Showing posts with label sibling rivalry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sibling rivalry. Show all posts

Monday, June 6, 2011

Book Reviews: Two New Ones on Sharing

Little Mouse's BIG Secret
Author/Illustrator: Eric Battut
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

From the Book Jacket: When Little Mouse finds a delicious apple, he knows, exactly what to do. He decides to keep it a secret from all of his friends and buries the apple safely in the ground. But by the end of this charming story, Eric Battut's endearingly selfish mouse realizes it's better to share a secret than to keep it all to on one's self.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: We giggled our way through this story. Mouse is being a real stinker...a sneaky and selfish stinker. He's doing the classic "I'm not gonna share with no one!" behavior. He tries to hide the apple. Know any kids who try and hide toys etc? Little Mouse's Big Secret is clever and the illustrations tell the real story. When you make the decision to be generous over being selfish - you will reap so many inner rewards. Love those kind of kid conversations.

That's Mine
Author/Illustrator: Jennifer Northway
Interest Level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Publishers  

From the Book Jacket: William thinks it's no fun having a little sister. Not only does Emma take up all Mom's time, but she wants to play with William's toys - especially his favorite, Spotty Cat. But when Emma is ill and nothing can make her stop crying, William has a brilliant idea.....


Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is a validating story for the older sibling. They can get easily annoyed with a younger sister or brother who steps onto their turf. It's actually a bit complex. What you may see as mean behavior towards the younger sibling may really be a form of communication. No longer getting all the attention and having to share everything can be rough business at first. The ending to this story is sweet. It's about finding the soft spot in a child's heart (love) so they can figure out their new family role.


A Link to These Books and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Monday, March 7, 2011

Book Reviews: More Awesome Ones on Sharing

Share With Brother
sequel to Love the Baby
Author: Steven L Layne
Illustrated by Ard Hoyt
Interest Level: Ages 3-7

A Note From the Publisher: Brother has been waiting to play with his new sibling since the day Mommy and Daddy brought him home. However, his excitement soon wears off when everyone reminds him that he must share. As Brother tosses jacks and plays safari with his friends, his family says, “Share with brother and someday brother will share with you.” But he doesn’t want to share, and his temper steams until he is sent to his room for his selfish behavior.

Nevertheless, when the baby becomes sick, Brother doesn’t hesitate to come to the rescue! He strings lights across his bed, reads him a book, and even shares his ice cream. Although Brother likes taking care of the little tyke, he later discovers that sometimes sharing comes with a catch!

This charming tale, complete with illustrations of cuddly bunnies, humorously approaches the subject of jealousy between siblings. Children will laugh at Brother’s silly antics as he grows to accept the baby while parents point out the lesson he learns about sharing.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Just the other day I was out shopping when I saw a little girl point at her younger sister and say angrily to her mother, "But I always have to share with her!!!" Growing up with four siblings I can relate. A little autonomy is what all we older siblings prayed for on a daily basis. Wishful thinking! But what if you framed it in a new way to your child...that by sharing with a sibling you are TEACHING them to treat you the same way. As a child, it's nice to be praised and appreciated for the kindness you give, especially to a sibling.

I think that's why I like Share With Brother so much.  Over and over older brother rabbit is told, "Share with brother and someday brother will share with you." This is a hard thing for him to hear and he is quite stubborn about it. Reminded me of how siblings get in turf wars over little and big things. I plan on using this as a read aloud on building sibling relationships. But it can also be a great reminder to treat each other the way you want to be treated. If you want others to share with you - share with them first. 


Ribbit Rabbit
Author: Candace Ryan
Illustrated by Mike Lowery
Ages: 3-7

A Note From the Publisher: RIBBIT RABBIT, GRIP IT, GRAB IT! Frog and Bunny are best friends. RIBBIT, RABBIT! They do everything together, like fight monsters (ZIP IT, ZAP IT!). And even though they get in fights sometimes-YIP IT, YAP IT!-they always make up in the end. 

Ribbit, Rabbit features an effortlessly clever text that, in less than 150 words, captures the ups and downs of young friendships. Combined with adorably hip and fresh illustrations and an irresistible package, Ribbit, Rabbit is the perfect choice for the youngest of readers.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This has been a major hit in my kindergarten classes. It's got cool wording in it like wibbit wabbit, dip it, dab it, nip it, nab it, yip it, yap it........ahhh, social skills books can be fun!

I thought this was going to be a fast read but I took time to focus on the conflict in bunny and frog's friendship. They love playing together but they sure don't like sharing things. That's a recipe for friendship disaster. A showdown over a robot causes a riff between them. But the robot won't work if they don't get over their sharing issues which they quickly realize as they sit alone. They also take a moment to think about each other (this is the part I care about). Feelings are more important than toys. So important for kids to learn this. Amends are made quite sweetly between them. I'm all for amends in books. Another perfect kindergarten social skills story on my shelf. Be sure to pull in a frog and a bunny puppet if you can. Makes for a much more impactful lesson. I found a toy robot for kids to role play with also.


A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Monday, November 29, 2010

Book Review: What About Me? 12 Ways to Get Your Parents' Attention (Without Hitting Your Sister)

Author: Eileen Kennedy-Moore
illustrated by Mits Katayama
Interest Level: Ages 4-6

From the Book Jacket: Parents get busy and children get lonely. Children will do almost anything to satisfy their need to interact with Mom or Dad. If peaceful means don't work, they will try more drastic measures, such as screaming, hitting, or snatching toys. What About Me? offers twelve ways for children to get attention from parents or other grown-ups that are pleasant, positive, and possible for a small child to do.

Have fun reading this charming book to your child and then leave it out for him or her to revisit at any time. Don't be surprised when you see your child begin to use some of the twelve ways to get your attention. When you notice and react positively, your child will be encouraged to use the strategies again and again. Enjoy the result: a more peaceful home!

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Loving this book. I mean LOVING this book. It's simple, to the point, and totally encourages POSITIVE behavior. If you are a parent and just about had it with all the negative attention getting - you are going to want this in your library. I found it at my local bookstore with a SALE sticker on it and was glad I got to it first.

First page shows a busy family in the kitchen and brother is sort of scratching his head with an, 'Hmmm...no one is paying attention to me' look on his face. Turn the page and now brother looks like he's about to be up to no good! "You could hit your little sister...But you know you'd get in trouble. So there must be something else that you could try. You could..." The story continues listing twelve different positive things a child could do to get a positive reaction from a parent.

Take it a step further. Don't just read the story and expect behavior magic. Might be cool to make a list of positive attention getters with your own kiddos. Take the time to explain to them that you are clued into their behavior whether it's negative or positive. It will help their awareness.

Author Eileen Kennedy-Moore writes a SMART letter to parents on the last page. As a psychologist and mother of four kids - her tips and advice are right on.


A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful: