What You Do Matters Boxed Set — Featuring all three New York Times best sellers

by Kobi Yamada, Mae Besom (Illustrator)

This inspiring boxed set brings together three New York Times bestselling picture books that empower children to nurture ideas, face challenges with courage, and embrace new opportunities—an unforgettable collection about creativity, resilience, and believing in what’s possible.

What if one idea could change everything? What if a problem became your greatest teacher? What if a chance was the beginning of something extraordinary?

An elegant, timeless gift for all ages, this deluxe boxed set features the award-winning titles from the What Do You Do With…? What Do You Do With an Idea?, What Do You Do With a Problem?, and What Do You Do With a Chance?

With messages that resonate across generations, these beloved books have inspired millions of readers worldwide to protect their ideas, face challenges with confidence, and recognize the change worth taking. A meaningful addition to any classroom, school library, or home, this collection is a powerful reminder that what we do and how we respond truly matters.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Mary]

What a delightful set of books. I wish I had had these when my grandchildren were younger! Take a chance. Don't be afraid to dream and go forward with your ideas. Learn to face your problems and look for solutions rather than worrying about them. Actually, the writings are appealing to all ages and gentle reminders for all of us. The illustrations are engaging. I recommend these books for EVERYONE!

[Ashley ❤️]

Three beautifully written and illustrated stories helping teach children to have a growth mindset. Read these with the kiddos and we all really enjoyed! Plus the box is a beautiful addition to our bookshelf :)

[reading_far_away]

Inhalt
Jeder von uns bekommt sie mehrfach im Laufe seines Lebens: Ideen, Chancen und Probleme. Aber die Art und Weise, wie wir damit umgehen, ist ganz individuell und wird von verschiedenen Faktoren beeinflusst. Doch wie erklären wir diese abstrakten Begriffe? Wie können wir (Kindern) begreiflich machen, welchen Sinn und Zweck Ideen, Chancen und Probleme haben? Mit der Was macht man mit…? Reihe geht Kobi Yamada genau diese Fragen an und schafft es gemeinsam mit der Künstlerin Mae Besom diesen Dingen eine Gestalt zu geben.

Meine Meinung
Was ist der Sinn von Problemen? Was passiert mit einer Idee, wenn ich sie nicht umsetze? Und was passiert, wenn ich eine Chance ergreife? Auf all diese Fragen gibt Kobi Yamada in seiner Was macht man mit…? Reihe eine Antwort. Dabei schafft er es auch in diesen Büchern mit wenigen, dafür aber wohl bedachten und bewusst gewählten Worten auszukommen.
Die Texte allein sind es schon wert, dass man sich diese Bücher mal genauer anschaut.
Was sie aber zu einem wahren Kunstwerk werden lässt, sind die Illustrationen von Mae Besom. Sie symbolisiert die abstrakten Begriffe Idee, Chance und Problem durch ein Ei, einen Origami-Schmetterling und eine Wolke. Dabei sind zunächst nur der Protagonist der Bücher (der im Übrigen in allen drei Büchern der selbe ist, was ich sehr schön finde, weil dadurch eine Verbindung entsteht) und das Symbol farbig illustriert (außer in Was macht man mit einer Idee?, da ist zunächst nur die Idee (das Ei) farbig illustriert), die Umgebung und die anderen Personen bleiben vorerst eintönig grau-braun illustriert. Doch mit jeder Seite der Bücher werden die Illustrationen bunter, was ich ein sehr schönes Symbol für das Potenzial von Ideen, Chancen und Problemen finde.
Kobi Yamada und Mae Besom haben es mit der Was macht man mit…? Reihe geschafft, Bilderbücher zu erschaffen, die für Kinder ab ca. 4-5 Jahren geeignet sind, die aber genauso gut ältere Kinder, Jugendliche und Erwachsene ansprechen. Es sind Bücher, die Mut machen, sich Problemen zu stellen, Ideen zu verwirklichen und Chancen zu ergreifen. Und für all das ist man nie zu alt.

Fazit
Gestaltung: 5 Sterne
Text: 5 Sterne
Botschaft: 5 Sterne
Gesamtwertung: 5 Sterne

[Catalina Jimenez G]

What a beautiful and compelling set of books. From the beginning, the author's notes to his children had my heart. Detailed illustrations make the messages stronger and heartening. Just like the books say, these are perfect for any age and work as reminders and boosts of inspiration/comfort.

The packaging also makes this set even more perfect. Great attention to detail, good quality, and thoughtful concept

Favorite quotes:
What Do You Do with an Idea?--> "And then, I realized what you do with an idea... You change the world."
What Do You Do with a Problem?--> "And the more I worried, the bigger my problem became."
What Do You Do with a Chance?--> "I now see that when I hold back, I miss out. And I don't want to miss out. There's just so much I want to see and do and discover."

[Barbara Wollard]

Not quite what I expected.

[Iconic Greatness]

An amazing growth mindset book for people of all ages.

This book caught my attention in the library and I had to read it.

What do you do with an Idea?
What do you do with a problem?
What do you do with chance?

3 questions to keep in mind everyday to make the most of your life.

3 questions to make your life more interesting and exciting.

[Dean]

Fantastic artwork set within books that ask our kids to think beyond what is right in front of them. It teaches them to grasp the consequence of hiding from a problem or ignoring an idea, but frames them within the positive of moving forward. Really love these books!

[Eswar]

I received this box set as a gift thinking it was for my child. I realized this was for me too. So inspiring and motivational. You can just pick it up an read it in a few minutes. A boxed set for all ages and for every household.

This is the best gift I received this year.

[June]

I'm so glad my aunt gave our children this gorgeous boxed set. I'd never heard of the author or the books, but find much of value in the pages. Sometimes the most basic answer is the best news of all.

[Michelle]

I can’t recommend this trio of books enough for your 6-11 yr old children (yes, it really does work for this entire age range), and honestly, some young at heart adults because the messages are ageless and encouraging, and the illustrations are delightful and relatable.

[Laurie S. DuBose]

Wonderful books of encouragement.

[Marmot]

So good! I think this is essential for all children’s bookshelves. I’d like to get a copy for many of my friends kids.

[Kit Sinatra]

Very cute and wholesome. The problem one was definitely my favorite, especially for anxious kids. Art style is stunning.

[George]

Great message and illustrations.

[Lea]

Should be read to every child and given to them as a gift when they get older - valueble life advice packed in a shell that everyone can understand and draw strength from