“There are many things Martha does, but apologizing isn’t one of them.” Sweet,  present-making, snack-sharing, hug-giving Martha does many things, but some of the things she does aren’t so nice. During those difficult moments (like when Martha plays her drum kit next to her napping baby brother), Martha wants to make things right, but Martha Doesn’t Say Sorry.  Her inability to make amends comes back to haunt her. Martha wants a cookie, but Martha’s mom doesn’t give cookies to people who don’t say sorry. Her father and baby brother don’t feel like accomodating people who don’t say sorry, either. In the end, Martha is finally able to say sorry, which comes in handy as she inevitably does something not so nice again (baby brother’s face as he looks at his first birthday cake with a big swipe missing gets me every time!)

This book hits just the right note for talking with young ones about the importance of saying sorry. It’s not a finger-wagging didactic book – it’s funny, it’s relate-able, and I’m in love with the adorable art. We’ve all seen horrible books meant to teach children lessons that bore the socks off of kids and make the adult reader sound smarmy and smug. Read Martha Doesn’t Say Sorry by Samantha Berger and Bruce Whatley instead. You can remind your kids to do what Martha learned to do, when they are grabbing the book out of each other’s hands to read it again.

For more information, visit samanthaberger.com.