God Hugs My House at Night by Gina Collins Weaver, illustrated by Bren Riddle

Night time can be a particularly scary time for children. They experience the bumps in the night, the imagined monsters under the bed and a sense of powerlessness. Often, these factors make fear inevitable and sleep elusive.

Children need their fears acknowledged and validated. They should know God is there no matter what they fear or where they lay their heads at night. In a modest home, a hospital room, a makeshift shelter or an opulent mansion, God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent (an almighty God who is present in all places, seeing all things).

Knowing God is there brings comfort to a child and imagining God hugging their dwelling can stimulate their imagination and foster a sense of security.

Children understand hugs and God Hugs My House at Night assures them they are not alone. Children can feel empowered and brave; not because fear is not real, but because God is also real. He remains no matter where you dwell or lay your head, how dark the circumstances or how dark the night.

"Be strong and have strength of heart. Do not be afraid or shake with fear because of them. For the Lord your God is the One Who goes with you. He will be faithful to you. He will not leave you alone.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Buy directly on the website.

About Gina Collins Weaver

I was born in Dover, Delaware, but I have lived most of my life in the south (Alabama). My mom was an elementary school teacher and my father was an Air Force serviceman. As an Air Force brat, I moved around often. We changed cities, states and countries, but I was too young to remember most of it. However, one of my earliest memories is of books in our home. They were everywhere.

And so the love affair began. I love books; especially children's books. I have maintained that love, as a mother, who has bought hundreds of books for my two daughters to enjoy. When they were in elementary and middle school, I always looked forward to volunteering at their school's yearly book fair. It was a wonderful way to spend extra time with my girls, but also allowed me the opportunity to peruse the book stands for the newest books as well as the tried and true classics. I would pick out books for my girls and looked forward to their book choices. I would buy too many books, along with bookmarks, etc, but it was worth it. Today both my daughters love to read!

Reading is a wonderful experience and books are an amazing vehicle for a child's imagination. Reading helps children create the pictures that affect their world. Characters can become friends, ideas can become beliefs and concepts can become comfort.

I imagined being an author one day and now I am.

I am also a wife and mother of two. I majored in Sociology and minored in Psychology in college. I have worked for a Nonprofit Youth Development Organization for over 25 years. I write whenever there is a pen and paper available and although God Hugs My House at Night is my first published book, I have numerous books inside me screaming to get out!

I hope God Hugs My House at Night will bless you!

~Gina

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

Review of Scaredy Monster by Meika Hashimoto

Scaredy Monster has a BIG secret. He's not scary like many monsters—he’s a scaredy monster! From Epic! Originals, Scaredy Monster is an illustrated early reader series about conquering fears and trying new things!

Join Scaredy Monster as he overcomes his fears of losing a tooth, riding a bike, and going to his first sleepover. With some help from Mommy Monster, Scaredy discovers he’s much braver than he thought—and he finds ways to feel safe and happy while doing scary things!

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

(affiliate links included)

**My thoughts**
This book is a collection of three short stories about a monster known as Scaredy Monster. Only he isn't a monster who is scary; he's a monster who is often scared!

In the first story, Scaredy Monster Loses a Tooth, we are introduced to this delightful character. I actually grinned when he roared and then apologized if he scared us readers. He's really cute, and he's purple, which is a bonus.

Scaredy Monster has his first loose tooth. While this is a completely  normal rite of passage for children, for many it can be scary the first time that they realize one of those teeth they've had for most of their lives is about to fall out. What's going to happen to it? People have told them all kinds of scary (and untrue) stories about what's going to happen when that tooth is gone. His mom clears up any misconceptions, and he tries really hard to be brave. And of course, that tooth does come out!

I think kids who are nervous about losing a tooth will find some solace in this story and possibly worry less about it.

Next up is Scaredy Monster Rides a Bike. He's been riding a tricycle for so long, but now it is time to transition up to a bike. He wants to learn how to ride all by himself, but quickly learns that he needs Mom's help to do so. She teaches him one skill at a time until he is able to ride the bike by himself. And boy, is he proud of himself when he can do so!

Kids learning how to ride bikes will relate to the many steps it takes to learn how to ride a bike and the persistence needed to do so.

And finally, we have Scaredy Monster and the Slumber Party. It's the first time he is staying overnight away from home. It's so exciting to go to your first sleepover! But it's also pretty typical to get a little scared during that first one. You're in a new place without your parents. And of course, we like to scare ourselves at sleepovers with scary stories and movies. 

He gets so scared that he wants his mommy to come and get him. But after she brings him his stuffed monster toy and reassures him that it is okay to be sad at times, he decides that he wants to stay over anyway. I think a lot of kids go through this experience in their early days of sleeping over, and it's a good reminder that it's okay to be scared. Everything will be okay.

So my overall thoughts on the book: Scaredy Monster is a lovable character to whom children are going to relate as he goes through all of these typical childhood experiences. The stories can be used to prepare children for an upcoming event, or as a basis for discussion for a current event in their lives. I look forward to more stories about Scaredy Monster in the future.

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

Bodbod's Ghosts by Angelina Dunbar

Bodbod's Ghosts

- A great book for kids who are afraid of the dark or afraid to be alone in their rooms.

His uncle's enormous two-story house looked old and haunted. Bodbod kept telling himself it was only for a short visit. That is, until his parents decided to spend the night. And that's when his worse fears became reality.

Buy it on Amazon

Get a free audiobook copy when you fill out the form here.

Check out more of Angelina Dunbar's children's books here.

About Angelina Dunbar

Angelina Dunbar grew-up on a little island in the Philippines and lived with her parents, six siblings, and her lola (grandmother). Her lola entertained them with stories of Filipino mythology, ancient creatures, and mystical worlds which charged her affinity for fantasy, mystery, and an appreciation for life. She left the island to join the U.S. Air Force, fought in wars, and traveled the world. All throughout her service, she dreamed of writing a book to share the stories that her lola told her. When she finally settled down in Florida, she wrote several books: "Tina and the Giant: The Borrower’s Cave" and the Hugz and His Friend Bugz preschool books. Angelina recently published "Bodbod's Ghost's" and is currently giving the audiobook FREE to anyone who completes this form: https://www.powr.io/plugins/contact-form/view?id=5228266&mode=page

Lani the Blind Kitten by Sabat Beatto

Lani the Blind Kitten

Lani is a delightful children's story about a brave little kitten, filled with curiosity who doesn't let anything stop him. Follow Lani The Blind Kitten on an unexpected adventure where he makes new friends and overcomes his fears.

Available in paperback and ebook

'Nightmare Schmightmare' by Spencer Platt

Blurb:

Nightmares? Nightmare Schmightmare is a fun book about dealing with the monsters that creep into our children’s dreams with silly and creative solutions. Join this father and son duo as they roast marshmallows with dragons breathe, defeat a rock monster with paper airplanes, brush a sharks teeth and much more.

Now available on Amazon

Check out these sneak peeks inside the book!

Follow the book and author

Facebook / Instagram

'Abigail Learns to Swim' by Lynda Raymond

Abigail Learns to Swim

Written by Lynda Raymond

Illustrated by Elly Color

Blurb:
Abigail is afraid to swim! She imagines monsters waiting for her in the pool. Even her best friend, Elmer, can’t convince her to go swimming. Find out how Abigail overcomes her fear in Abigail Learns to Swim. A cozy read and the perfect chance to talk to your child about trying new things and overcoming fear! FREE Bonus Video-Book Included!

Sample: 

Abigail shaded her eyes and wiped five drips of sweat from her forehead.

“It’s hot enough to fry bacon on the sidewalk,” said her friend Elmer.

Abigail plopped down beside him in the shade of a huge oak tree. In the sizzling air, the leaves on the tree drooped like wilted balloons.

“Let’s go swimming!” said Elmer. “Come on! I have a pool in my backyard.”

Worry wiggled its way through Abigail’s tummy. “Go without me,” she said.

“But everything is more fun when you bring a friend,” said Elmer.

Abigail stood and brushed away the dirt sticking to her sweaty legs. “Then you’ll have to bring a different friend. I’m not going.”

She marched off toward her house. Elmer ran after her. “But Abigail, give me two good reasons why you won’t go swimming.”

Abigail was too embarrassed to admit she was afraid of the water. So she stuck her nose high in the air. “I don’t even have to give one good reason,” she said. “It’s my private beeswax.”

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Lynda Raymond is a multi-published author and an educator who adores young children, reading, and learning. She loves spending time writing and enjoying her grandchildren. She also loves to travel and explore other cultures.

Children are Lynda's passion. Her goal is to entertain and build the love of reading in your children while sharing valuable life lessons.


LINKS

Purchase Abigail Learns to Swim: http://tinyurl.com/mwzhnjp

Visit Lynda at www.lyndaraymond.com

Write her at: authorlyndaraymond@gmail.com

Visit her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LyndaRaymondAuthor

Free Report: Value of Reading to Children: http://lyndaraymond.weebly.com/landing.html

'The Monster Store' by Orit Avni-Barron, M.D.

Blurb:

Dealing with monsters is no easy task. While some people try to deny their existence, others fight, trying to make them leave. But as every child and parent knows, some monsters just won’t go away! In this well rhymed book Dr. Avni-Barron, a Harvard psychiatrist, offers a new, delightful way of dealing with this challenging situation and the fears it represents.

Read an excerpt:

"Want a monster to banish your scariest fears,
Or with tails that are sharp as a tack?
Or maybe a monster with big rubber ears
That can stretch out for miles and snap back?"

 Available in paperback

About the author:

My name is Orit Avni-Barron. I'm a psychiatrist and a mother of two.

My book, "The Monster Store" is a well rhymed, Dr. Seuss style children's book (though parents and grandparents find it useful and appealing as well) depicting a fun and effective way to deal with fears (=monsters).

'A Monster Lives in My Closet' by Stacy Fleetwood

Just released! A brand new picture book by Stacy Fleetwood!

Who's been playing with Caleb's toys and making a mess of his room? Find out through the story and colorful illustrations of this cute little book.

 

Perfect for children ages 4-8.

~~Buy it on Amazon~~

Author Bio-

Stacy Fleetwood was a book lover as a child and often escaped the real world through the magic of fairy tales and books that encouraged the use of imagination.

As a writer, she could not wait to create such works. Her stories are of fantasy and magic and are meant to take children on an imaginary adventure.

'Frizzy Tizzy Goes to the Park' Book Tour

Title: Frizzy Tizzy Goes to the Park

Author: Wendy Hinbest

Genre: Picture Book, Children’s Book 

 

Frizzy Tizzy attempts to face her fears and begins to second guess herself, until she realizes things are not always what they seem.

Book Excerpt

Frizzy Tizzy climbed the stairs to go down the slide, but when she got to the top she was
afraid to go down.  Frizzy Tizzy felt the ground looked so far from up there.

“What’s wrong, Frizzy Tizzy?” asked Mommy.
           

“I’m scared to go down,” answered Frizzy Tizzy.  She turned around and noticed a little girl standing behind her.

**My thoughts**

I thought the book was cute. Frizzy Tizzy is afraid to go down the slide at the park, which is a common fear of young children. She meets another little girl, who offers to go down with her. She realizes it isn't so scary after all! She makes a new friend and conquers one of her fears. It is a sweet story of friendship and facing your fears that isn't  preachy about being a good friend, nor drawn out in explaining why you have to face your fears. It is a simple story that children can relate to and will enjoy sharing. Plus, Frizzy Tizzy is great fun with all of that hair!

**My students' thoughts**

I shared this book with my full day group of students, who range in age from 4-6. Here are a few of their critical comments:

"Look at her hair! That's cool!"

"Why is she afraid of that slide? That's not that big!"

~~Titters and giggles throughout~~

"That book was excellent!"

"I loved it!"

"Super book!"

~~Many thumbs up~~ 

Author Bio

I like writing children's books and blogging. I live in Burlington, Ontario with my husband and three young children. I have an Early Childhood Education diploma and I am certified to teach children from
birth to six years including children with special needs. I have worked with many children and have read many books to them. My daughters enjoy the books I read to them so I decided to write books of my own. I am also a real estate agent.

Links

Website: http://www.frizzytizzy.com

Blog: http://frizzytizzy.blogspot.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wendybooks1
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/frizzytizzybooks?ref=hl

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/105622797279713054090/posts?hl=en (Google Plus)
Amazon: amazon.com/author/wendyhinbest

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5216542.Wendy_Hinbest
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/whinbest