Bibliotherapy for the tot in a tizzy.
Overstimulated kids (and overtaxed parents)—look no further!
A bright-eyed, bespectacled yellow bird greets us chirpily with the title question before suggesting a few options. “Pizza? A bad dream? A party?” Are your thoughts making you happy? Sad? Angry? Afraid? Distracted? Frustrated? Or are you just wishing for someone to confide in? If your head is too full of thoughts and feelings, this bird has some calming suggestions, all easy to practice: “Close your eyes and count to five,” then name three items you observe around you. Or imagine a taste, smell, sound, or touch. The bird proposes a few physical movements: deep breathing, stretching, wiggling, laughing, and giving yourself a big hug. Finally, sleep can be restorative for the brain as well as for the body. Images rendered in Parr’s typical style, heavy black outlines around ultra-simplified forms in bright saturated Day-Glo colors, might not seem very serene, but they grab attention and communicate the author’s thoughtful text, well pitched to his young audience. The illustrations are also amusingly droll: Our avian guide is joined by other two-toed birds, sometimes with puffs of piled-up hair or covered in polka dots. These unthreatening critters just might allow kids to admit their wish for a quiet mind.
Bibliotherapy for the tot in a tizzy. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 14, 2026
ISBN: 9780316596329
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
A soothing, logical, and playful introduction to mindfulness for young listeners.
What can you do when things go wrong?
Two children contemplate different ways to calm themselves down in this straightforward introduction to breathing, relaxation, and mindfulness. The younger, White-presenting child follows suit when the older, brown-skinned child proposes imaginative calming techniques. They picture themselves as various animals (goldfish, elephants, dragons) and objects (pinwheels, dandelions, wind chimes, flowers), inhaling and exhaling, that make deep breathing and calming down concrete and easy to comprehend. Simplified, whimsical illustrations add a touch of humor and a wink to the 1970s while preventing the story from becoming cloying, as soft, gentle instructions help the characters (and listeners) to understand some of the mechanics behind how to intentionally breathe and decompress. While not necessarily something that children will pick up unless they are learning about practicing mindfulness, this informative title has charm and warmth and will give youngsters some ideas as to how to self-regulate and manage their feelings as they learn to be aware of their breathing. Endpapers feature a multiracial array of children’s faces expressing different emotions.
A soothing, logical, and playful introduction to mindfulness for young listeners. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77164-637-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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