Book Review: Butterflies on the First Day of School

Author: Annie SIlvestro

Illustrator: Dream Chen

From the Book Jacket: Rosie can't wait to finally start school. She's spent hours practicing how to raise her hand, write her letters, and say her teacher's name. But when the big day arrives, Rosie finds that her belly hurts so much she can't even finish her chocolate chip pancakes! Rosie's mom tells her it's just butterflies dancing around in her stomach. Much to Rosie's surprise, when she greets a new friend on the bus, a butterfly flitters out of her mouth! By the end of the school day, will Rosie set all of her butterflies free?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Such a great book to help kids overcome fears they might be having about the first day of school. I thought it was so smart to also introduce the concept of the feeling of "butterflies in your stomach." It can help children understand that an upset tummy because of anxiety is normal and eventually it will go away as your nerves calm. In the story, Rosie's anxiety starts to go away as her day progresses and she also meets another girl who is also experiencing butterflies. They make each other feel better by playing together and becoming friends. So happy to discover this wonderful resource. 

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Book Review: My Whirling Twirling Motor

Author: Merriam Sarcia Saunders
Illustrator: Tammie Lyon

From the Book Jacket: Charlie feels like he has a whirling, twirling motor running inside him...all the time! He doesn't WANT to have so much energy but sometimes he just can't settle down. When his mom wants to talk to him, he figures he's in trouble...but she has a surprise for him instead. 

Includes a Note to Parents, Caregivers, and, Teachers with more information on hyperactivity, AD/HD, behavior management, and helping children focus on the positives. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I thought this book was going to be about giving kids strategies to self-regulate. But it really helped highlight a very important tool we need to be using more with kids who are hyperactive. The story focuses the positive things kids do. When it's time to go to bed, Charlie's mom shares with him all of the wonderful things she observed him doing throughout the day. This really helps him feel good about himself because he's very aware he has trouble controlling his motor. A great strategy to increase positive behaviors is through positive reinforcement. I can only imagine how low a child's self-esteem goes if they are only being told to fix the negative -- they need to hear the good too. 

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Book Review: A Normal Pig

Author/Illustrator: K-fai Steele

From the Book Jacket: Pip is a normal pig who does normal stuff: cooking, painting, and dreaming of what she'll be when she grows up. 

But one day a new pig comes to school and starts pointing out all the ways in which Pip is different. Suddenly she doesn't like any of the same things she used to...the things that made her Pip. 

This charming picture book celebrates all our differences while questioning the idea that there is only one way to be "normal."

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is such a splendid book and I cannot wait to share it with our students. It actually reminded me a little bit of The Sandwich Shop because the hurtfulness starts with taking a dig at the food someone is eating because of cultural differences. 

Pip really internalizes the putdown and begins to believe different is weird and bad. So Pip tries to conform and be like everyone else. Luckily a trip into the city opens her eyes to see the world is very different and that's a GOOD thing. She returns to school with a new confidence and some language to stick up for herself. This one is a hit for sure!

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