I Can't Do It... Yet! (The Courage Club)

By Author / Illustrator

Matt Bawler, Gizem Goezde Ucar

Genre

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Age range(s)

Publisher

Bloomsbury Education

ISBN

9781801998031

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

30-07-2026

Synopsis

A brightly illustrated rhyming story set in the African Savannah, I Can't Do It... Yet! teaches children the power of perseverance when faced with a challenging task.

Follow Frances the Cheetah, Nathan the Giraffe and their animal friends as they grapple with new skills and learn the value of trying again and again to achieve success. With the help of their wise mouse narrator, everyone learns that through steady effort and support from friends, they can master new skills.

The Courage Club series equips children with the skills needed to make friends with their feelings and embrace new challenges. These playful rhyming stories are perfect for nurturing confidence and emotional wellbeing. Parent and teacher notes at the back offer support for discussing feelings and emotional resilience with children right from the early years and up.

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Reviews

Lauren

I Can't Do It... YET is the latest addition to The Courage Club series, and it delivers an uplifting and important message in a fun and engaging way. The phrase "I can't do it" is one that we hear and say every day, but this story beautifully reminds us of the power of adding one small word: yet.

With the help of Mouse, a cast of animals learns that struggling with something doesn't mean they will never succeed. From stumbling cheetahs to collapsing giraffes, everyone is finding things tricky, but through perseverance, encouragement, and support from one another, they discover that they are capable of more than they first believed.

The story is brilliantly written in rhyme, making it enjoyable to read aloud and highly accessible for a wide range of readers. I particularly loved the illustrations, which showcase a diverse range of animals, ages, personalities, and challenges. This really highlights the idea that everyone finds things difficult sometimes, regardless of who they are, and that struggling is simply part of learning and growing.

I think this book has great potential for use across a variety of age groups and abilities, both at home and in the classroom. Its focus on resilience and self-belief makes it a valuable resource for supporting children's emotional development, while the humour and relatable situations ensure that the message never feels heavy-handed.

Picture book / Reviewed by Lauren Maidman, teacher