Beatrice Doesn’t Want To Goodreads Review
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Beatrice Doesn’t Want To by Laura Joffe Numeroff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The predictability of the plot doesn’t rob this book of its fun element, and the illustrations have a big role to play there. Lynn Munsinger’s Beatrice – a sulking bored Basset Hound – with her stubborn ‘I don’t want to’ streak is a sure winner! My kids and I kept looking at her different expressions ad nauseum, and each time, we came up with so many different things that could be going on in her mind. And big brother Henry with his ‘I give up’s in sheer exasperation walks away with all our love and empathy! Oh, the pains of having to look after a younger sister who wouldn’t listen 
The plot is simple. Beatrice doesn’t want to read books, until Henry finally comes up with a way to give her a taste of the joys of reading. It’s a great book to introduce to a reluctant reader, and an equally great one to share with a voracious one, because the latter will keep jumping in at the turn of every page to comment on how silly and stubborn Beatrice is being! I’ve seen some kids have their private chat with Beatrice exhorting her to try out books once, just once – ‘and then you’ll see how you’ll love them!’
