I'm Sorry!

by Barry Timms, Sean Julian (Illustrator)

The perfect story for teaching young children the importance of apologies and apologizing.

Scribble and Swoop are the best of friends - until the day they have a TERRIBLE ARGUMENT! Which friend will be the first to say, "I'm Sorry"? And can an apology fix their precious friendship?

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Emotion, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Barry enjoys the way that stories bring people together. After many years spent editing children’s books, he is now telling tales of his own. Barry lives by an old water tower in South London and can often be found with pencil in hand, writing or drawing or both. He likes road movies, ghost trains and exploring forgotten side streets.

Reviews

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com

Best friends Swoop who is an Owl and Scribble who is a Squirrel meet every single day to be together and so that scribble can do some writing and Swoop can build things. They lived a long way from their meeting place and decided that perhaps they should get a house somewhere closer, together.

The pair found the perfect house with a lovely veranda. But not soon afterward they began to fall out over who should use the veranda for their work and horrible words were exchanged and things got broken. It wasn’t long before the pair realised their mistakes and that sorry was needed to be said, but only if they truly meant it to one another.

I’m Sorry! is a beautiful children’s book that not only teaches children to say sorry, it also teaches them that they have to mean the word as without meaning it ‘Sorry’ is just an empty work and is not an apology.

The funny thing is I actually hate the word ‘Sorry’ and think it is overused by people who think they can do what they like and say sorry and everything is back to how it was, so perhaps this book would be good for some adults to learn that you have to mean what you say. 😂

The full-page illustrations are lovely to look at. They have an old-fashioned feel to them and I adored Swoop and Scribble and how alike, yet also how different they were. Plus I liked their passion for their crafts.

This is a remarkable book that would make a nice bedtime story or be used when a child needs to understand how to apologise and why they should when they have done something wrong or upset someone else. It would also be a wonderful addition to a school library.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swoop and Scribble are an owl and a squirrel who are best friends. They decide to move into a house together, but begin to squabble over who can use the beautiful porch. Swoop wants the porch to be her workshop, and Scribble wants the porch to put on elaborate stage plays. Things escalate into a fierce argument, and there's only one word that can repair their relationship. But even the word "Sorry" doesn't work unless you really mean it.

I loved this adorable picture book! Swoop and Scribble are so cute! I love the way the story goes back and forth between the workshop and the stage, until finally the friends learn to compromise. I love how the writing is so insightful to remind the reader that saying you're sorry doesn't always work. You have to really BE sorry, and then do something to repair the emotional damage. Such a positive message told in a charming story!

The illustrations are perfection! The artwork has soft lines and bright colors, and the expressions on the characters' faces are so hilarious! The artwork really enhances the story and draws the reader in with an emotional hook, and then makes you laugh. I love how each page is designed with little details in the background that make each scene special.

A wonderful book from start to finish!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een lief boek over vriendschap, delen, en vergeving. Erg mooi getekend, de stijl is prachtig en bracht het hele verhaal nog verder tot leven. Het verhaal zelf is erg leuk al had ik graag gezien dat ze meteen afspraken maakten in plaats van gewoon lekker voor zichzelf iets te doen en dus ruzie te krijgen. Maar ja, dan hadden we het boek niet. Alhoewel dan nog had je dan nog steeds iets met ruzie kunnen hebben omdat de afspraken toch niet werkten. Ik ben blij met hoe het uiteindelijk is gegaan en ik ben blij dat beide in zagen dat ze niet juist bezig waren. Het einde was enorm zoet en wat was ik blij voor deze uil en vos.

[Recensioni in tre parole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Istruttivo. Esplicativo. Dolce.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

While we often tell youngsters to apologize when they hurt someone else's feelings, those apologies have little value unless they come from the heart and the person truly intends to change. In this charming picture book filled with delicately-colored illustrations, two friends find that it's easier said than done to repair a friendship that has been fractured. Scribble and Swoop love spending time together, and both of them have activities that they love. When they decide to share a dwelling place, their interests clash as both want the same space for different purposes. Scribble plans to use the porch as a theater while Swoop thinks it would be just right for her workshop. As their purposes clash, they get into quite an argument, and say and do things they later regret. Although Scribble comes to Swoop with an apology on some paper, Swoop is reluctant to take it at face value since it doesn't seem sincere. They talk and hug things out, and they agree on a compromise for the use of the coveted space so both of them can enjoy it. But best of all, they have learned to respect each other's boundaries and interests and be good friends. Since conflicts are inevitable in friendships, this book provides a lesson in how to fix things when they go awry. I was pleased to see that the friends had to work a little bit in order for everything to return to normal.

[Cristina Di Matteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scusa! è un meraviglioso albo illustrato che pone l’attenzione sull’importanza della riconciliazione con gli amici più cari. Una storia dolcissima dal significato unico sul valore del perdono e dell’amicizia attraverso l’empatia, il semplice parlare con sincerità senza troppi giri di parole. https://ilmondodichri.com/scusa/

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...

I'M SORRY! is a fantastic picture book about apologizing and compromise. Swoop and Scribble are an owl and squirrel who are best friends. Swoop loves to make things and brings her toolbox everywhere. Scribble loves to write plays which they can act out together, and he has a special pencil that helps him to find the perfect words. They travel a far distance to meet and play together each day, until they have the idea to buy a house together.

Their new house is perfect and has an amazing porch. When they are sitting on it, both have very different ideas. Swoop thinks of what a perfect workshop it would be while Scribble thinks of how it would make a perfect stage for his plays. The next morning, when both are going to convert the porch into their dream, they get into a fight and walk away angry. Scribble comes up with the perfect word (Sorry), but they both learn it only works if you mean it. The end of the book has them compromising about how to make the porch work for both.

What I loved: This picture book gently teaches about conflict resolution in an approachable way- and that "sorry" only works if you mean it. The illustrations are really lovely with gentle colors and plenty of details to keep young readers engaged. Albeit a minor thing, I also really love how Swoop (girl) is the one who loves to build things with her special toolbox, and that Scribble (boy) is the one who writes and comes up with the feeling of sorry.

The plot flows smoothly and the writing is well done to convey enough detail to present a full story without being overwhelming. This makes it great for toddlers through elementary school-aged children. This book would be great for teaching about conflict resolution and the power of words.

Final verdict: A delightful and sweet story about saying sorry and compromise, I'M SORRY! is a lovely picture book that teaches important concepts.

Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.

[MrsCookesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a huge hardback, with a lovely picture of a fluffy owl cuddling a squirrel on the front; such an endearing image and very appealing to the Littles! There was lots of “ooo-ing” and “aahhh-ing” when I whipped this book out!
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I’m Sorry contains beautiful, cosy-looking illustrations with a lovely muted and calming colour scheme throughout. This particularly helped with delivering and discussing a serious message in a fun way!
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The themes of this book are friendship and sharing and apologising when we have done something unkind. It triggered much discussion about polite and kind behavior and the Littles really enjoyed going back through the book to point out where things could have been different.
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I’m Sorry is a gorgeous and gentle introduction to the idea of sharing and we really recommend it for discussing how to work though problems.

[Onceuponatime87 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gufo e Scoiattolo sono migliori amici.
Almeno fino al giorno in cui un brutto litigio li allontana!
Troveranno il modo di riappacificarsi e di salvare la loro preziosa amicizia?

Un meraviglioso libro per bambini che insegna il valore dell'amicizia e quello del perdono...
Purtroppo essendo stata fortemente delusa in passato faccio fatica a parlare positivamente ai miei figli dell'amicizia, è un valore in cui non credo più e quindi mi viene difficile trovare parole che la innalzino. Fortunatamente per me, ci sono libri stupendi come questo che riescono ad esprimere quello che non sono in grado di fare io...in questo caso i due protagonisti, molto uniti tra loro, decidono di andare a vivere insieme ma litigano per un banale motivo che rischia di mettere fine al forte legame tra loro, ma riusciranno a capire che a volte basta una semplice parola, sentita, per salvare il tutto...e che l'orgoglio spesso porta situazioni dalle quali non si può tornare indietro...
Le illustrazioni sono spettacolari e mio figlio grande si è subito immedesimato...
Super consigliato, da avere in libreria...

Voto= 8 su 10
19/02/2024

[Haniva Zahra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saya jatuh cinta dengan buku-buku anak karena cara penulis menyampaikan sebuah tema sederhana dengan pendekatan yang menyentuh ditambah lagi faktor ilustrasi yang memanjakan mata membuat saya makin-makin jatuh cinta pada buku-buku anak. Salah satunya buku ini, saya jatuh cinta dengan buku ini karena ada beberapa pesan moral yang disampaikan: 1) Sahabat bahkan saudara adalah dua orang yang berbeda yang pasti punya sudut pandang dan keinginan yang berbeda pula, 2) Maaf itu tidak hanya dengan mengucapkan kata maaf tersebut, tetapi perlu ditunjukkan dengan perilaku yang tulus. Sebuah buku yang sangat baik huhu sampai-sampai K jadi lebih mudah mengucapkan maaf, tetapi saya ingin dia belajar benar-benar memaksudkannya.

[Sanna lukee lapselle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kaveri- ja tunnetaitoja. Kirjassa kaverukset Pöllö ja Kurre muuttavat saman katon alle, mutta eripuraa tulee, kun harrastukset ovat törmäyskurssilla. Tuloksena on iso riita, eikä kumpikaan ihan heti halua pyytää anteeksi, ainakaan tosissaan. Lopulta sopu löytyy. Kiva kun on kirjoja myös siitä, että anteeksipyytäminen ei aina ole ihan helppoa.

[Nena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μια αληθινή συγγνώμη και μια μεγάλη αγκαλιά, εκεί κρύβεται το μυστικό των σχέσεων που αντέχουν στον χρόνο. Γλυκύτατη εικονογράφηση και ένα μήνυμα που όλοι πρέπει να έχουμε φυλαχτό μέσα στην καρδιά μας 🤍

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful pictures with a lovely little lesson: "I'm sorry" is just a set of words unless you mean it.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely story about friendship and compromise and heartfelt apologies. The art is beautiful

[MaryAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet book about two friends learning to compromise and give real apologies. Lovely illustrations and a simple but meaningful story make this book a winner.

[Ygrable · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una historia entrañable, sobre los amigos y la importancia de perdonarse.

[Meakuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Schön gezeichnetes Bilderbuch übers Verzeihen und Kompromisse.