A brisk introductory text that may be best suited as a read-aloud in a professional child-development setting.
Former speech therapist and public educator Wong offers an explainer on executive functioning for young children.
Connecting intention to action may seem easy, but the link is, in fact, much more complicated than it seems, says the author in this simple guide: “Your brain tells your body what to…do, think, and feel. Hey, that has a name! It’s long. Brace yourself…Executive Functioning.” In the newest entry in the Kids Book About series, Wong engages in a dialogue with readers that will not only keep them focused, but also demonstrate the very concepts it aims to teach. She presents the conversation as a form of play, with the narrator beginning with the concept of “body doubling” in which both the reader and the narrator (and possibly an adult co-reader) work hard to finish the book; this idea is used to create “sustained attention.” The narrator is tempted by funny-sounding asides (“I just realized my thoughts were on potato chips”), but using “emotional control” helps them concentrate. The journey of the narrator as they struggle to focus to complete tasks—including conveying what “executive functioning” means—reflects what the reader may be going through. Ultimately, the narrator points out that taking care of one’s body means taking care of one’s brain, that behavior arises from mental and sensory balance, and that people can help one another to achieve that balance. This brief debut from Wong is efficient in its explanations and energetic in its execution. The bold graphic choice to use only red, blue, black, and white words and shapes, which dance across the page, offers variety and fun without detracting from the content. Key terms, such as “response inhibition,” appear in colors that contrast with other text and will stick in the reader’s mind. Although it may take a couple of reads to fully grasp all its information, this book could find an audience with educators and their students, as well as with therapists and their patients, as they work on emotional and psychological development.
A brisk introductory text that may be best suited as a read-aloud in a professional child-development setting.Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9798892810289
Page Count: 66
Publisher: A Kids Book About
Review Posted Online: July 8, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Though usually cast as the trickster, Coyote is more victim than victimizer, making this a nice complement to other Coyote...
Two republished tales by a Greco-Cherokee author feature both folkloric and modern elements as well as new illustrations.
One of the two has never been offered south of the (Canadian) border. In “Coyote Sings to the Moon,” the doo-wop hymn sung nightly by Old Woman and all the animals except tone-deaf Coyote isn’t enough to keep Moon from hiding out at the bottom of the lake—until she is finally driven forth by Coyote’s awful wailing. She has been trying to return to the lake ever since, but that piercing howl keeps her in the sky. In “Coyote’s New Suit” he is schooled in trickery by Raven, who convinces him to steal the pelts of all the other animals while they’re bathing, sends the bare animals to take clothes from the humans’ clothesline, and then sets the stage for a ruckus by suggesting that Coyote could make space in his overcrowded closet by having a yard sale. No violence ensues, but from then to now humans and animals have not spoken to one another. In Eggenschwiler’s monochrome scenes Coyote and the rest stand on hind legs and (when stripped bare) sport human limbs. Old Woman might be Native American; the only other completely human figure is a pale-skinned girl.
Though usually cast as the trickster, Coyote is more victim than victimizer, making this a nice complement to other Coyote tales. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-55498-833-4
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
This introduction to puberty may be particularly helpful for girls looking ahead to that stage.
A growing-up guide for preteen girls.
This puberty-navigation guide covers girls’ bodily changes, body care, health, relationships with family and friends, staying safe, and handling stress. In many cases the author, a registered nurse, has covered the same material as she did in various editions of this title as well as The Boy’s Body Book. This girls’ book skips the topics of sleep and performance-enhancement drugs in favor of a section on eating disorders. As in the boys’ book, controversial subjects are addressed generally and conservatively if at all. She includes a rough diagram of female reproductive organs and tells her young readers about menstruation and visiting a gynecologist but not how babies are made. She talks about having boys as friends, saying “Don’t put pressure on yourself to call any of your close friendships ‘dating.’ ” The strength of this title is its emphasis on good grooming, healthy living habits, and positive relationships. Added for this fourth edition is new material on interacting with adults, personal empowerment, body language, reputations, and “learning disabilities,” helpful information for the growing segment of the preteen population identified with cognitive and social learning differences. Tallardy’s cartoon illustrations show girls and adults of varying ethnicities and provide a cheerful accompaniment.
This introduction to puberty may be particularly helpful for girls looking ahead to that stage. (resources, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-60433-714-3
Page Count: 148
Publisher: Cider Mill Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017
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