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| You Can Do It! | 
 enlarge | Author: Tony Dungy
Creator: Amy June Bates
Publisher: Little Simon Inspirations
Category: Book
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $8.20
You Save: $8.79 (52%)
New (39) Used (10) Collectible (4) from $7.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 27309
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 32
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.5
ISBN: 1416954619
EAN: 9781416954613
ASIN: 1416954619
Publication Date: July 8, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW COPY, NO UGLY REMAINDER MARKS.
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Product Description
Tony Dungy's little brother, Linden, is a third grader who is having a bad day at school. Linden is the youngest of the Dungy family and the least motivated because he hasn't found "it." In a family where everyone seems to have found their special talent, all Linden knows is that he wants to make people happy.
With encouragement from his parents, a helping hand from his older brother Tony, and inspiration from God, Linden learns that if he dreams big and has faith, he can do anything!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...
A Championship Children's Book from Coach Dungy July 21, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Dungy's book is promoted to be for children ages 4-7, but I don't think you can put an age limit on its topic which is reminding readers (adults too) to trust in God and dream big. The book conveys an episode in a family with 4 children--2 brothers & 2 sisters. It seems all of the children know their dreams and talents except for Linden who is unsure about his talents or his dream for his life.
A toothache and the support and encouragement of his family lead him to his desire. The family encourages Linden to trust God, and they pray for him that God will show him his "it" for his life. Even in a such a brief episode, there is a caring family dynamic conveyed in the book that is refreshing and serves as an excellent model.
The story emphasizes that God has made each of us special and takes an interest in our lives. It is from him that we learn our "dream" for our lives. The story is for children and I think for parents who play a role, along with God, in shaping and guiding children.
I also think boys and girls will enjoy reading a book for children by a Super Bowl coach. The illustrations are excellent and very colorful. The book's size is just right.
Craig Stephans, author of Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays
 Proceed with Caution July 31, 2008
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Super-Bowl-winning coach and bestselling author, Tony Dungy, tries his hands at a children's book. It is a book that I think many children will enjoy. Written and illustrated for children in approximately 1-3 grade, Dungy tells a true story from his childhood. Linden, Tony Dungy's younger brother, didn't know what he wanted to be when he grew up. He only knew he liked to make people smile. The Dungy's dad would regularly tell them, "Whatever it is that you want to do, you can do it. Trust God and dream big!" Tony knew he wanted to be a football player. His sister's knew what they wanted to do, be nurses or doctors. But Linden didn't know. His dad told him to pray that God would help Linden find his dream. The next day, while getting a filling at the dentist's office, his love of making people smile found its dream: Dentistry. The Dungy's dad told them to dream big and they did: Professional football and dentistry. And years later, both dreams came true.
Dungy writes in the afterword, "I'm glad I had parents that helped us to dream. I'm glad they taught us to pray about things that were on our mind. And I'm really glad that God answers our prayers...Our parents taught us to dream, but they also taught us something more important. Whatever we dreamed about, we should tell God because He is the one that can make those plans succeed."
It is good and right to teach children of a Christian household to pray to God, to tell Him what's on their mind, to ask him for things. God says in Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." My concern for this book lies in what is left unsaid and with how, without further guidance, God is made to look like His primary concern for us is to give us our dreams. God cares so much for His children that He died to save us from ours sins and reconcile us to himself (see 1 Peter 3:18). God is the greatest gift we could ever desire, and if you delight yourself in Him, He gives you Himself. But nowhere in the Bible does God promise to give us what we dream or everything we ask for (see James 4:3). The God of Dungy's You Can Do It! may give children the impression that God lives to make them dentists, professional football players, and nurses. It is true that the one who seeks to glorify God in everything (Colossians 3:23-24) will likely succeed, and the children should be taught to work hard and honor God in everything, even ask him for wisdom and guidance and blessing. However, the answer to these prayers is not always, "You can do it!" Sometimes, often it will be to say "no" to worldly success and the things that seem to matter here, and instead give trials. The message to a child who is being taught to honor God should be, "Seek first the Kingdom of God" (Luke 12:31) and then even in the face of losing everything, Jesus says to those who have trusted in Him, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32).
I recognize that this book had a different aim than that I described in the paragraph above, and I suspect Dungy might even agree with my paragraph. He was emphasizing something different. Something I think that without qualification or explanation is dangerous or even wrong to emphasize. My fear is that much of Christianity today takes the statement "have faith" to mean little more than "have faith that God will bless you [in this world], and He will." Dungy makes many statements similar to this (For example, Dungy's dad when Linden was wondering if he would ever have a dream says, "Just keep having faith."). It is right to ask of God and have faith that He will do what's best. But if getting what we want is the focus of where we put our faith, we are missing everything of Christianity. Have faith in God to save you from your sins and give you Himself. Because of misplaced priorities and a high likelihood of communicating unbiblical and ungodly priorities, proceed with much caution; if it is to be read to a child, do so with much discernment and emphasis on what is missing from this picture of God.
Sweet story, expressive illustrations August 20, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
There is a sweetness to this illustrated storybook about a young boy whose siblings all know what their passion is, but he doesn't know his. This book is best for kids unsure of what they want to be when they grow up. That description fits almost everyone! When young Linden feels anxious that he hasn't found his niche, readers will undoubtedly relate.
Linden's older brother Tony and scientist dad gently help him search for his "it," his passion. They remind him to have patience and trust in God to reveal this special talent. "Just keep having faith," Dad tells Linden. The boy finds his "it" during a trip to the dentist.
This true story was written by the head coach of the 2006 Super Bowl champions.
Expressive watercolors fill the pages with color from edge to edge. The loving African-American family is realistically rendered. Illustrator Amy June Bates has a knack for showing movement and action, and depicting real people.
Under the dust jacket the cover has the exact same artwork on the front and photo of Tony Dungy on the back.
Tony Dungy scores big with this children's book (a dual review - DWD's 8 year-old daughter as co-reviewer) July 21, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Tony Dungy is a successful author, family man, public speaker, and a fine example of how to be a Christian gentlemen. Oh, he also manages to coach an NFL team in my city, the Indianapolis Colts.
Tony takes us back to his childhood in Michigan and tells the story of his little brother, Linden, who is a cut-up in class but can't seem to find his way. He can't figure out what is his "it". Tony is an athlete. His sisters take care of animals. What is his thing, his "it"?
To Dungy's credit, the story is simple, but not preachy and not so simple that it bores the adult reader. I read right to the end and was genuinely interested in seeing how it came out. The illustrations are perfect and really help tell the story.
My daughter, an 8 year-old and an excellent reader liked the story as well. She liked the way Dungy addressed the issue of Linden not knowing what he wanted to be when he grew up. What kid has not wondered what he or she will do when he or she grows up? (Right now she wants to be a combination waitress/veterinarian/race car driver with Danica Patrick) She also liked the fact that it mentioned prayer and God.
If this is the quality of work we can expect from Tony Dungy, I hope he comes out with many more books.
Leadership....for a Change July 24, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Faith. Family. Love.
In a time when values oftentimes have more to do with pop culture than the family, Tony Dungy provides a wonderful story for young people, though adults can learn from it, too.
The wonderfully-illustrated book - done by Amy June Bates - tells the story of Dungy's younger brother, Linden, as he figures out his life dream and is encouraged by his family to pursue his goal to become a dentist.
Faith and the support of a loving family help Linden as he turns his frustration in being the only one in his class or at home who does not know what he wants to be when he grows to positively pursuing and ultimately achieving his dream.
It is an inspirational story of leadership on the field of life and the outcome that will occur when positive energy and faith are allowed to carry a person over the goal-line.
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