3 out of 4 stars
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Almost every person is afraid of something. Fear is a completely normal feeling; however, it is often unfounded. Children often have all sorts of silly fears. Jelly Bean Dean and the Bubble Machine by Tracy Stanaway is a children's book that addresses fear in a fun and unusual way by teaching children how to overcome it on their own.
The story follows Jelly Bean Dean, who one day finds an unusual machine on the beach. Although the machine intrigued her because of its strange appearance, she left it on the beach, thinking that someone had forgotten it there. However, the machine followed her all the way home. The next day, she saw the machine in her room and decided to take it to school. The reader further learns what happened at school and how the unusual machine helped the students overcome their fears.
The concept of the story is very imaginative and unusual. The characters in the book are personified beans, which is very strange, but I think most children might like that. What I like most is the message that is conveyed to readers. The author emphasizes that fear is, in most cases, unfounded and that it is just an uncomfortable thought that needs to be released. In addition, the illustrations are vibrant and colorful, which is always a big plus in children's books. Also, I did not find any grammatical errors. The book seems to be exceptionally well edited.
The only thing I do not like about the book is the fact that it is not elaborated enough. The first part of the book is a bit confusing. I think the author could have introduced the reader a little better to the context of the story. Likewise, the story somehow ends abruptly. I wanted to learn a little more about the different fears of the characters and how they dealt with them.
All things considered, I give this book 3 out of 4 stars. The rating would have been higher had the story been elaborated in more detail. I would recommend this book to children who have various unfounded fears because I think this story could help them overcome them. It would also be a good bedtime story.
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Jelly Bean Dean and the Bubble Machine
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