My Old Friend, Then -- Book Review, Mindfulness for Kids Round-Up, & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Riverlet Press and will receive a small stipend for this post. All opinions are my own.

Mindfulness has been the rage lately. Have you tried to teach your kids to be mindful? Today I am sharing a book that teaches kids a bit about mindfulness in a manner that is similar to the approach of a child. The book is My Old Friend, Then by Katherine Davis-Gibbon and illustrated by Allie Daigle. 

Odette's Alphabet -- Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Sandrine Marlier to bring you this post and giveaway and I will receive a small stipend for writing the review. All opinions are my own. 

When you are feeling stressed out, what do you do? Do you meditate? Take a deep breath? What do you teach your child(ren) to do? According to the CDC, approximately 5.8 million children between the ages of 3 and 17 were diagnosed with anxiety between 2016 and 2019 and the numbers are going up. (Source) Our world and society is changing so quickly that we are not keeping up with helping our kids deal with it. We need to teach them methods to deal with their stress. Today's book is a perfect start for younger kids. It is Odette's Alphabet by Sandrine Marlier and illustrated by Leonardo Schiavina. 

Books for Tween and Teen Girls -- Mindfulness and Puberty

Disclosure: Running Press sent me copies of these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

As the start of school is approaching I am seeing Hazel's anxiety level rising. Socializing with other kids can be tough on her and school is probably the toughest place for her since she is with kids all day long. Add on top of it that she is hitting puberty a bit earlier than most of her classmates and she is a bit of a pile of nerves and moods. I have been trying to add relaxing and calming things to our routine although this summer routine has kind of gone out the window. Today I am going to share two amazing resources for kids like Hazel and in particular girls. The first is a book that is really for any child -- girl or boy. It is Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement and More by Mallika Chopra and illustrated by Breanna Vaughan.

Not Like Every Day -- Book Review to Help Kids Cope with Lockdown Drills & News of School Shootings

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It happened again. I was glued to the television last Thursday. UMass Boston had evacuated two buildings due to a 911 call saying there was an active shooter. Now we hear about school shootings almost daily it seems which is so wrong, but this one was different for me. It was personal. I immediately texted my friend asking if her son was home. Her son who I taught for several years and who is a freshman at UMass Boston. He wasn't home and in fact he was in one of the buildings evacuated. A police officer told him it was a confirmed active shooter. Luckily her son called his mom, and she talked him through the entire "escape" and even more luckily it was a false alarm. However, for about an hour or so it was really scary. My mind flashbacked to April 1999--the Columbine shooting. That was not

Two Beautiful Picture Books about Growing Up and Mindfulness

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I am going to share with you two absolutely beautiful picture books. The books are recommended for pre-K through grade 3. One is about becoming a big girl and putting away toys and the other is about learning to meditate. The first book is Nasla's Dream by Cecile Roumiguiere and illustrated by Simone Rea. 

Mrs. Spring's Garden -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Carole P. Roman to be part of the Virtual Book Tour. All opinions are my own.

Today I get to share with you another great book from Carole P. Roman. It amazes me how she writes fun fictional books full of lessons and wisdom as well as interesting nonfiction books all for kids. I have reviewed several in the past. Today's book is perfect for Earth Day as well as spring. It is Mrs. Spring's Garden by Carole P. Roman and illustrated by Leen Rosian. 

Sumi-e -- Japanese Ink Painting

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Before Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month ends, I wanted to explore sumi-e, Japanese ink painting. I was sent three books that share the about this beautiful art and provides tutorials to create your own. Now a while ago I shared my adventure with Chinese brush painting. The idea I had when I bought the supplies was for Hazel and I to do it together. Since sumi-e is similar I thought she would enjoy expanding her skills. She did some Chinese brush painting in art class last year. However in reality she never had time or desire to do it with me, so after waiting quite awhile for her to join me, I did it on my own. When researching books to learn Chinese brush painting I discovered sumi-e. This is the Japanese form of brush painting. I am going to share three books that teach sumi-e from three different masters. Each is a bit different. I have not tried any of the techniques as my life has gotten busy. (If you didn't read about my big news, you can here.) Let's begin with the newest book, A Beginner's Guide to Sumi-e: Learn Japanese Ink Painting from a Modern Master by Shozo Koike. This book was released in October 2021!

Feelings Are Like Farts -- Picture Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Do you remember being embarrassed by your feelings? How about when you farted? Ever let a toot go and hope no one realized it was you? Or perhaps you cried or yelled in front of everyone and later regretted it? Feelings can be very hard to navigate especially when you are young. Today I get to share with you a book that normalizes all feelings. The book is Feelings Are Like Farts by Christopher Willard and Tara Wosiski and illustrated by Toshiki Nakamura. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Our New Morning Routine: Imaginations 2 Book Review

Disclosure: Bambino Yoga sent me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

So for the last couple of weeks Hazel and I have a new morning routine thanks to Bambino Yoga. Carolyn Clarke sent us a copy of her newest book, Imaginations 2: Relaxation Stories & Guided Imagery for Kids. 

Multicultural Picture Books from Deirdre Pecchioni Cummings - #ReadYourWorld

Disclosure: I was sent these books as part of Multicultural Children's Book Day in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I get the pleasure of sharing five of Deirdre Pecchioni Cumming's books for Multicultural Children's Book Day. Most of the books are illustrated by Erika Busse. The first book I am sharing is my and Hazel's favorite of the five. We actually have only received an ecopy since it isn't quite in print yet. It is Like Rain Water. This one is illustrated by Charlene Mosley.

Joyful Sunday #1 Joy Journal & Joy Poems

 

As I mentioned previously, my word for 2026 is JOY. I decided to make a Joy Journal. Well actually it is a journal for my words of the year. I picked up a journal with blank pages at Dollar Tree. I also got a bigger sketchbook at Five Below to use for my explorations in joy. When I was reviewing my posts from the past, I found this one sharing the book Joy in Every Moment by Tzvia Gover. I pulled it off my shelf and have started reading it daily and trying some of the mindful exercises in it. I use my journal for this as well as ones I think of. On the first page of the journal, I wrote down all my words of the year with the date. One of the mindfulness exercises was to take time to define what joy means to me. I did this in my journal. It is not a formal definition but words I think of when I think about what joy means.

Worry Won't Win! Moe & Liza Explore Anxiety -- a MCBD Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

January has begun! That means it is time to review books for Multicultural Children's Book Day which is on January 30th this year! I always love reviewing the books for MCBD. It introduces me to new authors and publishers!! It is always so much fun! Today I get to share with you a wonderful picture book about having anxiety. It is Worry Won't Win! Moe & Liza Explore Anxiety by Christine Reynebeau and illustrated by Rachael Hawkes. I don't see an age recommendation for this book but would say 6 to 10 year-olds would enjoy reading it on their own and probably 4+ to have it read to and discussed with. 

2026 Calendars for Different Uses

 

Disclosure: I was sent each of these calendars in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

We all have calendars on our phones and computers. Do you use them? Or do you prefer paper calendars? Or perhaps you are like me and want both. When Hazel was younger, we had a "family" calendar hanging in a common room so we could keep track of everyone's appointments, meetings and Hazel's classes. This allowed us to figure out care and rides for Hazel. I had fun with that calendar, and some years even did photo calendars with pictures of Hazel from the past year or photos from a big trip like Hazel's first trip to Disney World. Other times I just picked a special calendar that I liked the pictures, messages and had big enough squares for us to write the appointments on. Now I use my phone calendar to keep track of my appointments and meetings as well as Hazel's appointments. We still hang a calendar in the same spot but don't write on it as much! Steve actually hangs a calendar in just about every room in our house. He takes all the ones companies send us and place them around just in case we wonder the date or perhaps to decorate the room. To be honest I hardly ever see the one hanging on the back of my bedroom door. However, I have found as a teacher and a blogger I need different types of calendars for different reasons. When Workman Calendars asked me to review some, I was very excited! They have different types as well as so many different themes! There is truly something for everyone! My uses for these calendars vary from at home and at school. I will review them by type starting with wall calendars.

Dare to Dream Puzzle

 

Disclosure: I was sent this puzzle in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Yesterday I felt like I wanted to work on a puzzle. I went to my puzzle pile and decided to put together Dare to Dream 1,000-Piece Puzzle by Astrid van der Hulst, Irene Schmidt, and Editors of Flow Magazine. I chose this puzzle because I thought I could put it together pretty quickly and wanted to review it today. 

Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex -- Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Carole P. Roman and will receive a small stipend for my review. All opinions are my own.

Looking for a fun book for middle school and high school kids? Do they love super heroes and adventure? Check out today's book, Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman. Now I will admit I love Carole P. Roman's books for younger children in the past and shared several of them here before. Carole has also been an author sponsor of Multicultural Children's Book Day in the past as many of her books, including this one, are multicultural. 

Gifts of Books -- Ideas for All Ages -- Crafts, Activities and Non-Fiction Books

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Do you love giving books as gifts? One of my sisters always gives Hazel books for a gift. I know I tend to love giving books to friends' children as well. Today I am sharing a variety of books for different ages and people in your life.

Books for the Younger Kids

Let's start with the youngest. Our first book is Hey, Baby! by Stephanie Warren Drimmer.

Somewhere, Right Now -- Beautiful new picture book to help deal with the bad moments

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What do you do when something doesn't go your way? It could be something small or something big. How do you model dealing with disappointments for your kids? Today I am going to share a picture book that teaches this. It is Somewhere, Right Now by Kerry Docherty and illustrated by Suzie Mason. It is recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Books for Back to School

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When does/did school start where you are? My school starts back today. On Friday we dropped Hazel off at her new boarding school for the arts. Steve and I have officially become empty nesters. A new school year can bring many different feelings for kids (and teachers). There is the excitement of what is to come and there is the fear of what is to come. Whether it is a new school or just a new class and teacher, most people experience some anxiety this time of year. And it isn't just the students and the teachers. I remember all too well the stress of leaving Hazel at school when she was younger. So, I thought in honor of my first day back with the students, I would share three picture books that have messages about controlling anxiety, overcoming fears, being true to oneself and also accepting differences. The first book I will share is How to Train Your Amygdala by Anna Housley Juster and illustrated by Cynthia Cliff. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8, although I know some high school students it might be good to share it with.

The Worry Balloon -- First Day of School Book

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Has school started where you are? Many schools near us start this week and our school begins after Labor Day. However, the teachers have been back for teacher training starting last week. Last week we had three days with experts in success counseling originally started by Dr. William Glasser and his choice therapy. It has been really interesting and was a tiring week. We literally were being taught to think and react in a different way. If you have time, check it out. 

With the first day of school there is always some anxiety for students, teachers, and parents. Today I am sharing a new picture book that is meant to help children learn ways to deal with anxiety including the first day of school jitters. The book is The Worry Balloon by Mónica Mancillas and illustrated by Betty C. Tang. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8 but could be used with older children to help teach some techniques to help fight anxiety. 

Guess How Marion Feels -- Book Review & Giveaway with Emotion Activity Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Maya Nurtures to bring you this post and giveaway.

Today I get to share with you a picture book that explores feelings. It is perfect for the younger child. At the end of the post is a giveaway and there is also a round-up of emotion activities to go with the book. The book is Guess How Marion Feels by Miss Kaye and illustrated by Miss Waitthk.