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The Safe Return: Kids Wear Masks for a Safe Return to Fun During COVID-19
★ Face masks on or off? This book flips to be read either way. It's two books in one. ★
It’s a topsy-turvy world that children live in today, but the adventures must safely return. Face masks on or face masks off, this fast-paced, two-sided book takes kids through the ups and downs of a balance bike ride with friends. A stuffed bunny is temporarily lost, but a community is found.
No matter which way you read it, the book reinforces the joys and freedoms of childhood and advocates for a safe return to fun.
Perfect for Covid-19 and to normalize the wearing of masks. Yet, this book will remain in your collection when the crisis has ended.
It’s a topsy-turvy world that children live in today, but the adventures must safely return. Face masks on or face masks off, this fast-paced, two-sided book takes kids through the ups and downs of a balance bike ride with friends. A stuffed bunny is temporarily lost, but a community is found.
No matter which way you read it, the book reinforces the joys and freedoms of childhood and advocates for a safe return to fun.
Perfect for Covid-19 and to normalize the wearing of masks. Yet, this book will remain in your collection when the crisis has ended.
- GenresPicture Books
52 pages, Hardcover
Published September 3, 2020
About the author
Ashley Wheelock
3 books12 followersAshley is a writer and lawyer on the central coast of California.
She loves books, especially children's books, and began her book career as the then youngest editor-in-chief of her elementary school's press. She dreams of marshmallows and witches.
Ashley is a member of SCBWI and 12x12PB.
She loves books, especially children's books, and began her book career as the then youngest editor-in-chief of her elementary school's press. She dreams of marshmallows and witches.
Ashley is a member of SCBWI and 12x12PB.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 3, 2021
I think it is very important that books like this address some of the many questions small children have about COVID. If adults are confused it must be that much more confusing for kids - this 'flip' book will show them that everything is going to get better. Art is very nice.
April 19, 2021
4☆ A Fun, Educational and Current Children's Picture Book.
The Safe Return is a lovely heart-warming and Fun, Children's Book that allows children to explore and see what it will be like to play with their friends safely, wearing masks and giving each other space, once Covid-19 restrictions are eased.
But this book also has two versions of the same book. One with children wearing masks and the same one without.
Why I think this book is such a good idea as it helps children express their fears and ask questions through reading the book.
It's been a scary time for us all but children need and want to socialise.
But wearing masks or seeing others wearing masks can be daunting.
So this book will give parents, teachers, friends and children a fun way to explore both sides.
It also has another important lesson to be learnt, which is working together safely and being kind and helping others is very important.
Oh and of course having lots of fun with friends.
I know there is alot of talk about whether its right or wrong for children to wear masks but this book isn't aiming at that. It's simply a fun, Children's Book that is making playtime relatable and current.
The illustrations are beautifully presented and bring the story to life. This book is best read on a paperback copy. I think this book is perfect for ages 4-8years.
Would I recommend The Safe Return?....Without a Doubt....YES!!
Thank you to Blackberry Book Tours for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
You can Find this Review and all my Other Reviews on My Blog :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2021/0...
The Safe Return is a lovely heart-warming and Fun, Children's Book that allows children to explore and see what it will be like to play with their friends safely, wearing masks and giving each other space, once Covid-19 restrictions are eased.
But this book also has two versions of the same book. One with children wearing masks and the same one without.
Why I think this book is such a good idea as it helps children express their fears and ask questions through reading the book.
It's been a scary time for us all but children need and want to socialise.
But wearing masks or seeing others wearing masks can be daunting.
So this book will give parents, teachers, friends and children a fun way to explore both sides.
It also has another important lesson to be learnt, which is working together safely and being kind and helping others is very important.
Oh and of course having lots of fun with friends.
I know there is alot of talk about whether its right or wrong for children to wear masks but this book isn't aiming at that. It's simply a fun, Children's Book that is making playtime relatable and current.
The illustrations are beautifully presented and bring the story to life. This book is best read on a paperback copy. I think this book is perfect for ages 4-8years.
Would I recommend The Safe Return?....Without a Doubt....YES!!
Thank you to Blackberry Book Tours for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
You can Find this Review and all my Other Reviews on My Blog :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2021/0...
September 14, 2020
In a time when there is so much uncertainty in this world, especially for young children, this book not only offers something fun and colorful to read, it validates the realities of living during a pandemic as well as the ups and downs of growing up. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to boost their child's confidence while teaching him or her that together, we can accomplish anything, including helping a friend find a treasured stuffed bunny!
April 19, 2021
The Safe Return is a story set in the pandemic that teaches children two important lessons. One, it is better to be safe than sorry. Two, when you fail, brush it off and try anew.
Life must go on as best as it can even in the midst of a raging pandemic. So, the children in the story wear masks when they go out cycling and keep a safe distance from each other throughout their time outside.
They care for their friends who are upset or hurt and help them feel better again. Thus, they return safely home at the end of the day.
The text has plenty of action words to describe all the movement that’s taking place as the children go out with their bicycles and ride through their neighborhood.
Different fonts have been used to distinguish between the ongoing story and the dialogue. Short phrases are used to convey the activity that takes place, moving the story forward. This technique works to keep the focus firmly on the flow of the story.
The colorful illustrations (which I think are watercolors) fill the entire page and the text is unobtrusively placed at the bottom. Since this is a children’s book, I felt that the font size should have been bigger to make it easier to read.
The Safe Return shows children how to be safe, how to be kind, and how to look out for each other. It’s a great lesson in community building and safety.
(I received a review copy from Kristy at Blackberry Book Tours with a request for an honest review.)
Life must go on as best as it can even in the midst of a raging pandemic. So, the children in the story wear masks when they go out cycling and keep a safe distance from each other throughout their time outside.
They care for their friends who are upset or hurt and help them feel better again. Thus, they return safely home at the end of the day.
The text has plenty of action words to describe all the movement that’s taking place as the children go out with their bicycles and ride through their neighborhood.
Different fonts have been used to distinguish between the ongoing story and the dialogue. Short phrases are used to convey the activity that takes place, moving the story forward. This technique works to keep the focus firmly on the flow of the story.
The colorful illustrations (which I think are watercolors) fill the entire page and the text is unobtrusively placed at the bottom. Since this is a children’s book, I felt that the font size should have been bigger to make it easier to read.
The Safe Return shows children how to be safe, how to be kind, and how to look out for each other. It’s a great lesson in community building and safety.
(I received a review copy from Kristy at Blackberry Book Tours with a request for an honest review.)
April 17, 2021
This beautifully illustrated and written book offers a simple, but powerful story. We see children doing what children do: riding bikes, spending time with dad and friends, and dealing with falls and lost toys. The fact they are all wearing masks shows how life goes on, even in challenging times. You can flip the book and see the characters without masks, so the book can continue to be enjoyed after the pandemic is over. The Safe Return offers children gentle reassurance. It's a needed story of normalcy.
April 19, 2021
Review
If there was ever a book children should read to help normalise wearing masks and how we will return to normal, it's this book.
It is beautifully illustrated and is two books in one. One with characters wearing masks and one without.
It reinforces to children the importance of safety and how things will return to normal one day.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
If there was ever a book children should read to help normalise wearing masks and how we will return to normal, it's this book.
It is beautifully illustrated and is two books in one. One with characters wearing masks and one without.
It reinforces to children the importance of safety and how things will return to normal one day.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
April 16, 2021
Wind in your hair, legs boosting you with lift-off and then the pure joy of freedom.
Riding a bicycle brings such unfettered happiness in our lives and creates memories for life. Our first bikes remain treasures in our minds; mine was a shiny yellow cycle with training wheels called Tobu. I rode that everywhere.
Alas my phobia of traffic saw me never experiencing this joy in my adulthood but beautiful memories of my childhood and my yellow Tobu cycle will always remain.
The Safe Return by Ashley Wheelock and Arwen Evans is a delightful book about the unbridled bliss of riding a bike.
The many facets of this book are astounding and one specifically meant for children growing up in today’s world.
A unique dual book, with a face- mask on or off version, this picture book has endearing illustrations by Abigail Gray Swartz. In these tough times it is the little children who are hit the hardest as they do not understand the reason for this change in our lives. The face mask on version is ideal for gently letting the little ones see that wearing masks is okay, that other children are wearing them too and we can still have fun while doing so.
The face mask off version is an ideal way for them to feel that there is still hope and that one day they can all be outside having fun, fun, fun.
And then there is the bunny rabbit.
The one who goes missing from Travis’s bike and the children hunt, high and low to find and return safely. He adds a little mystery and treasure hunt feel to the book. Having the bunny wear a mask too somehow brought a smile to my face.
And then of course there is the story of riding a bike, with friends, experiencing the wind in your hair, falling down, getting up again and finding freedom.
Ashley and Arwen’s gentle play on the word ‘safe return’ brings with it hope and makes this book a treasure for children and parents alike. Bringing happy memories of days gone by and happy thoughts of days to come too.
So glad I got this readers copy, it brought back such fun memories. Hope you liked my fair and honest review.
Happy Reading:)
Riding a bicycle brings such unfettered happiness in our lives and creates memories for life. Our first bikes remain treasures in our minds; mine was a shiny yellow cycle with training wheels called Tobu. I rode that everywhere.
Alas my phobia of traffic saw me never experiencing this joy in my adulthood but beautiful memories of my childhood and my yellow Tobu cycle will always remain.
The Safe Return by Ashley Wheelock and Arwen Evans is a delightful book about the unbridled bliss of riding a bike.
The many facets of this book are astounding and one specifically meant for children growing up in today’s world.
A unique dual book, with a face- mask on or off version, this picture book has endearing illustrations by Abigail Gray Swartz. In these tough times it is the little children who are hit the hardest as they do not understand the reason for this change in our lives. The face mask on version is ideal for gently letting the little ones see that wearing masks is okay, that other children are wearing them too and we can still have fun while doing so.
The face mask off version is an ideal way for them to feel that there is still hope and that one day they can all be outside having fun, fun, fun.
And then there is the bunny rabbit.
The one who goes missing from Travis’s bike and the children hunt, high and low to find and return safely. He adds a little mystery and treasure hunt feel to the book. Having the bunny wear a mask too somehow brought a smile to my face.
And then of course there is the story of riding a bike, with friends, experiencing the wind in your hair, falling down, getting up again and finding freedom.
Ashley and Arwen’s gentle play on the word ‘safe return’ brings with it hope and makes this book a treasure for children and parents alike. Bringing happy memories of days gone by and happy thoughts of days to come too.
So glad I got this readers copy, it brought back such fun memories. Hope you liked my fair and honest review.
Happy Reading:)
April 19, 2021
The world is a weird place right now, especially for kids. Some have grown up knowing the pre-Covid world and have found their entire life thrown out of whack, whilst for some this is the only thing they've know. Whilst adults are suffering, I think it's fair to say that the kids are hurting too, and as such books that try to normalise some of what's going on right now are definitely going to help children navigate the world.
The Safe Return is trying to do this, but isn't just relying on the Covid world to do so. The book tells the story of a group of friends who head out for a bike ride, accompanied by one of their father's, who's jogging along with them. On the trip one of the kids loses his stuffed rabbit toy, and so the kids set out to find it for him and reunite the two of them.
The story doesn't rely on anything Covid related in it's story, and is a fairly normal tale of a group of friends just being together. What makes it stand out as being set during this time is that everyone is wearing masks. But that's it, there's no mention of the virus, and the kids still get to be together and enjoy themselves.
This s one of the best ways to go about setting a story during Covid, to show it as part of everyday life, but also that it isn't defining everything. It's important that kids see that you can take precautions, such as wearing a mask, but you can still live your life. I think it's taking something really big and really scary and taking some of that fear out of things.
However, like I said before, this book isn't relying on being a Covid related book to get noticed; and clearly wants to exist after the pandemic. So, you can flip the book over and you get the same experience without the masks. The artwork is of mask-less people going about their lives and not having to worry. It means that once this has passed, once things are better, kids can still read and enjoy this book without having to be reminded of what could potentially be a very frightening period.
It's clear that the creators put some thought into this, and wanted to create something that felt relevant and more than just a story, something that children could look at and find something hopeful and good in; but at the same time didn't want that to define the book. so, whether you read it during the pandemic or not, this seems like a book that kids will be able to carry with them.
The Safe Return is trying to do this, but isn't just relying on the Covid world to do so. The book tells the story of a group of friends who head out for a bike ride, accompanied by one of their father's, who's jogging along with them. On the trip one of the kids loses his stuffed rabbit toy, and so the kids set out to find it for him and reunite the two of them.
The story doesn't rely on anything Covid related in it's story, and is a fairly normal tale of a group of friends just being together. What makes it stand out as being set during this time is that everyone is wearing masks. But that's it, there's no mention of the virus, and the kids still get to be together and enjoy themselves.
This s one of the best ways to go about setting a story during Covid, to show it as part of everyday life, but also that it isn't defining everything. It's important that kids see that you can take precautions, such as wearing a mask, but you can still live your life. I think it's taking something really big and really scary and taking some of that fear out of things.
However, like I said before, this book isn't relying on being a Covid related book to get noticed; and clearly wants to exist after the pandemic. So, you can flip the book over and you get the same experience without the masks. The artwork is of mask-less people going about their lives and not having to worry. It means that once this has passed, once things are better, kids can still read and enjoy this book without having to be reminded of what could potentially be a very frightening period.
It's clear that the creators put some thought into this, and wanted to create something that felt relevant and more than just a story, something that children could look at and find something hopeful and good in; but at the same time didn't want that to define the book. so, whether you read it during the pandemic or not, this seems like a book that kids will be able to carry with them.
April 8, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted society the world over, but the promise of returning to normal life is inching ever closer. A young girl and her father venture out to explore the fall together and are accompanied by a few friends on balance bikes. Jogging behind, the girl’s father is there to help when their journey is complicated by a stumble and a lovey that goes missing. Through love and support, the group finds their way again and feels the delight of the wind rushing through their hair.
Designed in an atypical fashion, this book can be read one way where each character is wearing a face mask or flipped so the characters’ faces are visible. In both instances, it is the same story, but the inclusion of face masks affects the narrative in an important way. This book is written for young children and features poetic language that is presented in short, clipped phrases. It is up to the reader to add detail from the illustrations to enhance the powerful language in the text.
Colorful illustrations depict a chilly, autumn evening in a community filled with homes, businesses, and open space. As the friends travel, readers get a sense of how the neighborhood is laid out amidst the vibrant hues of sunset. Rainbows are found throughout the story, emphasizing love and connectedness especially after a challenging time. The characters represent a spread of skin tones and are shown wearing helmets as they explore on their bikes. Dynamic movement, soft lines, and expressive faces make each image compelling while displayed in tandem with the narrative.
This beautiful and poetic interpretation of the effects of COVID-19, especially on children, offers hope for unity and support both during the pandemic and after it ends. It is a lovely addition to collections of stories for young children.
Designed in an atypical fashion, this book can be read one way where each character is wearing a face mask or flipped so the characters’ faces are visible. In both instances, it is the same story, but the inclusion of face masks affects the narrative in an important way. This book is written for young children and features poetic language that is presented in short, clipped phrases. It is up to the reader to add detail from the illustrations to enhance the powerful language in the text.
Colorful illustrations depict a chilly, autumn evening in a community filled with homes, businesses, and open space. As the friends travel, readers get a sense of how the neighborhood is laid out amidst the vibrant hues of sunset. Rainbows are found throughout the story, emphasizing love and connectedness especially after a challenging time. The characters represent a spread of skin tones and are shown wearing helmets as they explore on their bikes. Dynamic movement, soft lines, and expressive faces make each image compelling while displayed in tandem with the narrative.
This beautiful and poetic interpretation of the effects of COVID-19, especially on children, offers hope for unity and support both during the pandemic and after it ends. It is a lovely addition to collections of stories for young children.
May 31, 2021
The impact that COVID had on children is immeasurable and will affect them for years to come. So many of them were kept home away from their classrooms and friends, and had to wear masks that covered their expressions and kept them from seeing the expressions of others. In “The Safe Return”, readers are allowed two sides of the same story, one with masks on, the other maskless. It is such a creative way to bring kids comfort in an unusual and uncomfortable setting, while reminding us that there are smiles, frowns, and even tears hiding behind the masks of our friends.
Written by frequent collaborators & SCBWI members Ashley Wheelock & Arwen Evans, “The Safe Return” follows a dad and daughter sharing a nice early autumn afternoon bike ride with neighborhood friends. Clues of the pandemic are hinted throughout, from the socially distanced outing to the mention of a longtime apart. When a kid’s fall and a lost stuffed animal has the chance of spoiling the fun, staying together and not giving up proves to win the day. In these trying times, this message rings so true.
The book also showcases some masterful work by award-winning illustrator Abigail Gray Swartz. The easy-to-read story, vibrantly painted pages, and high-quality binding is sure to keep “The Safe Return” on request with your little ones.
Written by frequent collaborators & SCBWI members Ashley Wheelock & Arwen Evans, “The Safe Return” follows a dad and daughter sharing a nice early autumn afternoon bike ride with neighborhood friends. Clues of the pandemic are hinted throughout, from the socially distanced outing to the mention of a longtime apart. When a kid’s fall and a lost stuffed animal has the chance of spoiling the fun, staying together and not giving up proves to win the day. In these trying times, this message rings so true.
The book also showcases some masterful work by award-winning illustrator Abigail Gray Swartz. The easy-to-read story, vibrantly painted pages, and high-quality binding is sure to keep “The Safe Return” on request with your little ones.
April 12, 2021
THE SAFE RETURN: KIDS WEAR MASKS FOR A SAFE RETURN TO FUN
I am a huge advocate for wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic—both children and adults—in the ongoing effort to keep everyone safe, so when I was presented with THE SAFE RETURN to read and review, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
As things begin to slowly normalize, children safely return to the classroom, spending time with their friends, it’s important to do so safely by wearing a mask, but you can still have fun.
In THE SAFE RETURN, five friends go on a bike-ride through their neighborhood—together but slightly apart—as the main characters’ Dad jogs behind them.
‘Feet on pavement.’
‘Tush in seat.’
‘Kick, balance, roll.’
During their adventure, ‘a stuffed bunny is temporarily lost, but a community is found.’
The book illustrations are warm and colorful, reminding of those late Summer days that blend into Fall, my favorite time of year.
Thank you, Blackberry Children’s Book Tour, for providing me with an eBook of THE SAFE RETURN in the request for an honest review.
Blackberry Children’s Book Tour/My Blog – April 19, 2021
I am a huge advocate for wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic—both children and adults—in the ongoing effort to keep everyone safe, so when I was presented with THE SAFE RETURN to read and review, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
As things begin to slowly normalize, children safely return to the classroom, spending time with their friends, it’s important to do so safely by wearing a mask, but you can still have fun.
In THE SAFE RETURN, five friends go on a bike-ride through their neighborhood—together but slightly apart—as the main characters’ Dad jogs behind them.
‘Feet on pavement.’
‘Tush in seat.’
‘Kick, balance, roll.’
During their adventure, ‘a stuffed bunny is temporarily lost, but a community is found.’
The book illustrations are warm and colorful, reminding of those late Summer days that blend into Fall, my favorite time of year.
Thank you, Blackberry Children’s Book Tour, for providing me with an eBook of THE SAFE RETURN in the request for an honest review.
Blackberry Children’s Book Tour/My Blog – April 19, 2021
April 18, 2021
Many thanks to Blackberry Book Tours, Ashley Wheelock, Arwen Evans, and Abigail Gray Swartz for providing me with a digital copy of The Safe Return with a request for an honest review.
The Safe Return is a sweet book that encompasses togetherness and safety. We get to witness a safe gathering of family and friends where everyone is wearing a mask for protection.
The illustrations are astounding, with a lot of imagery and emotion. The colors blend well and tell a great story.
The story is a bit stuffy, with the language being a bit too grown-up for the audience. I had a hard time following along at times. The font was too small for the page, and my eyes weren’t sure which words to focus on first. As I say this, I want you to know that I read this book on my Kindle. The hard copies may be different.
I love the idea of this story and couldn’t get enough of the illustrations. I award The Safe Return 3 out of 5 stars. It is a great book for the pandemic age.
The Safe Return is a sweet book that encompasses togetherness and safety. We get to witness a safe gathering of family and friends where everyone is wearing a mask for protection.
The illustrations are astounding, with a lot of imagery and emotion. The colors blend well and tell a great story.
The story is a bit stuffy, with the language being a bit too grown-up for the audience. I had a hard time following along at times. The font was too small for the page, and my eyes weren’t sure which words to focus on first. As I say this, I want you to know that I read this book on my Kindle. The hard copies may be different.
I love the idea of this story and couldn’t get enough of the illustrations. I award The Safe Return 3 out of 5 stars. It is a great book for the pandemic age.
September 15, 2020
My favorite part about this book is the watercolor-inspired illustrations. There is an abstract quality to the art that somewhat resembles the uncertainty surrounding the "right" way to respond to a pandemic. The book features the same story twice- once with masks and once without, which is an interesting take on the pandemic response. The plot centers around the joy of a bike ride, including the freedom of the outdoors and enjoying the company of others safely outside, something that is uplifting during a difficult time. It's not your typical bedtime story, which is refreshing. One small observation is that reading the ebook on the Kindle app on a phone is best read is vertical form instead of horizontal in order to view all the text without scrolling.
April 17, 2021
This Book brings you along with a father and his daughter meeting up with her friends to go on a bicycle ride. While on their ride the father runs behind them to make sure everyone being safe as they can be. A few incidences happen along the way but dad‘s right there to help. They end up having quite the Adventure.
While you or your children read this book it teaches them how to be safe when riding their bicycles. It also address’s the kids wearing mask and being safe while riding along each other. This book also has two Versions of the same story one where the children are wearing mask the other version without you can choose. This is a cute book which also has Great illustrations in it. It’s A good parent and child read along.
While you or your children read this book it teaches them how to be safe when riding their bicycles. It also address’s the kids wearing mask and being safe while riding along each other. This book also has two Versions of the same story one where the children are wearing mask the other version without you can choose. This is a cute book which also has Great illustrations in it. It’s A good parent and child read along.
April 17, 2021
The Safe Return was an adorable story and touched on a subject that everyone is currently going through. I love how the book gives you the same story in two different ways. One side is with the characters wearing a mask, and the other side is without a mask. I think it's great to show the two because right now, places require people to wear masks, and people are still making sure their kids wear their masks around their friends, so this lets them play and enjoy each other while being safe. The other side shows them being safe around each other but without a mask. I think it shows kids how they can be safe and still have fun with their friends. The illustrations are these beautiful watercolors that bring the story to life. I would recommend this book to people that have little kids.
September 18, 2020
The story is centred around a bike ride. I love how the balancing and moving forward of the ride are subtle metaphors for how we are learning to live during a pandemic. The short, simple sentences give a rhythm to the text that mirrors the steady pace of peddling. The plot involves children who band together to find a missing toy, giving the message that we can succeed if we help one another. This timely picture book offers two different takes on the same story. Through colourful illustrations, one version depicts the importance of mask-wearing. The other, mask-free, ensures the book’s relevance post-pandemic.
September 29, 2020
Very sweet book with gorgeous illustrations. When you open the book, you'll immediately notice how colorful and engaging the pictures are. When you read the text, you'll realize that, although the characters are shown wearing masks, the masks (and Covid-19) aren't center stage, the kids' adventures are. Follow along as they ride around town together and help each other when a beloved stuffed animal gets lost. The best part is that you can flip the book to read a mask-less version...for that day in the future when we can hang out with friends without masks!
October 4, 2020
The phrase, kick, balance, roll, feet push down, wind rushes up sets the book’s journey in motion. The text's active prose is sprinkled with imagery throughout which conveys an awareness the riders have of the beauty, the community, the friendship, and love surrounding them, as well as the precautions they need to use to protect themselves and others due to Covid-19. There is so much that readers will take away with them from reading this book even it’s title, The Safe Return, holds a duality of meaning that I think its readers will enjoy.
October 1, 2021
Do you know this book has two variants of the same story? Mask on and mask of versions.
It is a story of a group of children who goes for a bike ride. The adventurous journey has ups and downs. One of them fell down, a stuffed bunny was lost but everyone searched for it together and found it. The book tell us about the childhood adventures, safety during playing outside, freedom and normalizes wearing mask. A perfect read during this pandemic which will indirectly tell the little one to wear masks. The illustations are having vibrant colours and the nature is beautifully drawn in it.
It is a story of a group of children who goes for a bike ride. The adventurous journey has ups and downs. One of them fell down, a stuffed bunny was lost but everyone searched for it together and found it. The book tell us about the childhood adventures, safety during playing outside, freedom and normalizes wearing mask. A perfect read during this pandemic which will indirectly tell the little one to wear masks. The illustations are having vibrant colours and the nature is beautifully drawn in it.
October 8, 2020
The Safe Return is a story that young readers will relate to as they see children wearing masks but still enjoying a bike ride during the COVID-19 pandemic. The colorful, lively illustrations support the theme of retuning to fun even while using masks. The book flips to offer the story with characters wearing masks and not wearing masks which makes the book relevant both now and after the pandemic ends.
August 26, 2020
Love this great mask on, mask off book! Just the right tone for the times we live in! Also love that it is about balance bikes! Something I’ve never seen in a kids book before! So timely and a great way to talk about the importance of wearing masks without ever being mentioned in the story! Great book for the times!
November 24, 2020
The plot here is not significant--some kids ride their bikes and one falls down. What is significant is that everyone is wearing a mask. I think some kids would appreciate seeing their current reality reflected in a book!
The version we have at the library flips over and the whole story is repeated, this time without masks, signifying that at some point, this normalcy will return!
The version we have at the library flips over and the whole story is repeated, this time without masks, signifying that at some point, this normalcy will return!
Read
July 6, 2021Children set off to join each other for a safe bike trip - though trouble comes with an injury and missing bunny. Though the book does not name COVID-19 or the pandemic, there are subtle hints about it throughout.
April 3, 2022
Loved the idea of flipping the book and having the story without the masks. On top of that, it makes us see that the masks were temporary and that they didn't have anything to do with the fun, adventure, or drama of losing the bunny. Well done.
Also very cool art style.
Also very cool art style.
September 27, 2020
Such a beautiful book with a great message. I love how it has two ways to see the story. The illustrations are amazing as well! Definitely recommend.
January 28, 2021
A bide ride can be viewed two ways: with masks and without.
April 19, 2021
This was cute and relevant story showing children that masks and social distancing are normal and good practices, and that you can hangout with family and friends while doing so. Also, the artwork in this book is beautiful.
March 26, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book. This was the first book that I read that featured a world post COVID. I thought it was very interesting to include a story with masks and a story without masks. I like the cute story of a girl looking for her stuffed bunny and I really think stories like this could help normalize the concept of wearing masks for kids.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews