, the adults are always so understanding in these books. Too often we just brush things off and expect children to get on with it again but with new experiences we forget how hard it is to forget and overcome a mistake.

The illustrations in this book are all in different shades of blue, I think this is really lovely and allows the children to fully concentrate on the story. Another thing that really stands out within the illustrations is seeing all of the little boys feelings and expressions on his face as it makes it easy for the children to see how he is feeling.

This is a really lovely book that we have enjoyed reading and with such an important message for the children to learn, definitely worth a read for younger children!

[Terrie Case · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a boy trying to learn to ride a scooter. He falls and gets discouraged. His grandfather encourages him and tells the boy to keep trying. The boy continues to learn to ride by breaking down how to ride into small steps. Soon, he is riding.

Cute story. Easy to read. Good for young readers. The tricolored (blue, white and grey) illustrations are not my favorite but it doesn’t detract greatly from the story.


I received an ARC from Quarto Publishing through NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Board Book
Loewen presents simple illustrations and text to show young readers that they can master anything if they keep trying and learning.
The young girl falls off her new scooter and wants to give up. Her grandfather convinces her to keep trying. He helps her learn each step of scooter riding. She falls again but keeps trying until they ride together at the end of the book.
I like the subtle message to adults that both are wearing helmets when they ride.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A message-laden book about how you have to just try and try again at certain things in life, featuring a young girl whose grandpa wants her to learn to ride a scooter. Design is fine, as we only get blue to help the black and white illustrations, meaning that everything here is clear and obvious. A little too obvious to be read often and over a long time frame, but I'm sure this would serve its purpose really well.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a board book for young children. It is peacefully illustrated with just a few cartoon like colors who enhance the text. The story is a simple one that gently encourages young children not to give up and to accept that things do not always go perfectly right away.

Young children will relate to this book. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – words & pictures for One More Time by Nancy Loewen and Hazel Quintanilla. This is story about falling down and the courage to get back up and try again (with a little encouragement from Grandpa). This is a simple sweet story with simple illustrations down only in black, white, and blue. It would be a good read to teach patience and perseverance.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rowan liked this one maybe two times and then gave it a hard pass from then on. Kinda sad because it’s not a bad little book. It’s nice and well-intentioned. Nothing amazing, but certainly a competently rendered story of perseverance, with a nice grandpa. Not sure what Rowan disliked about it. Maybe nothing. The color palette may just not have grabbed him. Might try this one again in a few months and see where we’re at then.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have been loving this book. Fun, yet clear, art and simple phrases. The only reason this does not get 5-stars for us is at the end there is a note about how Grandpa is proud of the little kid *before* they talk about the kid being proud of himself. We prefer to focus on internal motivation. When reading the end we skip the sentence, usually just reading the part about the kid being proud of himself. This works for our 15m old who can't read, but may not be a workable solution for 3y+

[Leah Horton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the colour palette for this book. The greys and blues were really eye catching. The story was simple. Try again when you fail.

Unfortunately the book didn’t load properly for me. I had to keep turning my device to fit the whole page into the screen so I missed out on a lot of the fun of the book while constantly having to change aspects.

[Gladimore · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple story on the importance of perseverance. Learning anything is hard the first time, but no matter how many times we fall down or we mess up, we get up again. A important thing for every child to learn and as an adult, sometimes we have to be reminded to have perseverance as well. Because sometimes life is rough and we need someone to encourage us.
#Netgalley

[Tina Izguerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

"One More Time" is a great read for children with a strong message of perseverance however the illustrations were terrible. The illustrations were mundane, grainy, and lacked any sort of vibrancy that would otherwise attract children to it. Putting the illustrations aside, the story itself is great!

[Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love the colours used in this book, I found the greys and blues really soothing and they complimented one another nicely. I thought the illustrations were very cute and fitted perfectly with the simplistic style of the story. Easy read, a good book for young children about not giving up.

Free temporary e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book about a boy and his grandfather. The boy received a scooter and tries it out. He falls off and wants to give up but his grandfather teaches him to persevere to achieve.
Perfect for pre school and reception children.

[Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple book makes for a great read and discussion with a young child.
My four year old and I went through this quickly and were able to continue a conversation about perseverance.
A good book is one that causes discussion and learning and this does just that.

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story all about perseverance and getting up and trying again in this case riding a new scooter, this will teach kids try and try again, never give up and is very short and to the point.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the blue! Cute story about perseverance and how you might fall and get hurt but you have to keep getting up and trying again. A good book to show kids they need to practice lots to get good at something.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC.

[Amber Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

One More Time is a precious story about not giving up and gaining encouragement from a supportive adult. I loved the interaction between grandson and grandpa. This is wonderful book to share with a child learning anything new. A reminder to keep trying and never give up!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. The pictures were cute and the text flowed well and wasn't too overwhelming for young kids. It sent a good message about trying again. It is sure to be a favorite for littles.

[Andreea · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful short story about not giving up and not letting failure get you down. Lovely, lovely, plus a nice memory for adults too - my grandpa taught me to ride the bike so this book really got me. Sweet and lovely!

[Aftin Combs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was charming. The art style was adorable. The story was sweet and simple. It held the interesting of both my boys(3 and 5). Definitely a great early read for kids.

[Beth Pronger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty cute book, and a great way to teach kids about perseverance!

[Alicia Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

For: readers looking for a book featuring difficult concepts.

Possible red flags: a little long for the target audience.

[Latifah S Ningrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warm book that can teach children not to give up easily in trying.

[Tiffany]

Note to self: given to Riley for baby's birth, May 2023