I Can Open it for You (2021), written and illustrated by Shinsuke Yoshitake, shows a little boy in red overalls with a jar in one hand and its lid in the other. He is holding the open jar with flourish and pride. Got it!
In the next scene, Akira is still that same little boy, but he is looking at a wrapped piece of chocolate. But he is frustrated in his efforts to open the wrapped candy. He struggles and struggles to get at the sweet.
He swallows his pride and goes to ask his mother for help.
He dreams of being able to open jars for his mother. He dreams of opening containers for the masses of adoring people.
There are pages of various containers opening with various wonderful sounds: “phssst,” “shwoop,” “shwok,” “prirrp,” and so on.
He dreams of opening not only containers of various foods but also purses and suitcases and safes. And even much larger mysteries…
His imagination goes further and broader to various things he will be able to do when he is bigger.
Akira has a lot of personality and hopes and intelligence. He has a child’s sense of dignity and pride. He is responsible and sincere and serious. He has the adorable gift of helps. He has dreams of heroics.
Shinsuke Yoshitake’s I Can Open it for You is solidly conceptualized and charming. It is a sweet read. It is written with a respect for Akira’s humanity and dreams.
More subtly, it shows just how important a child’s experiences are for their futures and their ambitions. It shows the importance of parents to launching their child into the ambitious future of their child’s dreams.
Shalin Hai-Jew has worked in higher education for many years. She has edited dozens of nonfiction educational books and authored a dozen with a number of publishers.
