Disclosure: I received this children’s book for free in exchange for my honest review.
Last week I received an email from Lisa Welsh, author of a new children’s book I will introduce to you shortly, asking if I was interested in helping her on her mission to help mothers teach their kids to be kind, thoughtful, empowered, and strong.
She said:
“I wanted to reach out to you from one mom to another. I am a mother to two beautiful children that are 3 and 6 years old. I have been trying to figure out how to teach and engrain positive self-worth and confidence into them. The struggle is, how do you teach that?
You can model it, but it is also hard to find yourself in circumstances to model big concepts like resilience and standing up for what [is right].”
She then told me about her new children’s book called “The Adventures to Me”, a book about an elephant who goes on a journey to find the best version of himself by practicing his positive character traits, making hard choices, and standing up for what is right.
Lisa is right. Modeling is arguably one of the most important ways to teach children, but there aren’t always perfect modeling situations for every virtue that needs to be taught.
That is why children need stories.
Even Jesus taught through parables. I think that story telling is vital in rearing children. If it is impossible to teach through your own example, it is still possible to teach through the example of someone else through a story.
Plus, kids love to be read to. 🙂
I told Lisa that I would be happy to review her book, and I received it in the mail very quickly.
Here is what I liked about the book:
Each spread highlights one affirmation and character trait, with a colorful picture that illustrates the theme further.
For example, my favorite page reads “I am Responsible”, and explains to the child that they are in charge of their own words, actions, and thoughts.
Another page I liked was “I am truthful.”
My 21 month old just loved the pictures in this book. She was actually pretty excited about it, pointing and laughing and saying “aww”. The book is very colorful and expressive. It was easy to use the illustrations to ask my kids questions such as “See how the elephant did not steal the food, even though he was so hungry?” and this helped drive the values home even further.
I think this book is a great catalyst for important conversations with your children. Of course, there is more to be said on each trait than can possibly be included in a short children’s book, but I think Lisa did a good job of touching on the important first principles.
One example of a page I would add some additional teaching to is the “I accept differences” page. I would read the included affirmation and discuss the picture, and then also explain to my children that not all “differences” are good, and that there are plenty of character traits we all posses that we must NOT accept or embrace, but overcome and change in order to perfect ourselves. I think this message is important to clarify in the world today.
Overall I think this book is very sweet, and I am happy to add it to my children’s library. There is a particularly whimsical whale on the “I Dream and Set Goals” page that you must see for yourself. I wish I was that whale.
I appreciate the imagery in the title that you are helping your children on a grand adventure towards themselves. Isn’t that what life is all about, making and becoming our very best selves?
I think all children would love to read “The Adventures To Me.” My kids did!
The book is available on amazon, just in time for Christmas.
