From My Bookshelf to Yours: Mini Myths by Joan Holub

Play Nice, Hercules

 

"Play Nice, Hercules" is an adorable board book in the Mini Myths series that introduces Greek Mythology to little ones. The book is short and simple. The story line is clear enough for my 1 year old to understand. Hercules is strong and rough but he destroys things and hurts his sisters feelings. He learns how to play "nice" and be kind.

My 1 year old really enjoys this book. He is all boy. He stomps around the house making monster noises and destroying everything in his path. We started calling him Hercules when he was about 8 months. We are always telling him to be gentle and use gentle hands. He loves the adorable illustrations. They make him giggle and empathize. When Hercules' sister is crying he says "awww" and pats her face. What a clever little book to help little ones discover life skills.

 

I love that it is a sturdy board book because he carries it around and "reads" it while drinking and snacking. The only problem is when he is smacking us in the face with it because he wants us to read it to him. This book is his favorite so far in his book collection. Luckily his 7 year old sister gets a kick out of it too and will read it over and over with him. I even caught her reading it alone. Shhh!!!

 Be Patient, Pandora

"Be Patient, Pandora is another adorable board book in the Mini Myth series that introduces little one to Greek Mythology. The story is easy for little ones to follow. Pandora is told not to touch the box. Pandora keeps testing limits until she accidently "opens" the box. It is a cute way to teach little ones patience. Although the book is written for younger children the  pictures made my 7 and 12 year old giggle because the pictures reminded them of how their little one year old brother pushes limits.

 

I would have liked the ending to be a little more developed. Pandora disobeys but never receives any consequences. As a parent and a therapist I feel the need to explain to my children and clients that it is not always that easy to walk away after not following directions. Pandora was very lucky that what was in the box wasn't dangerous.

 

My 7 year old said, "I love these books. They aren't too long or too short. I'll read them a million times to Baby David." I can't think of a better endorsement!

 

Want to check out the Mini Myths Series? Visit Amazon



From My Bookshelf to Yours: Sing-Along Construction Song by Louise Lintvelt

 

 

As the mother of two girls 12 & 7, there are no shortage of  "girly" books so I am always on the lookout for books that are just for my son. Sing-Along Construction Song is a really cute book. I" read" it with my 1 year old. He enjoyed looking at the pictures. I like that the illustrations used primary colors that I could point out to my son. There is a free sing along that you can download from the author's website included in a link at the end of the book. He really enjoyed it. He smiled, danced and clapped while I showed him the illustrations on the laptop. Once he can really understand the story I know that this will be a favorite. He will know the functions of construction vehicles.

 

** A free song download for this book is available HERE **

Buy here at Amazon

From My Bookshelf to Yours: When Violet Was Blue by DebTroehler

When Violet was Blue is a cute rhyming story that cleverly teaches the importance of teamwork. This is the story of the small Violet who just wanted the sun to shine. She and her other colorful friends have to work together and problem solve to get Cloud to stop blocking Sun's shine. The author also weaves in some fun facts about rainbows. I used this book in a therapy session with my 5 year old client and she loved it.

At the end of the book the author included some facts about rainbows and minor math.

Available on Amazon

The Adventures of Prince Iggy Series by Aldo Flynn

Prince Iggy and the Kingdom of Naysayer is an imaginative, magical epic fantasy adventure for young readers. It is so entertaining and comical that I, a 35 year old adult, sat down and read it all in one sitting.

Prince Iggy and the Kingdom of Naysayer delivers a message about bullying and believing in yourself without beating you over the head with it. When we meet Iggy at the beginning of the story he is a hopeless, bullied orphan with no friends. As the story moves on he learns that he is more than what others says about him and he begins to develop self confidence.

Prince Iggy and the Kingdom of Naysayer will delight your kids, keep them interested and even cause them to laugh out loud. The only reason that I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the author uses two curse words (Not the worse ones, but unnecessary in my opinion) in the story and as a parent I think parents should know what their child is reading. If your child is younger than 12, you should read with your child so that you can discuss the language and the bullying, that goes on in the book, at times the bullying is hardcore.

This book was so enjoyable and ended at a cliffhanger that I immediately read the next one cover to cover in one sitting. I HAD to know what happened to Iggy.

Prince Iggy & the Tower of Decisions is a great sequel to the first book. The author delivers another fun-filled, action packed adventure. Once again, I read the book cover to cover in one sitting. The author is so good with cliffhangers. 

In this sequel Prince Iggy goes an adventure in the sky, gets to meet a star and lets go of self doubt and some things from his past.

This book is also full of some important lessons as well. Iggy must overcome the self-doubt that is causing him anxiety. The author is really good at capturing these pre-adolescent emotions that all kids go through. I can’t wait to read the third one and find out what happens to Prince Iggy.

From My Bookshelf to Yours: Buttons the Brave Blue Kitten by Kristina Sargent, MSW

Meet Kristina Sargent. She is an Early Childhood Mental Health Therapist. She works with young children and their families in both an outpatient and school based setting. She also has an undergraduate degree in art and creative writing. Buttons the Brave Blue Kitten is the first book that she has written and illustrated.  Kristina states that she intended this book to help children develop empathy and give adults the skills to reinforce its development. Click Here to visit Kristina's blog.

Buttons the Brave Blue Kitten

I LOVED this book! It is a precious story about a little blue cat who not only learns how to identify his feelings but to identify how others feel (empathy). He shares with his grandma that he is afraid to go to his 1st day of school and they come up with a super special way to say goodbye.

I am a children and adolescent therapist and plan to use this book with my little clients to help them learn about empathy and practice identifying others' feelings. It is written in child friendly language and the illustrations are adorable. I recommend this book for parents, teachers and counselors. 

On Ms. Sargent's website there are worksheets that you can use after you read the story. I have placed the links here to make them quickly and easily accessible to you.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS FREE PRINTABLE COLORING ACTIVITY of Buttons' faces above.

Click HERE for the printable feelings cube shown below.

Kristina's furry-feelings-printable-activity-for-children

To order Buttons the Brave Blue Kitten  Click Here or go to Amazon

From My Bookshelf to Yours: My Fingerpaint Masterpiece by Sherrill Cannon

My Fingerpaint Masterpiece

“My Fingerpaint Masterpiece” tells the story of a young child who finger paints a picture in school, but does not finish it. The student carries it home but a gust of wind blows it away. Later the child sees it in an art gallery where it has won first place in an art contest. Everyone is gushing about this masterpiece by a professional artist. I won’t give anymore away.

My children and I LOVED this new book my Sherrill Cannon. I like how the child narrates the story is never identified as a boy or girl. There are many lessons in this book: self esteem, honesty, and perception. My 7 year old thought the most important lesson is to: “ Always put your name on your work. You might get famous and no one will know it is your work.”

Both of my children are talented artists. The youngest one often feels down because her 12 year old sister draws better. Sometimes she will cry and rip up her own artwork. She took away from this story that art is open to interpretation and the perception of others. When I ask her what she’s drawing she now asks “What do you see?”

Once again, Ms. Cannon, you have created a masterpiece!

Here is my 7 year old daughter, Genesis' masterpiece.

Genesis bets you and your children  will not guess what it is. She hopes people will try to interpret her art like they did in the book, "My Fingerpaint Masterpiece." P.S. She forgot to sign her name!

The closest two answers will WIN either a paperback copy or kindle copy of "My Fingerpaint Masterpiece".

Here are the winners of  "My Fingerpaint Masterpiece"

Buy on Amazon

Read the Interview with Sherrill Cannon
Read my reviews of other Sherrill Cannon Books

From My Bookshelf to Yours: Molly Withers & the Golden Tree by Kent Allan Rees

Molly Withers & the Golden Tree

"Molly Withers & the Golden Tree" is an adventurous, imaginative and magical tale about an eleven-year-old girl who finds out that she is “The Chosen One". She and a friend embark on a quest to find the Golden Tree and save magic and the world. On their quest, they meet leprechauns, fairies, a ghost, and talking animals.

I believe that this is a story that will appeal to all ages. Although the story is about a female heroine boys will also enjoy reading it (her friend is male). The ending of the story leaves you wanting to read the next book of the series.

"Molly Withers & the Golden Tree" does the children’s fantasy genre a great service. I love the positive and inspirational message of the book: "If you believe it, you can achieve it."

I recommend this book to children 8 yrs and older.

*I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Want a FREE Copy of "Molly Withers & the Golden Tree"?

The author will give away 5 copies of this book. Please leave a comment to be entered. Give away will end on June 1, 2014.

Kent Allan Rees is a nature lover, professional writer, and adoring father who lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife Carole and baby daughter, Madeleine. Fueled by the desire to have an unsuspecting young girl take control of centre stage in a multi-book series, and moved by our generation's embrace of the power of positive thinking, Rees has created both a work of fiction and a pocket guide for life's magic with his debut novel: "Molly Withers and the Golden Tree." The second book in the series: “Molly Withers and the Masquerade” is written and is in preparation for upcoming publishing.

In 2010, Radio Disney, in partnership with Backstage Creations, vetted countless products for celebrity gift giving  – a tight competition with several brands vying for this coveted exposure. One of the official celebrity gifts chosen was a signed copy of “Molly Withers and the Golden Tree.” As a result, Rees’s debut novel was seen on ellegirl.com, justjared.com, cosmogirl.com,teenmag.com and inside In Touch Weekly, Hollywood Teenzine, and Quizfest. It was also gifted to such celebs as Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Keke Palmer, Jennifer Stone, and many others.

For more information about "Molly Withers and the Golden Tree." & “Molly Withers and the Masquerade” visit mollywithers.com


Click here to buy from Amazon

From My Bookshelf to Yours: The Do's and Don'ts by Hayley Rose

The Do's and Don'ts by Hayley Rose

 

 

 

As a mother and a therapist I am constantly looking for books with "good" messages to use as bibliotherapy. I love books that teach social skills and good values. Sometimes it is hard to find books that the little ones 3-6 will identify with or sit still and listen. Many little ones struggle with manners. Its just so hard to remember all the dos and don'ts!

 

Hayley Rose's newest book, The Do's and Don'ts, is a winner to help reinforce the importance of good manners for the little ones. What a wonderful etiquette book! I love that it contrasts between positive and negative behavior. Not only does the story teach children what not to do it gives them an example of what to do instead. My 7 year old daughter loved the colorful illustrations. She thought the Manner Monster was very cute. Although she was sad that he had bad manners.

 

I am adding this to my bibliotherapy resources.

Read Hayley Rose's Interview
Read Fifo -50 States Book Review