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MINDFUL BEA AND THE WORRY TREE

Name: MINDFUL BEA AND THE WORRY TREE
Author: Gail Silver
ISBN: 978-1-4338-2954-3

by Gail Silver ; illustrated by Franziska Höllbacher ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 16, 2019

A disappointing outing for the psychology specialists.

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A new picture book addresses anxiety with mindfulness.

Bea loves to dance, sing, and explore the outdoors. But Bea is also prone to anxious thoughts, which are brought to life in the watercolor-and-ink illustrations as long fronds of a malevolent willow tree that leave poor Bea in tangles. She’s planned a big party, but on the day of the event Bea can think only of everything that might go wrong. Her repeated attempts to control the cascade of worried thoughts are thwarted each time a guest arrives: “DING DONG!” Seeking relief, she escapes into the yard, where she is finally able to slow down and find space to breathe. When Bea discovers the party balloons are not blown up, readers might think this will confirm her fears of failure, but instead, the rhythmic breathing required to blow up the balloons further aids her calming and allows her to enjoy the party with her friends. Unfortunately, the inconsistent rhyme scheme and sometimes-confusing use of speech and thought bubbles distracts from the story and muddles the message. While the backmatter content from pediatric psychologist Ara Schmitt is informative for parents, other, better resources exist for sharing mindful breathing techniques with children as well as for providing literary mirrors to children struggling with anxiety. Bea and most of the other characters present white.

A disappointing outing for the psychology specialists. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 16, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4338-2954-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association

Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
STEPS AND STONES
by Gail Silver ; illustrated by Christiane Krömer

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BUDDY'S NEW BUDDY

From the Growing With Buddy series , Vol. 3

by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2022

Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient.

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How do you make a new friend when an old one moves away?

Buddy (from Sorry, Grown-Ups, You Can’t Go to School, 2019, etc.) is feeling lonely. His best friend just moved across town. To make matters worse, there is a field trip coming up, and Buddy needs a bus partner. His sister, Lady, has some helpful advice for making a new pal: “You just need to find something you have in common.” Buddy loves the game Robo Chargers and karate. Surely there is someone else who does, too! Unfortunately, there isn’t. However, when a new student arrives (one day later) and asks everyone to call her Sunny instead of Alison, Buddy gets excited. No one uses his given name, either; they just call him Buddy. He secretly whispers his “real, official name” to Sunny at lunch—an indication that a true friendship is being formed. The rest of the story plods merrily along, all pieces falling exactly into place (she even likes Robo Chargers!), accompanied by Bowers’ digital art, a mix of spot art and full-bleed illustrations. Friendship-building can be an emotionally charged event in a child’s life—young readers will certainly see themselves in Buddy’s plight—but, alas, there is not much storytelling magic to be found. Buddy and his family are White, Sunny and Mr. Teacher are Black, and Buddy’s other classmates are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: July 12, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-30709-0

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
SORRY, GROWN-UPS, YOU CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL!
by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers

- BOOK REVIEW
BUDDY'S BEDTIME BATTERY
by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

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The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)