The Misadventures of Miss Snoots
This story is perfect for children struggling to get the hang of working well with others.
The Misadventures of Miss Snoots by Brenda W. Atkinson follows one snooty bear as she learns to accept what a real family looks like. The story teaches children to appreciate what they have and to treat others as they would like to be treated.
Brenda receives Miss Snoots from her favorite aunt, a gift making its way from glamorous New York City all the way to Idaho with a sophisticated outfit to match. Although she’s instantly surrounded by bears, elephants, giraffes, lions, tigers, leopards, lambs, bunnies, and one jaguar, Miss Snoots doesn’t take instantly to her new household and isn’t the most lovable guest. So, she decides to take a vacation to seek out her “real family,” thinking she’ll fit in better with them. Instead, Miss Snoots comes home a welcomed member of the family with a new appreciation for the ones she left behind. She even asks them to call her Alex from then on, shedding the snooty skin she’d been so accustomed to wearing.
Although the story is familiar, it provides a satisfying structure and conclusion. Atkinson makes it obvious that Miss Snoots has learned a lot on her journey and proves that, no matter how long it takes, anyone can change. The story itself has long sentences that may prove difficult for children, but has a unique voice easy to listen to aloud.
The few illustrations are simple, but provide an interesting rendition of what Miss Snoots would look like on any child’s shelf. The bear’s look fits her personality at first and changes to match her surroundings, while still being obvious to point out on the page. It’s confusing why Miss Snoots doesn’t go back to New York in her travels, but the illustrations and homecoming otherwise work well on the page. What’s more, the bears over the page numbers are cute and playful.
This story is perfect for children struggling to get the hang of working well with others. Miss Snoots proves that even those hardest to like at first are worthy of love and capable of finding it, making her misadventures the perfect adventure to follow along with.
Reviewed by
Rebecca Monterusso
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
