Nervous Nigel
by Bethany Christou

5 out of 5 stars

Nigel’s family are all champion swimmers, and they have the medals and trophies to prove it. But Nigel doesn’t like to swim fast. It makes him nervous when the whistle blows and the coach yells for him to go faster. He likes to float along and relax when he swims. It’s his special time to think. Nigel’s family enter him into a swim race, and Nigel is too scared to tell them that he doesn’t like racing. How will Nigel get his overachieving family to understand?

This is such a wonderful book with a positive message about being true to yourself. You don’t have to win trophies to have value, and you don’t have to be the fastest or the best to do something worthwhile.

I really liked the family dynamic with Nigel and his crazy family. They push him to be happy doing the same things that make them happy, and they don’t realize that he has different needs. But they really want to support him and show him that they love him! Both Nigel and his family members learn to communicate better, and it was really interesting to see the character development on both sides.

I love the cute illustrations! Nigel is so adorable, and I love the way the design really shows his expressions so that you feel his emotions through the artwork. Every page is so colorful and bright!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.