The Gotcha Smile

This book deals with the difficult problem of a child moving school and settling in with new relationships. Clarine is a little black girl whose first day proves a disaster and as things go from bad to worse she decides that she cannot bear to go to school any more. Helpful strategies are offered from all quarters but it takes Grandpa to come up with giving her confidence to flash the 'gotcha smile'. This book might prove helpful for very young children in a similar position but in some cases I wonder if it might make the situation worse. The book is probably most useful for encouraging empathy when used with children receiving a new child and should only be used judiciously when it comes to the tricky situation of a failing introduction to a new school.