Make Your Bed with Skipper the Seal are the 10 steps/points that the author William H. McRaven learned while they were a human Navy Seal. They have spoken about them at commencements and in several books for adults. This time, with Howard McWilliam creating the cartoon illustrations, they created a picture book that talks how a seal named Skipper becomes not only the best Navy Seal, but the best Seal he could be. The idea is that the little things are important such as how making your bed well can serve you later. And that there will be failures and successes in your life, but the point is to keep trying and learn from them.
The concept and even the presentation is not new. Do your best and be your best has been done and it has even been done before in this more upbeat, rhyming, sing-song way. The book is for certain not for everyone. It almost has a spiritual feeling or what I call a “Grandmother approved attitude to it.” There are no edges. Everything is as smooth as the seal themselves look swimming through the water.
The art is cartoon based, colorful, lighthearted, and not overly with “wow factor.” There is nothing wrong with them, but they can feel a bit cliché at times. Kids will love the silly faces and antics, while adults will appreciate the message. An interesting feature is that every two to four pages or so will be one of the concepts McRaven wishes to send. There are marks showing what lesson you are reading about, marking good “chapters” for breaks.
Overall, this book is okay to good. The Good only comes in as I liked how the illustrations showed the seals in a natural dive/swim position. Otherwise, I read it and now I move onto the next.
