Early Book Review: There, There by Tim Beiser

There, There by Tim Beiser is a picture book currently scheduled for release on June 6 2017. Do you ever feel like everything is terrible? Like nothing is ever right and you just want to hide under your pillow? Well Rabbit does, and he's not shy about sharing it. He whines, he complains, he moans, he grumps... until Bear has had enough and decides it's time for Rabbit to learn to appreciate what he has. Using nothing but the lowly common earthworm as an example, he teaches Rabbit a lesson about taking things for granted. Something the worm knows all about.

There, There is a picturebook intending to ease the complaining and whining that many partake in. I think the message is presented well and the art is nice, but it just never blew me away. I think many people resort to complaining about anything and everything that is not to their liking. I will admit to being guilty on occasion myself. The majority of the book is Rabbit complaining about everything and Bear brushing off the complaints until he shows Rabbit how much worse of Worm has it than him. I found the notion of what felt like putting down Worm or his lifestyle a little unsettling. I think the lesson would have been better served by pointing out the good things about Rabbit and his life rather than looking down on Worm's. When I first read it it irked me, but I find that the more I think about it the more unhappy I am with it.