Each month we bring to you books we think you and your children will enjoy. This month, we have a small but mighty roundup including two new children’s books and one new DIY book that will provide fun for the whole family.
I CAN Believe in Myself
by Jack Canfield and Miriam Laundry, Illustrated by Eva Morales
Chicken Soup for the Soul creator Jack Canfield and best-selling children’s book author Miriam Laundry teach children how to turn “I can’t” into “I can” with the power of positive thinking. Through delightful illustrations by Eva Morales, “I CAN Believe in Myself” tells the story of a young girl named Molly who realizes her own insecurities when she notices the people around her have their own versions of “I can’t.” She gets an idea to inspire her friends and teacher to shift their perspective and try the things they thought they couldn’t do. This book offers more than a simple mantra, but rather real tools to change the way we think and increase our confidence from the inside out.
Wiggles, Stomps, and Sneezes Calm My Jitters Down
by Lindsey Rowe Parker, Illustrated by Rebecca Burgess
Through books we can step into someone else’s shoes and gain a deeper understanding of their experience, or we can feel validated because their experience is so much like our own. Author Lindsey Rowe Parker’s new picture book about sensory differences does both. Parker knows from experience what it’s like to be neurodiverse. She was recently diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and ADHD, while advocating for her young daughter who is autistic. In her debut book Parker not only validates the sensory experience of autistic people, like her daughter, but also shows those who are new to the neurodiverse world what it’s like to experience the world with sensory differences. With the help of Rebecca Burgess’s vibrant illustrations that jump off the page, “Wiggles, Stomps, and Sneezes Calm My Jitters Down,” gives readers a beautiful and honest look into the unique and sometimes intense sensory experiences of a child.
Crafty Family Ideas
by Kristin Gambaccini
Blogger and family craft expert, Krstin Gambaccini, provides plenty of DIY inspiration from sidewalk popsicle chalk to homemade bug spray in her new craft book, “Crafty Family Ideas: Projects to Make, Things to Bake, and Lots of Homemade(ish) Fun.” If you’re running out of ideas to keep you and your family entertained at home, this is the perfect book to ignite your DIY spirit. All of her projects are fun and accessible for even the most DIY-adverse parents. As someone who has little patience for baking, a personal favorite is Gambaccini’s No Bake Energy Balls, which look as delicious as they are easy to make. The projects are also seasonal, so if you’re looking for summer specific inspiration as the days start to heat up, check out her Ice Cream Cone Garland or Sunflower Wreath.
‘Dear Me’
by Donna Tetreault
In the United States, one in five children — more than 17 million — have a diagnosable mental health disorder by age 18 and the rates are worsening. Adolescent depression has increased 41% between 2006 and 2014 in the U.S. alone, and roughly two-thirds of youth living with mental illness do not receive help. (Source: Child Mind Institute).
Dr. Phil parenting journalist and expert Donna Tetreault’s debut children’s picture book, “Dear Me: Letters to Myself, For All of My Emotions,” released in March, is filled with colorful illustrations, examples and day-to-day experiences all children can proactively practice to build better mental health.
Wrapped in the story of a young boy being encouraged by his mother to write letters to himself, “Dear Me” serves as a guide to help kids learn about expressing feelings, understanding those feelings and then deciding what to do about them in ways that are healthy, helpful and kind. The book models several approaches for parents, but, more directly, models how children can develop the social-emotional skill of managing emotions by naming emotions, journaling, and mindful breathing.
“Dear Me” teaches:
- Self-love
- Self-regulation
- Self-advocacy
- Managing emotions
“Dear Me” is especially valuable for children building emotional literacy around fear and isolation from friends and family during COVID-19 and adapting to the emotional resetting of returning to school. Tetrault says, “Children learn it is okay to have emotions and how to articulate what it is they feel, pinpoint the why, and most importantly develop strategies in managing and using them to grow more empathy for self, others, and the greater good.”
