Julia Mills (Illustrator)
2023 48 pages(HarperCollins Publishers)
9780358695332
0358695333
“It stinks to be stuck. Turtle is stuck on their back, unable to flip over. “Try wiggling your feet,” advises Duck–nope. Still stuck. “Try wagging your tail,” Kangaroo suggests–nope again. Armadillo says that rolling in a ball might work–Turtle tries…but rolls ALL the way over and is stuck again. Possum wonders if Turtle is playing possum, but Turtle says no. “It doesn’t hurt. But I feel scared, frustrated, and alone.” Possum flops over with Turtle. They smell honeysuckle. They hear a bird singing. They watch clouds together. Turtle feels a bit better, but then it rains. Now, Turtle is cold and wet…”but I don’t feel stuck.” Possum says, “I feel like my butt fell asleep.” And the duo giggle so hard, they both flip over. They discover being stuck is not so bad when you’re together.” —
Why I like this book: I’m Stuck is an interesting way to talk about what can be done when someone is feeling stuck, frustrated, etc. It makes the point that sometimes we don’t want advice or solutions, but just need some emotional support (bringing up themes of empathy).
Windows & Mirrors 