SELF-CARE WITH TED AND FRIENDS

A bear has many woodland friends and self-care strategies in Khorrami’s debut picture book.

In a flower-filled meadow, ursine Ted flies a kite in windy weather near some animal pals; it’s frustrating, but he explains that perseverance is a good skill to cultivate. The story goes on to highlight that self-care can include tasks like expressing gratitude for others; at another point, Ted lets fireflies free after admiring their beauty, as part of an analogy about letting feelings go. There is no strong narrative arc over the course of this book; Ted’s activities simply impart surface-level, foundational knowledge of self-care and introspection to young readers, and to that end, it’s well written and age-appropriate, with a clear purpose. The repetitive, rhythmic text will assist early literacy development, and Ballarin’s full-color, adorable illustrations are whimsical and cheery, showing critters with rosy cheeks and happy smiles who enjoy working on projects as a group. Adult readers may wish that the book included more thorough explanations of the self-care techniques in backmatter. Also, readers may find it difficult to keep the animals’ names straight, aside from Ted’s, but all are solid role models.

A sweet book that effectively encourages healthy habits for the body and mind.