From the author of the murder mystery Exonerated,. . . and his seven-year-old daughter.
Reviewed by Carla Trueheart for Readers' Favorite
An adorable book with a positive message, Can We Watch? follows Isabelle and her brother, Joe, as they continually implore their parents: can we watch television? But one day, when the electricity goes out, Isabelle and Joe spend the time not with electronics, but playing cards, riding bikes, doing puzzles, playing games, and spending time with their mother and father. They eat food without the television, have fun with the family without the use of electronics, and even find that they like this much better than their normal daily activities. Authors S.A. Dymond and Shiloh Dymond do a superb job telling this wonderful story without pushing an obvious message onto children. The illustrations in the book are fun and quirky and add much to the cute narrative. This book was a joy to read.
Can We Watch? not only teaches children about the power of family time versus watching television, it also teaches them about the importance of manners and doing chores. Isabelle and Joe are told to finish chores such as brushing teeth and making beds before they get what they want, which does leave the young reader with a sense of responsibility. While the central theme was about spending time with family and not watching so much television, I appreciated that other lessons were cleverly woven into the story as well. Authors S.A. Dymond and Shiloh Dymond did a fine job with the memorable tale, and the book should be a welcome addition to any children’s library.