How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and How to Listen So Kids Will Talk

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How to Talk So Kills Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish (originally published in 1980) is a classic parenting book for resolving conflicts between parents and children. The authors encourage parents to give children a scaffold with which to approach the world about them. Although it is a dated book, I still found many of the suggested conversation techniques and parenting reminders to be perfectly relevant to my day.Continue Reading

Missed Connections by Sophie Blackall

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Way back in August and September, Jenny from Reading the End suggested I read Sophie Blackall’s illustrated book based on the personal “missed connections” posts found on Craig’s List.

I love her illustration style, as I mentioned when I reviewed her picture book. Missed Connections captures the personal ads just perfectly with Ms Blackall’s style. The pictures are sassy, amusing, and friendly. And there is something about the entire concept of a “missed connection” that gives the illustrations a sense of seriousness and contemplation. Continue Reading

Sam’s Pet Temper by Sangeeta Bhadra

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Sam’s Pet Temper by Sangeeta Bhadra and Marion Arbona (Kids Can Press; September 1, 2014) is a picture book for kids who lose their tempers and need some help learning to control it. In this amusing picture book, Sam tends to lose his temper, first on the playground, and later elsewhere. His temper becomes a “pet” that follows him around, even when he sees the negative consequences.

At first, Sam likes having his new “pet” Temper. He can get what he want! But when his “pet temper” begins to make things more difficult, Sam starts to realize that maybe having a bad temper is not such a good thing. Maybe his mom is right, and he should learn to control it. Continue Reading

Starring Me and You and Goodnight, You by Geneviève Côté

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Starring Me and You by Geneviève Côté (Kids Can Press, March 2014) and Goodnight, You by Geneviève Côté (September 2014) are the two most recent books in the adorable Piggy and Bunny series, this time focusing on putting on a play and having a nighttime camp out, respectively.

In all the books in this series, Piggy and Bunny have a disagreement about something, but ultimately, they come to a resolution together. The author writes only in the dialogue of the two animals (each animal’s words shown in a different font). The illustrations also tell the story, giving emotions to animals that appear simply drawn.Continue Reading