Book review: It's No B BB Bother

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Reviewers Katherine, Leanne and Sienna share their thoughts on It's No B BB Bother, a new book for early years children by Alexander Taylor.

Katherine Brown

Speech & Language Therapist

It's No B BB Bother, is a colourful and charming children's book with an amiable sloth as its main character. Sloth lives in the jungle, a place teeming with hustle, bustle and sounds. Sloth is sad, feeling that he cannot join in with the other animals because he has a stammer. When Sloth asks why he stammers, his animal friends respond with support, encouragement and the message that it is OK to stammer — "It’s No Bother".

There are few words, as with most younger children's stories. But in a book about stammering, there is an extra poignancy to the scarce text. In fact, the text itself stammers — it takes Sloth 13 pages to ask his friends "Why do I stammer?" As the words draw out over the pages, the reader has to slow their pace to that of Sloth, and in doing so is given an insight into the extra time that someone with a stammer may need when speaking. Paired with the cute illustrations and kind responses from Sloth's friends, this goes some way to destigmatise and normalise stammering.

Despite the few words, the book still communicates a vital message about stammering. The author, Alexander Taylor, makes the point crystal-clear: it doesn't matter if someone stammers, it is just the way they talk. This is exactly the message we want to spread to our formative children. 

...anyone could benefit from reading It's No B BB Bother and getting a dose of its kindness, acceptance and inclusivity

This book could therefore be used as a gentle first resource for parents of a child who stammers, or as a text to educate any child, encouraging acceptance and understanding of individuals' differences. The power of the catchphrase "It's No Bother" is in its repetition, but also in the feeling that it evokes. A gentle, casual, easy phrase yet unusual enough to be memorable, it provides a motto that parents and children can remember and use again.

With its bold, friendly illustrations and minimal, large-print text, this book is primarily aimed at children in early-years education. However, the value of a book that normalises stammering both in the physical text on the page and in the message that it conveys, is considerable. Sometimes, as we have learnt from writers such as Charlie Mackesy (The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse), a very simple message transcends age, because it cuts through to the very human core of us all. To this end, anyone could benefit from reading It's No B BB Bother and getting a dose of its kindness, acceptance and inclusivity. In fact, the world would be a better place if everyone did. 

Leanne & Sienna Vidamour 

Mother & daughter

In It's No B BB Bother, Sloth realises that he isn't alone with his stammer, and that what he has to say is worth waiting for. The author himself stammers, which I think gives a great insight into stammering and provides a positive role model for children, showing that stammering should never hold you back from fulfilling your dreams!

The book has some great illustrations, which are bright and eye-catching — perfect for the 3-5-year-olds this book is aimed at. It also demonstrates how a stammer can sound, which is important for children who stammer and for anyone who may never have heard stammering before. What I found amazing about this book is how when Sloth is stammering, all the animals are looking and smiling at him. I think this is an incredible message for children who stammer and those around them. Modelling these great communication skills is very important. The way there wasn't a lot of text on some of the pages provides a visual representation of waiting whilst someone is stammering.

The positive messages throughout were fantastic, such as "Your voice is worth waiting for" and "We won't rush you". Embedding these early on provides children with a library of positive affirmations that they can use through to their communication journey. It's also important to include different phrases, like "Take your time", that other families may use and resonate with. 

My daughter Sienna, aged 4, said, "I really liked the pictures and how they smiled when the sloth was talking. Sloth speaks like me! Can I take the book into school to show my friends?"

It's No B BB Bother promotes positive body language, communication skills and affirmations, which in turn begins to create the building blocks that children can use in years to come.

It's No B BB Bother is a self-published book by Alexander Taylor, and is available to buy from his website.

Thank you to Katherine, Leanne and Sienna for reviewing this book for STAMMA.