Review of Angry Octopus Color Me Happy Color Me Calm by Lori Lite

 

Angry Octopus Color Me Happy, Color Me Calm is a light-hearted, self-help, mindful coloring book designed to guide 4-11-year-olds and their parents, teachers, or counselors through simple everyday techniques that can be used to control anger, reduce stress, and increase happiness. This interactive coloring book is filled with simple strategies to self-soothe, manage anger, and improve emotional intelligence. Children are empowered to manage their BIG feelings while coloring 76 illustrations. Each mindful page motivates children to express themselves peacefully without having a tantrum, meltdown, or outburst.

Angry Octopus is a kid-friendly character that children around the world relate to. He made his television debut on ABC’s Shark Tank.

Goodreads * Paperback

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**My thoughts*

I have been a fan of Lori Lite's books for a long time now. I am absolutely delighted that there is a coloring book to go with Angry Octopus. It leads the reader and artist through affirmations and words of hope to help you cope with the stress in your life. And while it does feature the characters from one of Lori's children's books, you don't absolutely have to read the book to be able to follow the words in this coloring book. And I can guarantee that adults would benefit from these words and the process of coloring at least as much as children would. I know for me, I'm not a huge fan of those meticulous fine-point coloring books that are often marketed to adults. I want larger areas to color because I find that to be more relaxing. I'm all over this book! I'd love to see even more!

I received a requested review copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the author:

Lori Lite is a mom, parenting stress expert and author. Lori has created an award-winning line of books, CDs, and lesson plans designed to help children, teens, and parents decrease stress, lower anxiety, and control anger. Her sought-after practical tips provide parents with real-time solutions. Lori shares her own experiences as a stressed-out mom in an honest and accessible way. Her personal parenting challenges with getting her children to sleep were the catalyst for her stories. She has the unique ability of communicating how to integrate stress management techniques and self-esteem building activities into your family’s life. You can read more about Lori on her website at https://stressfreekids.com or on her Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lori_Lite

Angry Octopus Color Me Happy, Color Me Calm Coloring Book by Lori Lite

 

Angry Octopus Color Me Happy, Color Me Calm is a light-hearted, self-help, mindful coloring book designed to guide 4-11-year-olds and their parents, teachers, or counselors through simple everyday techniques that can be used to control anger, reduce stress, and increase happiness. This interactive coloring book is filled with simple strategies to self-soothe, manage anger, and improve emotional intelligence. Children are empowered to manage their BIG feelings while coloring 76 illustrations. Each mindful page motivates children to express themselves peacefully without having a tantrum, meltdown, or outburst.

Angry Octopus is a kid-friendly character that children around the world relate to. He made his television debut on ABC’s Shark Tank.

Goodreads * Paperback

(affiliate link included)

About the author:

Lori Lite is a mom, parenting stress expert and author. Lori has created an award-winning line of books, CDs, and lesson plans designed to help children, teens, and parents decrease stress, lower anxiety, and control anger. Her sought-after practical tips provide parents with real-time solutions. Lori shares her own experiences as a stressed-out mom in an honest and accessible way. Her personal parenting challenges with getting her children to sleep were the catalyst for her stories. She has the unique ability of communicating how to integrate stress management techniques and self-esteem building activities into your family’s life. You can read more about Lori on her website at https://stressfreekids.com or on her Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lori_Lite

I was compensated for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Angry Octopus (A Relaxation Story) by Lori Lite

 

The Angry Octopus story featured on ABC's Shark Tank, teaches children relaxation techniques for controlling anger and negative emotions. It helps kids to calm down and lower stress and anxiety levels by focusing awareness on various muscle groups to create a complete resting of the mind and body. Muscular relaxation can lower anxiety levels and be used to decrease pain.

These effective stress and anger management techniques are woven into this award-winning story. Your child will learn the technique as they read the story.

Children relate to the angry octopus in this beautifully illustrated book as the sea child shows him how to manage his anger, remain calm and see things more clearly. This engaging story quiets the mind and relaxes the body so your child can let go of anger and fall asleep peacefully.

Angry Octopus is one of four stories featured on the Indigo Ocean Dreams audiobook and is available in several formats. The Spanish version of El Pulpo Enojado (ISBN: 9781937985011) and Angry Octopus Color Me Happy, Color Me Calm (ISBN: 9781937985332) compliment this story.

Goodreads * Amazon

(affiliate link included)

About the author:

Lori Lite is a mom, parenting stress expert and an author. Lori has created an award-winning line of books, CDs, and lesson plans designed to help children, teens, and parents decrease stress, lower anxiety, and control anger. Her sought-after practical tips provide parents with real-time solutions. Lori shares her own experiences as a stressed-out mom in an honest and accessible way. Her personal parenting challenges with getting her children to sleep were the catalyst for her stories. She has the unique ability of communicating how to integrate stress management techniques and self-esteem building activities into your family’s life. You can read more about Lori on her website at https://stressfreekids.com or on her Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lori_Lite

I was compensated for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Review of In the Corner of My Room: Meet Silas by Professor Stork

 

A fantastical journey of the imagination! Silas may be stuck in a time-out, but his imagination is free to wander. From cute furry critters to a skydiving brass band, this fun rhyming adventure is reminiscent of classic Dr. Seuss books. Professor Stork's rhyming fantasy and Peralta's quirky, warm illustrations bring Silas's adventure to life in a way few authors and illustrators accomplish. In The Corner Of My Room is a book every child will read over and over and every parent will love reading with their children.

In the Corner of My Room: Meet Silas by Professor Stork, illustrated by Len Peralta

 

A fantastical journey of the imagination! Silas may be stuck in a time-out, but his imagination is free to wander. From cute furry critters to a skydiving brass band, this fun rhyming adventure is reminiscent of classic Dr. Seuss books. Professor Stork's rhyming fantasy and Peralta's quirky, warm illustrations bring Silas's adventure to life in a way few authors and illustrators accomplish. In The Corner Of My Room is a book every child will read over and over and every parent will love reading with their children.

Review of Marcy's Having All the Feels by Allison Edwards

What do you do with all your feelings?

In Marcy's Having All the Feels, counselor and therapist Allison Edwards explores how sometimes feeling so many feelings doesn't feel so good at all.

Kyler's Bad Day by LaToya Minton

We all have bad days now and again. Help children work through theirs and learn the power of positive thinking with Kyler's Bad Day. 

Kyler's day did not get off to a good start. He had decided that it was a bad day. Join Kyler on his journey as he experiences a series of disappointments, and learns a lesson about positive thinking.

Review of Andy Gets Angry by Mike Masse, Painted by Emily Corbett

 I'm so glad to see more and more resources available to help children with their social-emotional learning. It's been needed as long as I have been involved in the education/childcare profession and it feels needed more now than ever. Mike Masse has put together the words and Emily Corbett has painted the illustrations in their book Andy Gets Angry. Take a peek inside and read more of my thoughts. Follow the tour to see even more. Best of luck in the giveaway!

Children can develop the ability to respond to their emotions in a healthy way through the practice of mindfulness. Andy Gets Angry is a great introduction for children to learn a fun and simple breath technique to respond to their emotions. The beautifully hand-painted illustrations provide the perfect landscape to tell the story of Andy and his journey in learning the wonderful skill of mindfulness. Share the book with your loved ones, and help us all plant the seed to be present!

Read an excerpt:

Andy doesn’t like being angry, mad, or frustrated – he hates how it makes him feel. Sometimes he feels angry in his face. Sometimes he feels angry in his hands. Other times, he feels angry in his stomach and even in his mind.

Andy later feels bad about some of the things he said or did when he was angry. He felt bad after he yelled at Bobby, and he felt bad after he slammed the door on Sierra… and he felt bad after the one time he told his dad that he didn’t like him anymore. And that didn’t just make Andy angry. It also made him feel sad.

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON.COM * KINDLE * BOOKSHOP * BARNES & NOBLE * BOOK DEPOSITORY

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**My thoughts**

It's hard enough for adults when we aren't sure how to handle our anger or strong feelings. It's even worse for young children. We need to give them as many tools as we can and present appropriate ways of handling those big feelings. This book is a good way to start. 

Andy gets angry, and understandably so with some of his life's frustrations. And then when those feelings have calmed down, he feels bad about it. Kids reading this book will probably recognize some of those frustrating situations and those feelings. So the adults in his life decide to help him by taking him to see Mindful Mike, who teaches him breathing techniques to help him calm down when feeling angry or frustrated. 

Stress breathing techniques really do work wonders with children. They're not going to stop being angry, but they may be able to better control those feelings when they rear their ugly heads. Mike presents them in a creative way that will speak to children. And the paintings by Emily Corbett are bright and lively enough to grab attention and seem familiar.

I would read this with the whole class on occasion and then use it more one-on-one with a child who is feeling particularly frustrated. It would also be a good book to leave out in the reading and/or peace area of the classroom as a reference for kids to go back to on their own. It's long enough that it will probably speak to kindergarten and elementary-age students more than preschoolers. But even preschoolers can benefit from learning these breathing techniques. You could adapt it to fit the audience, if needed. I would definitely add this to my mindfulness arsenal.

Thank you to Goddess Fish and Tellwell Publishing for providing a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mike Masse is a mindfulness consultant and public speaker who specializes in mindfulness-based stress reduction. For over a decade, he has been teaching adults, youth, and children mindfulness skills to help reduce their levels of stress and anxiety. A highly sought-after trainer, Mike facilitates workshops with educators, first responders, health care providers, and others who work in high-stress environments. Mike lives in Stratford, Ontario with his two sons and his wife.

CONNECT WITH AUTHOR MIKE J MASSE

WEBSITE: https://mindfulmike.ca/

FACEBOOK: mindfulmike.ca

INSTAGRAM: @mindfulmasse

Mike J Masse will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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It's OK to not be OK by Emily Stewart

 

Little Fox lives in a burrow with his family, and there is sunshine and happiness all around. When a dark cloud comes to visit, Little Fox is riddled with sadness and struggles to find any sunlight. Little Fox must learn to overcome the dark clouds that bother him and be patient with himself in the process. This read-aloud for the entire family is a conversation starter for little ones about empathy, love, and bravery during difficult times.

Take a peek inside:

Buy on Amazon

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Emily Stewart is a local to Upstate South Carolina and runs her own content creation business. She has combined her experience as an artist and caregiver into her debut children's read-aloud It's OK to not be OK. Emily is an advocate for mental health awareness and enjoys creating positive ways to introduce tough topics to kids. To learn more, visit her website www.emilystewartagency.com.

Find her children's books: www.emilystewartagency.com/childrens-books

Find her on Instagram: https://instagram.com/emilystewartagency

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Review of Big Bird's Big Bad Day by Craig Manning, illustrated by Joe Mathieu

In this little book about big feelings, learn how Big Bird and his Sesame Street friends turn frowns upside down!

It's not a great day for Big Bird, and everything is going wrong. He can't play outside, he's spilled his juice, Granny Bird can't visit anymore, and lost his teddy bear. But would should he do about it? He doesn't understand the way he's feeling. Is he blue? Disappointed? Sad?

With help from his friends, Big Bird realizes maybe the big bad day isn't so bad after all.

From world-renowned children's educational brand, Sesame Street, comes a sweet and inspiring new picture book that teaches children not only how to understand their feelings, but also self-soothe and help themselves feel better.

For Big Bird, today was a very bad day,
But soon he found out how to make it okay!

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

(affiliate link included)

**My thoughts**
I have been a fan of Sesame Street since I was a young kid many, many, many years ago. And while I was growing up, Big Bird was my favorite. So of course, I was drawn to this book. 

My dear sweet friend is having a very rough day. Nothing is going right for him and he is just super down in the dumps. Elmo stops by and tries to help Big Bird feel better. They go around town and visit their friends to find out what they all do to stop feeling so blue. It's fun to see what all of their answers are!

If you're a fan of the Sesame Street characters, you're going to enjoy this book. They are always a lot of fun and I think it helps kids to see familiar characters going through the same feelings and situations that they are going through. You can use it as a springboard to talk about feelings and what you can do to make yourself feel better.

The illustrations are filled with all of those favorite Sesame Street characters and are filled with lots of joy, especially as Big Bird's day starts to turn around. I have to say that I am so used to reading the older books that these modern pictures threw me a little bit, especially of Big Bird. He looks different than what I'm used to. But the more that I page through this book, the more I am getting used to it. I know that it's just the style of this particular illustrator, who of course is not the same as the ones from 35 years ago.

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. It would make a cute addition to your children's book library.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of How to Make a Shark Smile by Shawn Achor and Amy Blankson

A story about choosing happiness and the ripple effect of a positive mindset. Includes seven happiness exercises at the back of the book to encourage kids to fit them in every single day!

Ripple the dolphin just moved to a new aquarium and is excited to make some friends! But as she swims around, she notices the water is still and quiet. The eels have no zing. The neon fishes don't glow. The seahorses aren't horsing around. Everyone's too afraid of a mean shark named Snark!

Ripple is determined to show her new friends that they shouldn't be afraid―it's all about mindset. They can choose to be happy!

But just as the aquarium begins to liven up, Snark the shark shows up ready to prove Ripple wrong. Can Ripple get Snark to smile too?

Bestselling authors and happiness experts Shawn Achor and Amy Blankson invite you to dive in and learn how you can spread joy to those around you with Ripple and her friends.

Perfect for:

• Parents who want to introduce their children to a positive mindset, help them build self-confidence, and set them up for personal and professional success
• Educators and librarians who need a funny, engaging picture book to include in their growth mindset curriculum and collections

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

(affiliate link included)

**My thoughts**
We all have some sharks in our lives. You know, those people who always seem to be cranky and no one wants to be around them. Little do a lot of us realize that if we try to spread happiness with those sharks anyway, we could quite possibly make them turn around and be less cranky. That's the message of this story in a nutshell.

Ripple is a dolphin who has just moved to a new aquarium. She kind of reminds me of Pollyanna in her desire to meet new friends and to share the happiness. She makes a conscious choice to be happy and attempts to teach this to the other creatures in the aquarium through a fun game of smiling. You'll actually find this game familiar, as it is a regular favorite to play with kids to get them to smile. It even works on Snark the Shark. 

I love the idea of this story, spreading joy and happiness, even to those who seem to be cranky. Sometimes those cranky people just need to be acknowledged! I can see kids playing this game like crazy with each other after reading this book. The authors also provide other activities that kids can do to be happy and to develop a happiness mindset. These exercises are more for the older kids who may be reading this story, though I think the picture book itself could be read to even younger children.

I adore the illustrations in this book. You actually cannot help but smile as you look at Ripple and the other sea creatures. This book could probably also be used for identifying the different sea creatures if you are studying that in your classroom.

My only real criticism of the book is that the print seems a bit too small in the advance review copy that I read. It's especially noticeable on those pages that only have about a line of print. I know we want to emphasize the happiness in the story via the pictures, but the print is just as important!

Overall, I gave this book four stars. It would be a fun addition to both the classroom and home libraries.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advance review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

'Me Love You' by Hagar & Anat Sal-Man with bonus material!

Check out this book, created by a mother and her children as a way of learning about feelings.

This book is an introduction to the child’s inner world of feelings and emotions, between the age of 2-5. Feelings we all had since the day we were born

●This book is written in rhymes

●The feelings are represented by different colors

●It makes it easier for the parents to talk to their children about feelings ●Feelings of happiness, anger, fear and sadness.

Me-Me is loveable and cute ~ something that makes the child feel connected to him and love him.

Children at those ages are unable to make the connection between feelings, sensations and words. They mostly express themselves through behavior. They do not have the language skills to describe exactly what they are feeling when something goes wrong or if they not receive what they desire.

They express themselves by using:

●Body language.

●Tone of voice.

●Choice of words.

●Facial expressions.

Even though each child is unique in his own way, they all have one thing in common:

All children need their parents' support and understanding. The way the parents react at this stage is crucial.

My intention in this book is to encourage talking and explaining to your child about feelings.

This will enable child to have:

●Positive attitude.

●Self confidence.

●Effective communication skills.

Available on Amazon

~~Free audiobook and video book with purchase~~

I am a family consultant with 20 years experience. Over the years I have met and helped thousands of families.

This book is the first in the “Positive Parenting Happy Kids” collection.

It is very enjoyable for everyone, so simply click on the Amazon icon to access the page and click on the yellow “buy now” button. You can access the free audio book Me Love You version as well.