THE THINGITY-JIG is a fun picture book read about invention and friendship. Although all his friends are asleep, Bear feels wide awake. He decides to go into the people town to explore. There, he finds a thingity-jig (sofa) which is wonderful for bouncing and playing. He runs back home to tell his friends and see if they can help him bring it back. They are all far too sleepy to help, so Bear invents a rolly-rumpity to carry it back. When that is not enough, Bear invents more contraptions to help him bring the thingity-jig back home.

What I loved: This story is very sweet and delightfully fun. Bear is very clever and excited about the cool thing he has found, and he cannot wait to bring it home for his friends to play with too. As his friends are too sleepy to help, Bear invents new things to overcome the obstacles in bringing the thingity-jig home. The book includes themes around friendship, inventiveness, and thinking creatively that have broad appeal for young readers.

The font of the text is easy to read and printed clearly throughout, making this a great choice for reading out. When combined with fun words (eg, thingity-jig, rolly-rumpity) and the many sounds of building and playing throughout, this is a delight to share with young readers. The repetition of text and patterns in the plot are great for young learners and independent readers who will quickly become immersed in this cute story.

The illustrations are also really great with cute animals, the ever-clever Bear, and full page details. They really bring the story to life and are balanced with just the right amount of text on each page to work for toddlers through elementary school aged readers.

Final verdict: THE THINGITY-JIG is a delightful picture book about friendship and overcoming obstacles that is sure to enchant toddlers through elementary school aged readers. This story would be great whether shared at home or in a classroom.