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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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!<\/p>\n
Who hasn’t been told off for bouncing on their bed at some point?<\/p>\n
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!”<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
It’s an American edition, so it’s “mom”, “pajamas” and “pants” for trousers. That might need a quick word with a little one!<\/p>\n
For another story that turns manners upside down, try School for Bandits, where a raccoon’s parents are worried he’s far too polite.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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. 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":13186,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"lr_next_read_post_id":8575,"lr_next_read_anchor":"School for Bandits","lr_seo_hook":"Every naughty habit gets a gloriously silly excuse in this read-aloud."},"book_tag":[23],"age_group":[21],"book_type":[1044],"book_author":[913],"class_list":["post-7715","our-books","type-our-books","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","book_tag-funny-books","age_group-books-for-5-year-olds","book_type-paid","book_author-shinsuke-yoshitake"],"yoast_title":"I Can Explain by Shinsuke Yoshitake | Little Reads","yoast_metadesc":"Every naughty habit gets a gloriously silly excuse in this read-aloud. For ages 5+. 3,000+ books in the Little Reads app. 7-day free trial.","acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n