I Can Explain

Shinsuke Yoshitake's I Can Explain is a funny picture book for 5 year olds about a child with a brilliant reason for every single bad habit.

What happens

Mum says picking your nose is bad manners. But what if there's a button at the back of your nose? And what if pressing it makes your brain send out cheerful beams that put everyone in a good mood? See? I can explain.

Then it's nail biting. That makes a sound grown-ups can't hear, which scares away the crows round the bins. Shaking your legs is talking to the moles about your day.

Every habit gets its own explanation, and they get sillier and sillier. Bouncing on the bed is training in case the road ever turns into a trampoline (you'll still be able to get to school!). Wiping mucky hands on your clothes is just kinder than wiping them on a swan.

The straw chewing one is a favourite. It's all practice, because there's an International Straw Chewing Contest to win. The plan is to come first, build a boat with the prize money and take everyone on a trip round the world!

Who hasn't been told off for bouncing on their bed at some point?

The best bit is the grown-up. There's no shouting. Just a calm "Okay, got it" and, at one point, "Being able to explain everything must be difficult." To which the answer is "Yes, it actually is!"

It's perfect for reading aloud together, with one of you doing the child and one doing the grown-up. And be warned, your reader will probably want to invent their own excuses afterwards (so maybe don't read it just before bedtime tidying).

There's a lovely turn right at the end where the grown-up gets asked about a habit of their own. It's a gentle, funny reminder that everybody does little things without thinking.

It's an American edition, so it's "mom", "pajamas" and "pants" for trousers. That might need a quick word with a little one!

What to read next

For another story that turns manners upside down, try School for Bandits, where a raccoon's parents are worried he's far too polite.