The Magical Yet

by Angela DiTerlizzi, Lorena Álvarez (Illustrator)

This Yet finds a way, even when you don't,
And, Yet knows you will, when you think you won't.

Each of us, from the day we're born, is accompanied by a special companion--the Yet. Can't tie your shoes? Yet! Can't ride a bike? Yet! Can't play the bassoon? Don't worry, Yet is there to help you out.

Told in tight rhyme reminiscent of the great Dr. Seuss himself, this rollicking, inspirational picturebook is perfect for every kid who is frustrated by what they can't do . . . YET!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Growth Mindset, Inspirational, Fiction, Storytime, Fantasy

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2020

About the author

Angela DiTerlizzi is a mom, wife, and author who loves writing books for children. Her picture books include Some Pets, Some Bugs, Baby Love, and Just Add Glitter. She and her husband, bestselling author/illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi, reside with their daughter in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning new things is hard and The Magical Yet is an adorable picture book to remind you that all the hard work, all the failures, bruises and scrapes along the way will someday pay off. It’s a great little book to encourage growth and positive mindsets for young children, told in a sing-song-y rhyme by Angela DiTerlizzi and gorgeously illustrated by Lorena Alvarez.

I must admit I checked this out because of her illustrations—I found her Nightlights books to be jaw-droppingly beautiful—and she definitely succeeds here as well. I love the colors and all the magical charm of her art.

The expressions of concentration on these kid’s faces are great too, and I love the way it shows them trying to learn and then later as adults being proficient in that task.This would be great for a classroom or for encouraging a child who really wants to learn something and is in the early stages still struggling—like riding a bike, for instance, as this story is framed around. A lovely little picture book.

[Billie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am too much of a cynic (and a non-parent) to be a good judge of these inspirational, go-get-em-tiger picture books (especially not when they're all rhyme-y, like this one is), but the illustrations in this one are lovely.

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Magical Yet is a great read aloud to encourage perseverance and self-esteem. You may not be able to ride a bike yet....but you will get there!

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growth mindset story, this was a suggestion from a kindergarten teacher.

[Tiziana · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring, colourful, rhyming story for anyone who might be frustrated about what they cannot do...YET. Be patient and remember that persistence and practice are the keys to achieving your dreams!

[Mr Bramley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new one for the all time favourites folder!

This is beautiful.
I already knew I loved Alvarez' illustration style but this is another level.
The grown up versions of the children (especially the ballet) made me positively gasp. The little faces the kids pull when they're concentrating, the realistic shapes of their bodies and hair in movement. Just perfect. Exactly my style.

Aside from its beautiful message of resilience, practice, and striving towards your goals, one of favourite parts of this book is its honest, beautiful and perfectly natural range of representation - both literally in its diverse range of characters, but also in its representation of who does what hobbies, and even the range of those hobbies themselves.

I needed this message as a child, and I certainly still need it now.
I will 100% have this on my shelf. I will use it in classes. And I will read it to myself when I need to remember.

[Skyla Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all about what it yet to come. It is all about not giving up and continuing to try and one day you will get where you want to be. They did a great job getting this message across and beautifully in children's terms. I love the rhyming and i love how magical the pictures are. They just illuminate the pages and they are full of vibrant colors. The message in this book is awesome to teach to children because they are going to go through hard things in life that they cannot do right away and they will get frustrated. But telling them that everything is alright, that they have to keep try and to never give up are some important message for them to hear.

[Jody Kyburz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the concept of YET! I marked it down 1 star because the rhyming seems slightly forced at times, one of the traps of writing in verse, perhaps. I'm excited to share this with my fifth grade class today and see how they respond.

[Dax · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so sweet and absolutely gorgeous! This is a perfect book when you're feeling dejected and need some hope in the world. I immediately had to share it with everyone around me and purchased one for a friend who I knew needed this message. This is a book to hug at the end!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this book. Everyone should read this!

[Hanieh Sadat Shobeiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this for me to read it every once in a while, so I won't forget my worth as a person, never lose my hope in life, and always carry around my magical yet :))

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story for character, goal setting and more. Awesome message.

Sep2024 - Admin book tour #1 pick!

[Beth Honeycutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. Growth mindset all the way.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute rhyming book about growth mindset

[Zoe]

Cute craft inspiration

[Suhasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, the nature of the rhyming in this story really put me off. It felt forced. Pictures and theme are wonderful, words, eh.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, I LOVE this book SO much for our kiddos who get frustrated and give up quickly! Read it to your classes. Read it one on one with your kiddo who is quick to give up! Read it to YOURSELF if you are at a crossroads wondering what to do with the rest of your life, but JUST READ IT. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

[Melissa the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the cadence and pacing of this book, and I love the illustrations. I like the idea of an imaginary friend giving children courage to persevere, but I didn't love the name "Magical Yet." What does that mean? Is it a play on "And yet..." as in, there are yet more possibilities? It was never made totally clear and I'm not sure kids will get it.

[Keily Rubio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about not giving up on your first try when you’re going to do something new and keeping a positive mindset about it. I really liked this book because it reminded me of when I was a little girl and I would always want to give up when I didn’t get something right the first time but I always had my brother or my mom encouraging me to keep going and to not give up. This book is really inspiring and it was a WOW book to me because it gives a really powerful message for kids because kids are usually quick to give up but this book puts it in a perspective so beautifully that it could encourage a kid to not give up too easily. I like how it also uses “yet” as like your partner through the tough journey of getting something to be perfect.
The use of a small mythical creature gives a child more of an imagination in order for the book to inspire them and I think that was a good technique. The use of “yet” was very creative because in the book there’s this quote that says “yet doesn’t mind warm-ups, and flops, and do-overs, re-do’s, stumbles, and flops”, and it just makes it feel like the word “yet” is your friend. This makes the book fantasy because it uses a fantasy character in the form of yet to inspire a child to not give up. I would say the anti-bias perspectives in this book would be the diversity this book brings with the characters and illustrations. This book also had a positive portrayal on situations that could be hard for children and even adults for that matter.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my daughter who struggles a lot when she doesn’t get things right away and we both loved it! The Yet are so cute! The skills are realistic things to practice! And, it puts the idea that whether or not you get better at something is in your own hands. Definitely recommend.

[Emily Hagedorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Such fun illustrations showing a diverse range of characters and beautiful colors and pictures. The idea of "yet" is something we work on with our students so this book brings it about in a wonderful way.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not the start of a new year, but it is the start of a new school year — so let’s talk growth mindset! Last January, I made a huge list of picture books to promote growth mindset, and you all LOVED that list (it’s still one of my most visited posts on my website!). Today, I’ve got a wonderful (relatively) new release to add to that list: The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez.

Let’s start with the enticing cover, surprise under the dust cover, and immaculately detailed endpapers. Lorena Alvarez, you have outdone yourself! This delightful, inviting work continues in every illustration throughout the book. My girls love finding the extra hidden details with each new reading, and I can’t get over how wonderfully inclusive they are! (I mean, I love the fact that the ballet class includes two boys!).

And for the growth mindset message — just trust me that this book is the perfect way to start something new, whether a new calendar year, a new school year, or a new class or hobby. Teachers commonly talk with students about using the phrase “I can’t do that *yet*,” rather than saying “I can’t do that!” DiTerlizzi has personified “Yet” as a magical creature that comes alongside all of us (in a different form for each unique person...), stays with us, and grows with us as we grow and change. And in every situation, our Yets remind us that “if you keep leaping / dreaming, wishing — / waiting, learning, / trying, missing... / with the Yet as your guide, along the way, / you’ll do all the things you can’t do today.”

This book has been on repeat in our house for the past month or so. In fact, we love it so much that we bought copies for the girls’ teachers this year, too... I figure this school year will look like no other for just about every kid (and teacher!) out there, so there’s bound to be a lot of opportunities for Yet to help them all out!

[Amy Oberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

With schools under pressure to introduce stories with social-emotional connections and applications, it’s not surprising to discover a trend in picture books portraying or teaching aspects of psychologist Carol Dweck’s “Mindset.” Unfortunately, author Angela DiTerlizzi’s decision to substitute the word “magical” for Dweck’s “powerful” is in direct contrast to its meaning: “Yet” isn’t a magical, personified entity; the POWER OF YET is WITHIN one’s self. While the intention may have been to introduce young listeners/readers to one aspect of the “growth mindset” model using a literal interpretation, I think it’s misleading.

A few elements of this story undermined the growth-mindset foundation of this story:
- First, Yet is an external entity—a magical looking, flower-like creature that floats near the featured characters. However, the “power of yet” isn’t external: It is a belief and paradigm shift one must internalize and apply.
- Midway through the book, a musical spread is showcased with the rhyme, “Play the kazoo or play the bassoon—jam with the Yet, and you’ll soon be in tune.” However, the accompanying illustrations feature clarinets (…which, as an actual bassoonist, I find quite annoying). How did this error not get caught in the book’s production?

Publication Date: 2020
Format: Picture book
Elements: Rhyme
Connection/Topics: Application of growth mindset

+2023 Illinois Readers’ Choice Monarch Award nominee

[Haley - Saphara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book talks about a small creature, the Yet, that is with you all your life and helps you grow to and achieve different tasks that you weren’t able to do… YET! I love the colors and illustrations used throughout book and I would absolutely use this in my classroom as a lesson involving the magic of yet. Just because you can’t do something now, doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to do it in the future. This would be a great introduction to an SEL lesson where students could set a goal for the school year and then at the end of the year they could reflect and see their growth.
©️2020, Fiction.

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I am 55/45 with the story itself, the art/illustrations are a 99.9999999% awesome (why not 100? Well, nothing is *perfect*) The modern idea and surreal, color blasting realistic illustrations makes for a new book for all ages. Kids will appreciate the flow of the story and the adults can appreciate the overall theme and the art. Read the end pages as there is an interesting piece of the story that starts and ends there. The ending has a similar twist.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I loved the illustrations and the intended message, I didn't feel like the book was clear in delivering that message through the use of the phrase "the magical yet". It actually made more sense to me when I read the summary here on Good Reads. I feel like it requires too much explaining and doesn't just stand well on its own.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that I have been sharing with K-2 this week. The gorgeous, colourful illustrations are simply captivating! Even better, this book has a great, growth-mindset message of the power of "yet". In fact, yet is so powerful it is like magic! Excellent rhyming text is the icing on the cake.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would rate this higher if the artist knew the difference between a clarinet and a bassoon! Useful for those who need the message.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a little background and explaing, children will enjoy the book.