"A storehouse of interesting information is packed into this chatty little guide to doing some really cool things, from skipping stones to changing a bike tire, giving an awesome speech, and roasting the perfect marshmallow. The book begins with how to say hello in 10 languages (including Arabic, Hindi, and Hungarian) and ends with how to tell a joke; in between are directions for building a house of cards, making friends, spinning a basketball on one finger, and so on. The instructions are easy to follow and usually cover a six-by-six-inch spread. Some of the colorful cartoons are decorative, but others help readers to visualize what they are supposed to do. A practical, fun read."

- School Library Journal
"Like a Pro gives fun instructions on things that kids need to know, which, of course, are not the same as what adults think kids need to know. The kids I know would prefer to get a tip on how to speak in code to learning grammar and really useful stuff like how to bake the best chocolate chip cookies ever. The pages on how to fold an ace flyer were particularly practical, as were the pages on how to do card tricks. How to roast the perfect marshmallow would come in useful on camping trips this summer, as would the tip on finding the Big Dipper, avoiding bee stings, and throwing a Frisbee like a pro. Would I recommend this book? Yes, for all the practical, fun and useful tips that any kid could use."

- CM Magazine

REVIEWS:

"A friendly book meant to cue children in on 101 things they've 'just gotta know.' With lively illustrations by Claudia Davila, the instructions given are, as one 13-year-old boy told me, 'very useful': how to 'bring on that pesky sneeze', how to 'approach a strange dog,' how to 'make the perfect snowball."
- The New York Times




Hardcover | 160pp | 7" x 7" | $22.95 | US$21.95 | ISBN: 1-897066-53-8

Paperback | 160pp | 7" x 7" | $12.95 | US$9.95 |
ISBN: 1-897066-54-6

Attention Teachers! For ideas on how to use Like a Pro in the classroom, click here.
Recommended by the 2007 Canadian
Toy Testing  Council!
"...genuinely intelligent and useful...Many of the topics covered in this book should help kids become more independent...Becker is careful to leaven her text with some frivolous fun - like learning how to blow a huge gum bubble or bodysurf. There's something for everyone...the liveliness of the layout and the panache of the writing might seduce kids into following sound advice they'd never take from their archaic parents."
       - Quill and Quire

"...will capture and hold the curious, insatiable minds of young readers...The author and the illustrator use humour, accessible language, and eye-catching design and illustrations, and cast a wide net to ensure there's something for every kid in this book...

Recommended for ages 8 to 12, Like a Pro is sure to delight."

-St. John's Telegram

"'Simple' is the operative word in a book that could stay at home, but could just as easily go to camp or the cottage, and which provides a range of ages with fodder for conversation and not a few helpful hints about how to navigate life.

Navigating the book is simple. It's divided into four sections: At
School; Out and About; At Home; and Anywhere and Everywhere. Each page delivers several hints, except when instructions are given about how to do really important stuff -- such as wrap a gift expertly, or throw a Frisbee or make the perfect snowball, each of which requires two pages.

The tone is just shy of manic, but that shouldn't detract from Like a
Pro's obvious virtues. Readers will shut this book knowing how to thread a needle, sew on a button, remove a band aid more or less painlessly -- there are three ways -- make a wish and survive on a desert island."

     -The Globe and Mail
"There's so much stuff you have to know how to do; and how can anyone be expected to know it all? I mean, in a single day you might have to Get To School On Time, Do An A+ Project, Body Surf, Throw A Frisbee Like A Pro and Unstick Your Tongue From A Frozen Metal Pole. And that's not counting extra stuff like Dealing With A Bully, Wrap A Gift Expertly or Survive On A Desert Island.

How did we ever survive without this book? These are skills you just gotta have in today's multitask world.

Well, Like A Pro is here now and that's a very good thing. Writer Becker and illustrator Davila provide thoughtful and sensible (and wacky yet appropriate) instructions for the aforementioned items ... and another 93 besides.

One of the best is Sleep Tight, with eight proven ways to get a good night's sleep. And it tells how to keep bad dreams at bay, and lists the most common -- and I've had four out of the five! So, obviously, there's lots to learn, and lots that can be applied directly to everyday life. For those aged eight to 12 -- and a little older, apparently -- Like A Pro is a foolproof how-to."
-Hamilton Spectator

"This book, a life survival kit, will make you an expert in almost anything!
RATING: 4 STARS!"

-KidsWWwrite e-zine

Nominee,
Foreword  Magazine's 2006 Book of the Year!