Being a kid today is tough. There is so much to pay attention to and it can be overwhelming. With all the technology information is available 24/7 and mistakes are shared worldwide. The societal pressures for girls about their looks are even worse than ever because it is everywhere! Today we are sharing two very different books that deal with some of this and will help kids be their beautiful selves. The first book is a picture book. It is Penelope and the Vase by Danyail Lawton. It is recommended for ages 4 to 10.
Publisher's Summary:
A story about discovering the beauty within.Meet Penelope, a young girl who is learning that true beauty is not what she sees on the outside. Her journey takes her to a lesson about her own worth and about what makes her different from anyone else.
Penelope and the Vase encourages children to look past appearances and recognize the beauty that is already theirs. Sometimes the greatest treasure is already inside of you.
With a warm message and full color illustrations, this is a reminder that you do not have to change who you are to be beautiful.
A story they'll remember
More than a bedtime story. It opens the conversation about self confidence, self worth and a positive self image, and it gives children the words for it.
From Me:
This is a heartfelt book. Penelope is striving to be beautiful but does not feel like she is. She is always searching her reflection for a glimmer of beauty. When she trips over a vase in the garden another girl, Serenity, appears saying it is her beloved vase. The two have a bit of a heart to heart about Penelope's search for beauty and suddenly Serenity disappears and a note is left about how to become beautiful with the vase and what to do if you no longer want to be beautiful. After weeks of using the vase and still chasing the glimmer of beauty, Penelope has had enough and returns the vase to the garden. Serenity is there again. As Penelope pours out the contents of the vase something inside her changes. Serenity explains that beauty comes from within, and it is found by being kind to oneself. As Penelope begins being kind and not worrying about flaws, she is a happier version of herself.
I love the message of this book. It is such a strong one that everyone (and especially girls) needs to hear. Our society pushes girls to be everything--athletic, beautiful, thin, kind, etc. We see advertisements and other media where the people are made thinner and flaws are photoshopped out. There is a level of perfection that girls feel they need to meet. All of the pressure from it wreaks havoc on a girl's self-worth. Our society needs to hear that beauty is not perfection but truly being a good person. This book tells it all with a fun story kids will understand! This is a must-read book for every girl and boy! I especially love that Penelope is a person of color. I shared many years ago a sad experience I witnessed of a young Black girl thinking the white Barbie was more beautiful than the Black one. It is an experience where I regret not intervening, and it haunts me to this day. Society has also pressured people of color into thinking they are less than, and it is so not true!! As a society we need to begin to truly treat everyone as equals and not judge on their looks or abilities. This book is the perfect book for a gift to a young girl or boy. The message is strong and beautiful!
Our second book is an interactive board book, and it is about finding ways to calm oneself down. Often kids have BIG feelings and need help dealing with them and they can distract from activities the kids need or want to do. This book is My Calm Down Book by Rose Rossner and illustrated by Amanda Morrow. It is recommended for ages 3 to 8.
Publisher's Summary:
Winner of a 2025 Good Housekeeping Best Kids' Book Award!Winner of a 2025 National Parenting Product Award!
Help children reduce anxiety and find calm with this unique multi-touch board book
Designed specifically to support a child who is feeling anxious or overwhelmed, My Calm Down Book is the perfect addition to every calm down corner. Each spread uses a different sensory tool to help the child regulate their emotions so they can develop a sense of calm. With its beautiful soothing art and diverse tactile elements, My Calm Down Book provides the tools needed to help a child reduce anxiety and stress and come to a place where they can feel loved and safe.
- Includes multiple TACTILE elements and sensory tools that are used in Occupational Therapist's offices every day
- Contains the elements needed to make it the perfect addition to EVERY calm down corner in EVERY classroom
- Intended for children, teachers, caregivers and everyone looking for tools to support children's mental health
From Me:
This book walks the reader through different feelings a person may have when they need to take a break and calm down. It offers various techniques as well as tactile interactive things to do in the book. There is the calm down jar on the first page that has blue heart shaped sequins in it. There is a page with flip sequins that turns the grey cloud into a rainbow. There are pages with tab doors, scratch and sniff, a tactile square to do square breathing, soft fur of a puppy and sometimes just words. However, each page offers a strategy and provides something for the reader to do physically that will help them calm down.
This book belongs in every home and every early elementary classroom. It is the perfect book for when a child is about to have a tantrum. It offers the much-needed time out to calm down, breathe, and refocus. It has diverse kids throughout the book and is not written towards anyone race, gender, etc. It honestly would make a perfect teacher gift for younger classrooms as well as a gift to read for younger children!
