Book Review: Jabari Jumps

Author/Illustrator: Gaia Cornwell
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

From the Book Jacket: Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He's finished his swimming lessons. He's passed his swim test. It's just...maybe he should do some stretches first. "Looks easy," says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. Gaia Cornwell makes her picture-book debut in a story about what it takes to work up the courage to make a big important leap. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Such a great story about how we can turn our self-doubt into courage to overcome something that may seem scary or too hard of a task. Jabari goes through that thought process and with the help of his dad he is able to take the big jump.His dad teaches him to take a deep breath and change his self-talk into something positive. 
I will definitely be using this in my kindergarten and first grade growth mindset lessons next year. Another winner!

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Book Review: What a Beautiful Morning

Author: Arthur A. Levine

Illustrator: Katie Kath

Interest Level: Ages 5 and Up

From the Book Jacket: Every morning is beautiful when Noah visits his Grandparents. Grandpa and Noah take off singing and hardly stop: walking the dog, splashing through puddles, eating French toast with cinnamon. 

But one summer Grandpa seems to have forgotten how to do the things they love. Does he even know who Noah is? Grandma steps in energetically, filling in as best she can. But it is Noah who finds the way back to something he can share with Grandpa. Something musical. Something that makes the morning beautiful again. This is a story about how love helps us find even what we think is lost. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is a really helpful story to help support children who are experiencing their grandparent going through changes. The gradual memory loss of Noah's grandparent has an impact on their relationship and it takes an emotional toll on him. What I really loved about this book is instead of everything becoming so sad, the child develops a new perspective on focusing on the positive things that are happening in the present. This models a healthy approach to dealing with something that otherwise might be scary and confusing. This one is a winner!

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Book Review: This is My Dollhouse

Author/Illustrator: Giselle Potter
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

From the Book Jacket: I made my dollhouse out of a cardboard box. It has an elevator that goes up and down, a rooftop swimming pool, and a very special family that lives in it. My friend Sophie has a dollhouse too. It's perfect. The dolls all look the same, and everything matches. What will Sophie say when she sees mine?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: My daughter and I recently discovered this book and I thought it was going to be a story about a girl who creates a dollhouse using a cardboard box. But it is much more than that. When the two girls have a play date a tense moment happens between them where one of them tries to control everything. She shuts the other friend down and won't listen to any of her ideas. This was such a great teachable moment. We had a good discussion about remembering to be a flexible friend and not shut down others ideas just because you might not want to play that way. The story ends with the girls having another play date and they are open to each others ideas and cooperate together. 

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