Book Review: You Are a Lion! And Other Fun Yoga Poses



Author/Illustrator: Taeeun Yoo
Interest Level: Ages 3 and Up


From the Book Jacket: Go ahead. Take a deep breath. And become... A LION. And roar in the jungle! A BUTTERFLY. And flap your wings! A FROG. And hop! With simple instructions and bright, clear illustrations of playful animal poses, celebrated New York Times Best Illustrator Taeeun Yoo introduces young children to the joy of yoga. 

Yoga is great for kids because it promotes flexibility and focus - and it's fun! It might even calm the beast in your little one. So breathe deeply and enjoy!

Book Trailer:


Why It's On My Bookshelf: One of my goals this year was to introduce more Yoga into my lessons. This book is definitely helping me reach this goal. Kids love it. The illustrations are awesome and show the kids exactly what the pose looks like along with an animal in the same position. We've read this book so many times that now I can just call out the pose and they know what to do. Fantastic resource!!

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Book Review: What Does it Mean to Be Kind?


Author: Rana DiOrio
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

About This Book: A girl in a red hat finds the courage to be kind to the new student in class. Her kindness spreads, kind act by kind act, until her whole community experiences the magical shift that happens when everyone understands―and acts on―what it means to be kind.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I'm putting together some lessons on kindness for January and have not had a chance to use this book yet. I think this will be a great refresher for kids as we go into the new year to remember how important it is to extend kindness to everyone in all that we do and say. This is a lovely book with many examples of kids doing caring acts for others. It is spot on. 



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Book Review: A Little Bit of Oomph!



















Author: Barney Saltzberg
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

About This Book: How do you make the ordinary extraordinary? With a little bit of oomph! A Little Bit of Oomph! teaches the invaluable lesson of throwing your heart into whatever you’re doing and trying just a little bit harder— because with a little extra effort and a lot of oomph, you can make anything beautiful.
 

A Little Bit of Oomph! is filled with pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, spinning circles and gatefolds—and, underlying every page, Barney’s timeless message that creativity is for everyone. Just add a little bit of oomph.



Why It's On My Bookshelf: I'm working with students on Growth Mindset this year and I love this little gem. I like using the word OOMPH to describe perseverance. It's great motivation. We expect A LOT from students. They need lots of encouragement. This is a cute little read to provide that inspiration and support.

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Book Review: Living with Mom and Living with Dad

Author/Illustrator: Melanie Walsh
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

About This Book: Her parents don't live together anymore, so sometimes the child in this book lives with her mom and cat, and sometimes with Dad. Her bedroom looks a little different in each house, and she keeps some toys in one place and some in another. But her favorite toys she takes with her wherever she goes. In an inviting lift-the-flap format saturated with colorful illustrations, Melanie Walsh visits the changes in routine that are familiar to many children whose parents live apart, but whose love and involvement remain as constant as ever.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I have a few books on my shelf that are similar to this one but what makes this one extra special are the lift-the-flaps. Very creative and engaging! This book is done so well. I'm so happy to add it to my list of recommendations for families. The ending is also very supportive of the child. "My mom and dad love me a lot, and so does everyone else in my family." There are a bunch of pictures of all sorts of family members who care about the child. Very well done!


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Book Review: I Think, I Am!: Teaching Kids the Power of Affirmations


Authors: Louise Hay and Kristina Tracy
Illustrator: Manuela Schwarz
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

From the Book Jacket: "Your thoughts create your life!" This is the message that Louise Hay has been teaching people throughout the world for more than 25 years. Now, children can learn and understand the powerful idea that they have control over their thoughts and words, and in turn, what happens in their life. 

Within the pages of I Think, I Am! kids will find out the difference between negative thoughts and positive affirmations. Fun illustrations and simple text demonstrate how to make the change from negative thoughts and words to those that are positive. The happiness and confidence that come from this ability is something children ail carry with them their entire lives!

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This book has been a total game changer for me as a strong counseling technique. It has really taken some of my lessons to a whole new level and the response I'm seeing from kids is unbelievable. Teaching kids they have control over their thoughts is huge - it can change a hard day to an incredible day. I Think, I Am! does such a wonderful job of teaching kids what a positive affirmation is and how to challenge negative ones. There are 13 examples in the book like, "I can't believe I forgot my sweater. I always forget everything!" "I don't like my hair. I wish it were hers!" "If I don't do what they want, they will be mad at me." The situations are easy to relate to. I cannot recommend this book enough. Get it on your shelf immediately!

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Book Review: The Lemonade Hurricane - A Story of Mindfulness and Meditation

Author: Licia Morelli
Illustrator: Jennifer Morris
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

From the Book Jacket: Henry's life can get busy - sometimes too busy. When that happens, Henry gets wild, tearing around the house like a lemonade hurricane. But his big sister Emma has an idea. 

Maybe, just maybe, she can help her brother learn to be still. This charming story tells how mindfulness and meditation can help calm even a hurricane like Henry, and simple instructions in the back of the book show how you can do it, too!

The Book Trailer: 


Why It's On My Bookshelf: I have been teaching The Zones of Regulation and have been trying to find picture books to model the RED zone (when the body is out of control) and how kids can get back to the GREEN zone (when the body is in control). This is such a great story to help kids be aware of their physical energy and how to regulate it. What kids take away from the story is they can calm themselves by using the tool of deep breathing. In the book they show Henry and Emma meditating. We talked about how we can apply breathing to everyday situations in the classroom, cafeteria, playground etc. Kids might not exactly be able to sit down and meditate in the moment but then can still use the strategy of taking deep breaths. I also showed the video "Just Breathe". Such a successful lesson!

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Book Review: Mixed Me!























Author: Taye Diggs
Illustrator: Shane Evans
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

From the Book Jacket:  My mom and dad say I'm a blend of dark and light. "We mixed you perfectly, and got you JUST RIGHT!" Mike has awesome hair. He has LOTS of energy! His parents love him. And Mike is a PERFECT blend of the two of them. Still, Mike has to answer LOTS of questions about being mixed. And he does, with LOTS of energy and joy in this charming story about a day in the life of a mixed-race child.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I've been using this as a read aloud with my K-3 grades and it is AWESOME. My hope is that it would bring more understanding, acceptance, and validation to children of all races. It did that and so much more. Our librarian also bought a copy for our library so kids can access it. As a counselor, I deeply appreciate a book that opens kids hearts to each other and helps take away any stigmas or negative messages that have been received regarding one's race.

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Book Review: Friendshape



Book Summary: The bestselling creators of Exclamation Mark! introduce a triangle, circle, square, and rectangle who celebrate the gift of friendship. Friends shape who we are. They make us laugh. They fill us with fun. They stand by us during life's up and downs. And even when we disagree with our friends, if they're tried-and-true, they don't stay bent out of shape for long. That's the beauty of a good buddy. This joyous book rejoices in the simple beauties of friendship, and reminds readers of all ages that it's good to have a group of pals.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I am always in need of more friendship books. When I ask teachers what they want me to teach in their classrooms I always hear - FRIENDSHIP! Friendshape is a great addition to my bookshelf. This is a super cute book and it's going to work nicely in my kindergarten and first grade lessons. 

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Book Review: Papa's Backpack - A Tribute to the Bond Between a Child and Military Parent

Author: James Christopher Carroll
Interest Level: Ages 6 and Up

From the Book Jacket: When a soldier has to leave his or her family for extended service, it's an emotional time for all involved. It can be especially confusing and upsetting for children, who long for the comfort and security of a parent's presence. 

Papa's Backpack honors the bond between a parent/soldier and a child, and acknowledges the difficult and emotional process of separation during deployment. A young bear cub dreams of accompanying Papa when he leaves on a mission, wanting to stay close to provide comfort and moral support, so that ultimately the two might overcome adversity together. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: If you are looking for a healing book to help children cope with military deployment - this is it. Papa's Backpack is absolutely beautiful. There is a longing to be with a parent when you are separated. Put the stress and fear of the parent being in a war situation and I can only imagine what a child might be feeling. Children need affirmation from the adults around them. I also think this would be a great classroom read aloud - it really stirred up a lot of empathy in me for families who are going through this. I am amazed by their strength and bravery. A favorite find for sure.  



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Book Review: Making a Splash

Author: Carol E Reiley
Illustrator: Jason Pastrana
Interest Level: Ages 3 and Up
Book Website: GoBrain

From the Author: Most people assume that you’re born with a certain amount of intelligence, and that there’s no way to become smarter. But science shows that this is wrong. We now know that intelligence can be developed.  

When discussing how to raise our kids, the growth mindset was the most important thing we wished to instill. I thought that this was an important story to share with the world.

Perhaps your children sometimes go “I can’t do that!” or “I give up!”.  Well, if they say this often enough, they might start to believe it, thus limiting their ability to learn.
 
I want to show your children that they can learn to do anything.  This way of thinking is called a “Growth Mindset.”  I’m applying the latest research from developmental
psychology in a children’s book called “Making a Splash.” Which tells a story about two siblings, Lisa and Johnny, and how they differ in their attitudes towards learning.
 
The book contains a powerful message about the growth mindset, that will stay with your children.  The fundamental message is that it’s not about how smart you are.  It’s about how smart you can become.  So, when your children are confronted with tough decisions, I hope the book’s message will encourage your children to view it as an opportunity to grow, and not be afraid to fail.

Why It's on My Bookshelf: Siblings Lisa and Johnny are both learning to swim. For Johnny it comes naturally and he doesn't have to work at it. Lisa has a more difficult time and becomes negative - Swimming is too hard, I CAN'T do this. Her coach teaches her the power of yet. You can't do this YET. When you practice hard, things get easier. That's how we learn. 

Johnny takes the attitude that swimming is easy and he doesn't have to work at it. His thinking is - you've either got it or you don't. He doesn't challenge himself and decides it's silly to want to try anything harder - which puts him on the road to a fixed mindset. Lisa wants to get better so she chooses to take on challenges which are much harder - a growth mindset. Each of their decisions on how hard they worked impacts a day at the beach. Johnny is not able to go into the ocean but because Lisa worked so hard learning to swim she is able to go in no problem. 

Could this be any more perfect for the start of the school year?! This is also the first picture book I have come across using the Growth Mindset model and language. It's so easy for children to just give up on something like Lisa did in the story. Negative self-talk and comparing yourself to others does a real number on confidence. I hope to use this awesome resource to help those kids this year. If you are a teacher, parent, school counselor or someone who wants to teach kids about the power behind Growth Mindset - use this great story. It has life long lessons that kids can apply immediately and you can reinforce. Yes for Growth Mindset!!!

GoBrain also lists some great mindset resources here.





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