Jack has to apologize to Zoe.
Finding the right words is hard.
And Jack isn’t ready because he’s still angry.
With the gentle encouragement of his teacher, Jack begins to write an apology letter to his classmate.
Each letter tells the story of what has happened and each time he shows his teacher, he is encouraged to try again.
I love how we learn why Jack was acting out through the “I’m sorry” letters. The story is funny and told with great illustrations of a busy classroom with lots of emotions. It teaches kids how to apologize and how not to apologize.
“A real apology has to have three things: 1. What I did, 2. That I’m sorry, 3. And I’ll help you fix it.”
It takes several tries but Jack eventually figures out why he did what he did. He takes accountability for his actions.
You can’t help but feel proud of Jack when he gives Zoe a real heartfelt apology.
Kyle Lukoff’s clever book teaches kids how to work through their feelings to make, and feel, a real apology.
I’d highly recommend reading this book to children ages 4-8 years old. It’s perfect to read to a classroom, to siblings, and to anyone not sure of how to apologize.
Helps with: friendship, apologies, feelings, anger, forgiveness, disappointment, social skills, accountability, responsibility, and creating supportive classrooms.
Author: Kyle Lukoff
Publisher: Dial Books, 2024