32 p., Holiday House, 2009. Report cards can be a source of worry for children. At first, Isabel confidently expects an excellent report card. But at the same time, we can tell that she's preoccupied: she makes a report card for her cat, and talks about report cards with a classmate when she is supposed to be listening to her teacher. When her teacher redirects her, she forgets to write her name on her paper. When she realizes this, she tries to slip her paper out of the teacher's pile to write her name on it. Now she's made three mistakes, and she's sure that her report card is going to be terrible. So she sticks it behind the seat of the school bus. Her parents notice her distress, and she explains this by saying that her report card disappeared. Her papa writes her teacher a note about this, but Isabel sticks that behind the school bus seat too. Eventually, she decides she is going to give the report card to her parents and the note to her teacher - but they've disappeared from the bus. The principal has them - and it turns out that Isabel's report card is just fine, and acknowledges her excellent imagination. With Nancy Poydar's charming, expressive gouache and pencil illustrations, and a clear sense that the adult characters are kind and caring, this story reassures children who worry about their report cards. Ages 6-9
Showing posts with label worry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worry. Show all posts
Finklehopper Frog Cheers by Irene Livingston
Illustrated by Brian Lies. 24 p., Tricycle, 2005. Friends not only have fun together, but also support each other in difficult moments. In this rhyming story, Finklehopper Frog worries about going to a picnic because others might laugh at him or try to grab his hat. But he goes anyway, even though he's scared, because his friend, Ruby Rabbit, will be there. And when bullies tease him about his hat, Ruby answers them with cheerfulness, and they slink off. Then it's time for a race, and it's Ruby's turn to worry - she faces tough competition from Sue Kangaroo. But with Finklehopper's encouragement, she tries her best. When she finishes second to Sue, she bursts into tears, yelling "no fair!" Finklehopper tells her he's proud of her because she did her best, and raced even though she was worried. Ruby congratulates Sue on her win, and has learned that when everyone does their best, then everyone wins. The story ends with happy high-fives. The energy of the color illustrations matches the liveliness of the rhyming text. Finklehopper and Sue are lovely examples of supportive friendship, and children will learn important things about coping with bullies and competition too. Ages 4-6
The Happiest Tree: A Yoga Story by Uma Krishnaswami
Illustrated by Ruth Jeyaveeran.32 p., Lee & Low, 2005. When you knock things over without meaning to, and it's hard to stay still, it's hard to feel self-confident. Such is the case for Meena, who feels that she can't act in her class play because she's too clumsy and distracted. When her teacher won't take no for an answer, she reluctantly accepts the part of a tree. But even this is hard for her. She stumbles and trips. Although her parents, teacher, and Auntie (the friendly storekeeper at the Indian grocery) are all accepting and reassuring, Meena feels terrible. While at the store, though, Meena discovers a yoga class for kids. Her immediate reaction is that she can't do yoga because she's too clumsy. But Auntie encourages her to try. Although yoga is challenging for her, Meena learns to use her breathing to find stillness, and finds that her worries dissipate, too. She discovers that "If I am quiet inside, my body will be still." At the class play, despite making a clumsy entrance, Meena is able to recover by using yoga breathing, and in the process, discovers her self-confidence. The story is illustrated with acrylic paintings that are both gentle and colorful, and show facial expressions that convey nuances of emotion clearly. Children will feel encouraged by Meena's success, and may even want to try yoga. Ages 6-10
That's What Friends are For by Valeri Gorbachev
32 p., Philomel, 2005. Being a good friend means caring about your friend, being willing to help, and maybe most of all, being empathic. In this sweet, funny story, Goat wakes up one morning, excited to be having dinner at his friend Pig's house that night. But he sees that Pig is in tears. He imagines all sorts of terrible things that might have happened, and thinks about how he'll help Pig in each of the situations he's imagined. For example, if Pig has fallen and broken his leg, he'll play chess with him every day to help him forget how much pain he's in. Finally, Goat can't stand worrying any longer, and he goes to Pig's house, equipped to help with all of the disasters on his mind. Pig is still in tears - and asks Goat to help him chop onions! Goat happily agrees, and is soon crying right along with Pig. With its lively ink and watercolor illustrations, this story not only conveys a wonderfully warm perspective on friendship, but also delivers an important message about worrying. Ages 3-6