Where’s Gramma?

Written by Tricia Gardella

Illustrated by Greg David

Four grandsons describe a grandmother who keeps them guessing about her next exploit. This grandmother lives on a farm. She fills her days with adventures like collecting bugs, milking cows, diving in a swimming hole, pouring concrete, or climbing a tree.

Visiting gramma is certainly an experience worth looking forward to. A nice book to share when family gathers together. Good choice for preschoolers and older readers. The illustrations complement the mood perfectly.

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Written by Ann M. Morris

Illustrated by Obayomi Aanuoluwapo and Dirisu David

A beautiful multicultural picture book that teaches children about life in rural Ghana.

Kwame is respectful, obedient, and grateful for his simple life in a rural village. In this story, Kwame wakes early to help his mother wash clothes by hand. Then he sweeps the dirt floor of his one room hut before dressing in his uniform to walk to school at the Royal Promise Mission. Today is a special day. The children from around the area will be marching to celebrate the anniversay of Ghana’s independence.

Children from around the world learn a bit about the food, flag, customs , language, and difficult life of a small rural village. Kwame provides a good role model for children. Charming illustrations and an interactive activity keep readers engaged with the tale.

Highly recommended to parents and teachers of elementary school readers.

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Bostoon Terrier Twins Colorful Adventures

Published by Nicholas Aragon

This activity book provides a plethora of activities that are especially useful for rainy days or traveling. It contains a variety of activities which include mazes, dot-to-dot, tracing, and color by number pictures. There are many family scenes that are coloring pages.

A good choice for children who are dog-lovers. The Boston Terrier pups are adorable. It is available in kindle and paperback. The paperback pictures may be duplicated and used more than once.

Recommended to parents and teachers as a teaching tool or enrichment learning tool.

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You Taught Me Love

Written by Misty Black

Illustrated by Marina Batrak

A phrase that has been shared over and over by many generations. A mother and child share different ways of expressing their love for one another. Is it a game? Is it a competition?

How many times have parents or grandparents played this game with their precious children. Each generation of a family finds new and different ways to reinforce this message. This book contains beautiful illustrations and exquisite analogies.

This lovely picture book is part of a series and would make a wonderful gift for a new parent or grandparent to share as a bedtime story.

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Toothbrushing with Maggie & Mommy (Sparkly Smiles Series)

Written by Heidi Rocha, RDH

Illustrated by Nonni-Ayanna Gobern-Roach

This is the first book of a series written by a Dental Hygienist. The picture book with large, easy to read print and engaging illustrations features a little girl named Maggie and her mom.

Mom visits Maggie’s preschool and uses her stuffed dinosaur to demonstrate the proper way to brush teeth. This book will be appreciated by parents of preschoolers and pediatric dentists. There is a bonus activity chart to record progress and a find the hidden object page. The book is even approved by every little child’s friend, The Tooth Fairy.

Highly recommended, especially for parents and teachers of preschool children.

Mommy Has a Monster on Her Back!: A Story about Chronic Illness

Written by Liz Long

Illustrated by Ethan Roffler

The author and illustrator have succeeded in creating a beautiful picture book with an important message for young children.

This book is done in soft pastels and features words in bold that play on the different feelings engendered by chronic physical or mental illness. The illness is compared to a monster on mommy’s back. Some days are easy and others hard but mommy learns to deal with the illness and the child sees the need for resilience and acceptance. By using humor and analogies, even a preschooler can understand chronic illness.

Highly recommended for families and counselors who deal with chronic or physical illness.

Hop-About: The Adventures of Benny the Bunny and Mr. Rabbit

Written by Colin Krainin

Illustrated by Joan Krainin

At first glance, one would guess this book title is for elementary school readers. Indeed, it contains charming illustrations, but the complexity of characters and issues addressed suggest it is more appropriate for middle-grade and older audiences.

At the outset, readers meet Mr. Rabbit, a stuffed rabbit who lives with his friends, Mr. Rabbit, and a large stuffed bear in an apartment in New York City. When a visitor arrives, their lives are turned upside down.

They are recruited in an adventure to search for a lost friend. This journey eventually leads to Australia where the friends encounter wildfires, climate-change disasters and a host of unsavory characters.

The plot and characters are rather complex for a young reader. Older readers are better equipped to understand the issues and appreciate the personality types presented.

An enjoyable read for readers ages ten and older.

Grandma, It’s Me!: A Children’s Book about Dementia 

Written by Y. Y. Chan

Illustrated by Pearly L.

So many families contain an elderly member suffering from dementia. This book goes a long way toward explaining and humanizing the difficult situation.

The protagonist is a young girl named Riley. It follows her diary entries over a period of time. One day Riley notices that her grandmother is forgetting things. As time passes, grandma wanders off and forgets the names of family members. She needs constant care and that is a burden on the family. Chan shows how to combine love with patience as the family must constantly adjust their situation.

This book is a great resource in explaining dementia to young children. I liked the multicultural images, the characters, and the abundant resources included. Readers receive a list of questions and reflections about what they read as well as activities to download.

This book is highly recommended not only to parents and teachers but also counselors who work in mental health facilities or in schools with children.

It’s not easy being a LAZY BUG

Written by Pragya Tomar

Illustrated by Michela Fiori

Bug is lazy. He does not like dressing, eating, brushing teeth, cleaning his room or any of the activities necessary in everyday living. At first, his parents do everything for him. That gets old, and he gets a rude awakening.

A funny and cleverly illustrated book to wake messy kids up fast.

Recommended for all ages preschool and older.

Daily Confidence Boosters Checklist
Goal: Help your child build confidence through daily, simple actions that promote self-awareness, self-expression, and resilience.

1. Encourage Self-Expression
   • How: Give your child a chance to express themselves creatively each day, whether through drawing, writing, dancing, or speaking up about their feelings.
   • Why: Self-expression is key to developing a strong sense of identity and confidence in their own voice.
2. Morning Affirmations
   • How: Encourage your child to start their day with a positive statement. They can say something like, “I am strong, I am kind, I can do hard things.”
   • Why: Affirmations set a positive tone for the day, helping children build a mindset of self-belief and optimism.
3. Small Wins Celebration
   • How: At the end of the day, ask your child to share one thing they accomplished, no matter how small (e.g., “I finished my homework on time” or “I was kind to my friend”).
   • Why: Recognizing small successes builds momentum, reinforcing the idea that progress happens one step at a time.
4. “Challenge of the Day”
   • How: Introduce a fun, simple challenge each morning. Examples include: “Try to help someone today” or “Try to ask a question when you don’t know something.”
   • Why: Overcoming small challenges teaches children resilience and encourages problem-solving skills.
5. Body Language Power Pose
   • How: Teach your child to stand in a “power pose” for a few seconds each day—legs apart, hands on hips, standing tall. Do this before school or big events (like tests or presentations).
   • Why: Body language can have a huge impact on confidence. This quick physical exercise helps them feel strong and capable.
6. Kindness Check
   • How: Ask your child, “What kind thing did you do for someone else today?” or “How were you kind to yourself today?”
   • Why: Acts of kindness, whether for others or themselves, build emotional strength and empathy, both of which are essential to self-confidence.
7. “I’m Grateful For…” Journal
   • How: Encourage your child to write down one thing they are grateful for each day, even if it’s just something small.
   • Why: Focusing on gratitude helps shift their mindset away from what’s missing and towards what’s already good in their life, promoting a positive, resilient outlook.
8. Compliment Swap
   • How: Make it a daily habit to share compliments with each other as a family. You can go around the dinner table and say one nice thing about someone.
   • Why: Giving and receiving compliments helps children recognize their own strengths and the strengths of others.
9. Try Something New
   • How: Ask your child to try something new every day, even if it’s small, like trying a new food or solving a different type of puzzle.
   • Why: Trying new things helps them get comfortable with taking risks, learning, and expanding their comfort zone—all crucial for building confidence.
10. “Bounce Back” Reflection
    • How: At the end of the day, reflect with your child on something that didn’t go as planned. Discuss how they handled it and what they learned.
    • Why: This teaches children that setbacks are part of life and provides a chance to learn resilience and perseverance.

How to Use This Checklist:

• Age-Appropriate: Tailor these activities based on your child’s age and personality.
• Consistency is Key: Pick a few of these to try each day, and be consistent over time. Little habits build big confidence!
• Reflection Together: Spend a few minutes talking with your child about how they felt after each activity to deepen the experience.

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