Category: childrens books

Meg and Greg is a new series of chapbooks from Elspeth and Rowena Rae designed to help dyslexic children rediscover the joy of reading.

About Meg and Greg: A Duck in a Sock

For many children with dyslexia, the switch from being having books read to them to early readers is difficult. Words become too complex, or stories at their reading level are too simplistic to be interesting. As a result, these children often lose interest in reading completely.

• A story divided into two parts: one set of text for adults, using wider vocabulary and longer sentences to make the story interesting and engaging; one for children, using tightly controlled words and shorter sentences.
• A typeface that mirrors hand-printed letters, enabling children to recognize letter shapes more familiar to them.
• Children’s text printed on shaded paper to reduce the contrast between text and paper—something cited as a difficulty for some children with dyslexia.

Our Thoughts

I am a passionate reader – I have always been this way since I was young. My parents could always find me curled up with a good book. I try to always encourage my boys to embrace the joys of reading. I know that it is not always easy for children and parents. We even went through our own difficulties. Reading can be a challenge for some children and the learning process difficult for parents.

Meg and Greg is a book designed to help young children who are struggling in learning to read and their parents (who may not know how to help their children) succeed. I loved that the stories were exciting and used language that was natural for us to read aloud. Some readers can be awkward and the stories unexciting when you read them together. This is not the case for these two amazing young children – they save a sloth, lose and rescue a fish and even save farm animals. The story can be read together as you start out, then you can encourage your child to read the shorter lines while you read the longer sentences either together or to them. As they progress, they can definitely tackle the challenge of reading the longer sentences.

What I really thought was fantastic was the font – they specifically used font that children can recognize. So many times when we are out and my youngest is trying to read signs, he is frustrated by companies that use a funny font that he can’t recognize (not to mention the confusion when companies purposely put a letter backwards!). This was done on purpose so that children recognize the letters and can read the words easily.

Meg and Greg is a four-story book that is an excellent tool for parents to help their child on their reading journey. I found it not only great for children with learning difficulties but all children in general. It incorporates so many great ideas on how to help children succeed which helps to empower them in their journey. This is a definite must have book for young readers!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Authors

Elspeth Rae is a certified Orton Gillingham teacher for children with dyslexia and other language-based learning difficulties. She runs the 44 Sounds Orton Gillingham Learning Studio where she teaches reading, spelling, and writing to children ages 4-12. She lives with her husband and three children in Vancouver, BC.

Rowena Rae has an M.A. in science writing and two biology degrees. She works as a freelance editor and children’s writer. She has written science and nature articles for a children’s magazine, Yes Mag, and writes nonfiction books. She lives with her two children in Victoria, BC.

Elisa Gutiérrez is an award-winning book designer and illustrator. She is author/illustrator of Picturescape and Letter Lunch, the first of which was shortlisted for a BC Books Prize. She lives with her husband and two children in Vancouver, BC.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In The Case of the Pinched Stradivarius,  two bickering turtles manage to solve a very real crime without ever leaving their tank.

About The Case of the Pinched Stradivarius

From their aquarium in the window of an apartment in a New York high-rise, two bickering turtles manage to solve a very real crime without ever leaving their tank. They are pets, limited to swimming and fighting over the right to sit on the one rock in their tank. One day, while looking out the window, they see a crime committed: a little girl’s violin is stolen by a bad man who grabs it and runs away. The turtles are the only witnesses, and because they are turtles, nobody can hear them call for help. This is the story of how they manage to solve the crime and bring the thief to justice and thus become: Miles and Fargo, turtle detectives.

Our Thoughts

This adorably illustrated children’s book follows the tale of two inspiring and curious turtles in New York. They adore their Mom but are annoyed and a little confused by their two dog siblings. They watch the world around them, both inside and outside, from the comfort of their tank. One of these days, they witnessed the robbery of a very special violin, a Stradivarius, from a young girl. They know exactly who the thief was but what they couldn’t do? Tell anyone! They tried to explain it to their Mom but she doesn’t speak turtle (of course). When they try to enlist the help of their furry siblings, they learn that dogs sometimes aren’t the best listeners!

They do manage to trick their furry siblings into helping them solve the mystery with the easiest trick in the book to get a dog to listen – treats! While super creative and really the true heroes behind the story, it is their dog siblings that get all the credit at the end of the story for solving the crime.

This was a well written children’s book that was engaging and full of humour. You can’t help laugh at Miles and Fargo and fall in love with them. The same goes for their furry siblings, we laughed out loud at the bichon part not taking orders because we have a bichon and it is true they are definitely not good at following orders (she is the queen bee in our house!). The illustrations helped to bring the story to life. What I liked the most was that in front of each sentence had a picture of the character who was speaking, it helped to make us feel as though we were a part of the story. This is a great story from start to finish that all children will enjoy.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

ELAINE LOESER is a fiction writer, reformed lawyer, and enthusiastic Chicagoan. While living in Los Angeles, she wrote for the long-running NBC drama Law & Order, as well as other television dramas. She taught television writing at the University of Michigan. She is the owner (the accurate, but not preferred term) of two 21-year-old red-eared slider turtles who inspired the events in this book. They were brought home one day from downtown L.A. by her husband, Jerry, for whom this was and still is, standard operating procedure. This story is ripped from the headlines. The events depicted here are fictional, and not based on any actual people. The animals, however, are very real indeed. These are their stories.

About the Illustrator

GREG ARVANITAKIS started drawing at a young age, mostly on the walls in his house. His first illustrated book was completed while in second grade. It won an award and placed in a state-wide young author s contest. Thirty some years later, he illustrated this book. In between, he grew up drawing pictures, going to school for art and design, and becoming an art director. When not drawing pictures, Greg spends time with his wife and two children, who have been excited about and supportive of this project as well as valuable critics. They provide creative inspiration for him on a daily basis. Sincere thanks go to David Robson and Suzie Isaacs of Ampersand, Inc. for their input and assistance; Elaine Loeser for this wonderful story and opportunity; Lauren B. for introducing Greg to Elaine in the first place; and Mom, who always bought crayons, markers, colored pencils and paper for drawing.

Disclosure: We received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are our own.

My Body’s Mine helps children learn they have the rights to their body.

About My Body’s Mine

My Body’s Mine helps children learn they have the rights to their body. Told through rhyme from a child’s point of view this book on boundaries empowers each child to say no when others approach them in ways that make them uncomfortable. It also gives clear instructions on what to do if they are approached in an unwanted manner. The questions at the end of the book provides an easy transition for counselors and parents to open a discussion to prevent abuse or to further explore if abuse has occurred.

My Thoughts

One of the most difficult but important conversations we can have with our children is about their body. They need to understand that their body is theirs, respect and what is normal/not normal and to empower them to say no and go for help.

A lot of the old practices of forcing children to give hugs and kisses to adults are now being re-examined as you are teaching your child that they have to do this and that they don’t have control over their bodies and the ability to say no when they feel uncomfortable. It is so incredibly important for children to be confident in their ability to say no and who they can go to for help if they need to. If you force them to do things like hugging people they don’t want to, it contradicts what you are teaching them about their body and confuses them. It doesn’t mean they have to be mean to family members and you as the parent can speak to family about what you are teaching your child so that they understand the reasoning behind your teachings. They also need to understand who is a safe adult and what is inappropriate touching. If we don’t take their concerns seriously, it may teach them that their emotions and feelings don’t matter.

My Body’s Mine teaches children that their body is theirs and no one else’s in a catchy rhyme that is repeated throughout the book. In an appropriate manner it teaches children what is bad touching, when something feels wrong that they need to talk to an adult and that if someone says ‘don’t tell anyone’ that this is wrong. This is an excellent starter resource for parents and children to get the conversation rolling.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

A native Texan, Kayla lives with her husband and three cats in Austin. Her two married daughters, along with her faith, have been an inspiration in many of her writings. She has been a guest speaker at elementary schools, women’s retreats, writer’s groups, and University of Texas. At the request of teachers and counselors, she has provided stories to broach difficult situations. Her passion is to empower and validate children, helping them know they are not alone in their feelings or circumstance, and ways to deal with it. When she is not writing she loves spending time with family and friends, read, scrapbook, and watch old movies. You can find her on her website.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I Can Do That! helps children learn self-regulating techniques.

About I Can Do That!

I Can Do That! helps children learn self-regulating techniques. Told through rhyme from a child’s point of view, strategies are shared empowering the child to effectively learn and practice ways they can control their emotions and actions when they feel themselves becoming dysregulated. The discussion questions at the end of the book provide an easy transition for counselors and parents to open a discussion, assisting the child in exploring ways they can learn to manage themselves.

My Thoughts

As adults we have learned tools that help us control our emotions, maybe you crack knuckles, maybe you do slow breathing or meditate or maybe you need to take a walk. Whatever you do, it is so important to have a tool to help control the emotions that we experience throughout the day.

For children, these emotions are present and can be difficult for them to understand, explain and talk about. It is important for us as parents and caregivers to understand and watch for signs of these emotions and help them understand what they are feeling. Even more important is giving them tools and techniques to help them control these emotions.

In beautiful rhyme and illustration, I Can Do That! helps children by acknowledging their feelings of being mad or bored from sitting still and how they can help themselves with these feelings. It also lets them know how these useful tools make their body feel better. I think it is important to validate their feelings but to also empower them to take charge of their feelings and actions. I love that Kayla also includes  helpful discussion about regulation that forces parents and caregivers to think about actions and their child as well as activities and questions to do with your child. This is a fantastic resource for parents and children.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

A native Texan, Kayla lives with her husband and three cats in Austin. Her two married daughters, along with her faith, have been an inspiration in many of her writings. She has been a guest speaker at elementary schools, women’s retreats, writer’s groups, and University of Texas. At the request of teachers and counselors, she has provided stories to broach difficult situations. Her passion is to empower and validate children, helping them know they are not alone in their feelings or circumstance, and ways to deal with it. When she is not writing she loves spending time with family and friends, read, scrapbook, and watch old movies. You can connect with her on her website.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

My Actions Matter helps children learn life value skills, creating a foundation on how they can connect with others.

About My Actions Matter

My Actions Matter helps children learn life value skills, creating a foundation on how they can connect with others. Told through rhyme from a child’s point of view this book provides strategies for the child to learn how their actions influence others. The questions at the end of the book provide an easy transition for counselors and parents to open a discussion assisting the child in exploring ways they can effectively correct their behavior and connect with others. In my professional counseling, I encourage caregivers to use My Actions Matter as a part of their everyday interaction. Kayla has written an easy to use tool that is foundational in implementing life value strategies for children and their ability to connect with others. With the sing-song rhythm and diverse characters, children can relate to and understand that their actions do matter. The Behaviors Display a Need and Explorations and Activities sections add a dimension making My Actions Matter a complete tool for caregivers to use easily, effectively, and with confidence.

My Thoughts

It can be quite difficult for children at times to control their actions – they may shout out answers, be a little too rough, may talk back or not want to listen. None of this is done because they are a bad child but they sometimes tend to forget or not understand how to control their behaviours. They need a positive adult who can help guide them in this time about why we behave in certain ways, respecting feelings and listening to others.

My Actions Matter is a soft cover book shows children and adults how to respond to negative behaviours that are typical in children. These behaviours can be not wanting to share, wanting to be the boss, being a bit too aggressive or rough and even talking back. The book then shows them the proper behaviours in a positive light. I loved the way the book is written as it makes it easier to read with your child out loud and engages them in the story. Especially with the repetition of positive behaviours and actions. The illustrations are beautiful and show children of all backgrounds.

I really liked that Kayla includes two sections in the back of the book for parents – one about behaviours displaying a need and another that encourages discussion with questions for your child. I loved that she points out that your child’s behaviour is not them, it is a need that we as parents need to understand and figure out. The questions are great for opening up dialogue between parent and child about actions, both good and bad, and how they can  make others feel.

This is an excellent resource for both parents and young children.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

A native Texan, Kayla lives with her husband and three cats in Austin. Her two married daughters, along with her faith, have been an inspiration in many of her writings. She has been a guest speaker at elementary schools, women’s retreats, writer’s groups, and the University of Texas. At the request of teachers and counselors, she has provided stories to broach difficult situations. Her passion is to empower and validate children, helping them know they are not alone in their feelings or circumstance, and ways to deal with it. When she is not writing she loves spending time with family and friends, read, scrapbook, and watch old movies.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.