Anything, the fifth picture book from Mic Fox [Don't Get Too High (said the Bird to the Fly); Weird Lil Prayers], is a re-imagination of the "You can do anything!" mantra that floated through every after-school-special of the 1990s.
This book challenges the reader to move the emphasis from
"You can do ANYTHING"
To
"You CAN do anything"
in hopes that a kid (and maybe their parents) will take the opportunities they're given and use their gifts for good-rather than just doing whatever they want... just because they can.
The oil pastels used to whimsically illustrate Anything never completely dry-a nice reminder that if we choose, we too, can grow and change over time.
Despite it's seemingly juvenile format, Anything functions as a reflection of our times-where improvisation and thinking outside the box are no longer novel pursuits but necessary skillsets for both children and adults.
