This or That: A Story about Choosing

by Kell Andrews, Héctor Borlasca (Illustrator)

A funny, instructive story about making decisions Alexander can’t decide on a Halloween costume, so he winds up as a pumpkin; he can’t decide what to wear to school, so he misses the bus; he can’t decide what school lunch to eat, so he winds up with tuna casserole.   Alexander’s breakthrough comes on his birthday, when he asks for a sundae with everything but then realizes that chocolate swirl is all he wants. After that, Alexander finds his own decision-making not as deliberate as his mother or as quick to decide as his father, but somewhere in between. And when he tells his mom he wants a baby brother, he learns that sometimes “you get what you get, and that can be OK too.” full color

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Emotion, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 15, 2022

Reviews

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexander has trouble making decisions. He is so afraid of making a mistake that he can't decide what to wear, what to eat, or what activities to play. One day he orders an ice-cream sundae with every flavor and every topping, thinking that he will avoid the decision of choosing just one flavor. But when the flavors all blend together into a gross mess, he learns that avoiding a decision can be a mistake too.

I loved this book so much! What a great message for kids about making good decisions, considering their choices, and making the best decision they can in the moment, then accepting the results whether good or bad. I loved that Alexander gets some good character development, and learns an important lesson, but it's also fun!

The illustrations are so cute, and I like the scribbly pencil art style! This whole book is a delight!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful book about choices and making up your own mind. Alexander has a moment-by-moment crisis every time he must make a decision throughout his day.

Alexander sometimes wants both things offered him, sometimes he wants neither, oftentimes he wants the only thing he can't have, and yes, if he doesn't hurry and make up his mind quickly he gets nothing at all. How does one choose the right one is Alexander's dilemma?

Finally Alexander has a eureka moment on his birthday. He orders a HUGE sundae that is so humungous that it fills up the whole table. There is every type of ice cream and topping available in the dish! After a series of bites Alexander comes to the realization that chocolate swirl is his most favourite of all! Ahhhhhh... heavenly!

From that day forth Alexander figures out his own decision-making strategy. It is one that fits him to a "T". His mother reveals to him that a baby is on the way to their home and Alexander wishes for a baby brother. Will he get his wish or be happy "to get what he gets"?

The illustrations are bright, colourful and full of fun. The book highlights emotions and renders help in making decisions that are tailor-made just for you. I love the story and highly recommend it.

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexander struggles with making decisions and it's not working out well for him. Endless deliberation and fear of making the wrong choice often lead him to miss out on opportunities or inconvenience other people. His parents both offer advice based on how they make choices, but neither approach is quite right. Finally, Alexander decides NOT to decide, and finds out that's a choice with consequences too.

This is a wonderful resource for a very relatable problem for young kids! Learning how to make choices isn't always instinctive and this very clearly breaks down various approaches and offers some very practical ideas for students to try. The story and art are both very engaging and will help keep readers invested as they work through the lesson of the book. This would be a great circle time read for pre-K and early elementary and could be used to start many great discussions about making choices.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story about making decisions. Also has new sibling born at end, you can't choose that

[Lauren Gibson (rocknreader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute story about a boy who has trouble making choices. He worries that he’s missing out on something when having to make a choice. My toddler is the same way so I had to read this book! He eventually realizes that sometimes when you choose you don’t make the right choice but you will learn from your decisions. I thought this was a great story. The illustration was awesome. I’ll definitely be getting a copy for my son.

Thanks NetGalley and Publisher Spotlight for access to this ARC.

[Jenna Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

This or That is an adorable and realistic view into the difficulty children have in decision making. The bright and fun illustrations take us through the tale while also working through the emotions of decision making, making it an easier idea to understand.. This is a great book for elementary age children

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The young protagonist in this picture book, Alexander, is quite indecisive when it comes to making choices of any kind. This causes him quite a few problems because when someone can't choose from among the offerings, then it's hard to move forward. As readers turn through the pages, they will realize that part of Alexander's indecisiveness comes from the conflicting advice of his parents since one suggests that he trust his intuition and act quickly while the other one suggests taking his time and weighing all the considerations. Needless to say, Alexander remains befuddled until he has a realization while eating ice cream with his family. No longer frozen with indecision out of fear of making the wrong choices, he realizes that if he makes a mistake, he will have another chance to choose again in the future. But in a nifty little twist at the end, Alexander finds that he has no say in whether his new sibling will be a brother or a sister, and even though he might not get the one he wants, she's still rather special. The colorful illustrations and accessible, humorous text guarantee that this picture book will help other indecisive readers feel reassured. After all, part of indecision relates to being worried about making the wrong choices, and another aspect relates to not really knowing what we want. Once we know, it's rather easy to make a choice. As for me, I never need to worry when choosing what flavor of ice cream to eat: It's just about always chocolate, rarely vanilla or strawberry or anything more exotic--not even at Baskin-Robbins.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This or That: A Story About Choosing is a cute book about a child that has difficulty making decisions. Alexander just can't decide from clothes to food the daily decisions are a struggle. His father says he should make decisions quickly; his mother thinks he should be deliberate and take his time. Alexander has a breakthrough on his birthday and discovers a decision making style of his own. This is wonderful story to help readers understand that it can be hard to make decisions and sometimes “you get what you get, and that can be OK too.” The illustrations are captivating and colorful. This charming story will be helpful in teaching readers how to develop their own decision making style and have fun doing it.

Special thanks to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Tori Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. The illustrations weren't my favorite. The explanation of different ways to make decisions was a little hard for my 3.5 and 5 year old to follow, although I appreciated it and was able to help break it down. I also liked how at the end, he wants a baby brother but finds out a baby sister is great too as my daughter has been begging me for a sister, but I've explained that even if we have another baby, I can't control the gender. On that note- I did laugh out loud on the page when the mom tells the boy that she's pregnant. It was rather obvious throughout the book, I'm sure the kid would have noticed before then lol.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This helpful primer on decision-making anxiety provides helpful examples of how to deal with the consequences of one’s choices, including the choice not to choose, with the assistance of supportive parents. “If you don’t make up your mind, you get what you get,” says Mom. “If you don’t make up your mind, you won’t get anything at all,” says Dad. Alexander benefits from these two voices of wisdom and learns that his choices shape his own experience for better and for worse. Engaging illustrations depict his journey of self-discovery in realistic and entertaining ways.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be very good for the younger grades to think about the idea of making choices and perhaps using some criteria to do so. I was hoping it was going to be geared a little more to the older elementary child and have a little more meat to the decision-making process. I did enjoy the story though and how the parents helped but didn't stop him from learning naturally about natural consequences of decision-making.

[SamSamSam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this story was shorter, and didn't include the baby at the end. I liked the analogy with the ice cream though! And the mention that even if you make the "wrong" decision, you know not to make it again.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is hard to make decisions. I am not sure that this book would actually help anyone else make a decision, though.

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it)

This is a cute book that can be useful for children who have a hard time making a decision. It felt a little long to me though.

[Carrie Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Choosing can be so hard!

[Amabelle Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes, we don’t always get what we one… sometimes, not making a decision = making a decision

[Amie Novosel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be great for a lesson on making decisions and making mistakes. Lots of good examples. Probably good for 3,4,5.