Island Parent Fall 2023

KIDS’READS
A Little Bit of Joy,
Warmth & Self-Love
Even though the school year is no longer brand new, it
can still be stressful for children. So it’s important for
us to take time to check in with them and see how they
are doing. However, you might have noticed that kids aren’t
always the best at explaining what’s wrong, and we don’t
want to step on their toes by just jumping into a conversation
if they haven’t said anything.
So, it might be a good idea to use a book as a starting
point. That way you can read about a child who is having a
particular problem, talk about what your child would do if
they were in that situation, and then ask them if they’re struggling
with something they would like help with. If you don’t
have any books that your child would be interested in, here
are a few books that I think would be a great starting point.
The first is I’m Not (Very) Afraid of the Dark by Anna Milbourne
and illustrated by Daniel Rieley (Usborne, 2023). As
the title suggests, the young protagonist is only slightly afraid
of the dark, but they are not willing to say so out loud. But
when the sun sets and it gets darker, it’s harder for him to pretend
he isn’t scared. This fun book is filled with the gorgeous
and interactive pictures I’ve come to expect from Usborne. Rieley’s
work is impeccable and filled with magic, so make sure
you read this story with a flashlight nearby. That way you can
shine light through all of the cut outs and see what the main
character sees. For ages 4 to 8.
If you think your child is struggling with sadness instead of
fear, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso and
Desmond Mpilo Tutu, the Archbishop Emeritus of South Africa
have created a little picture book called The Little Book
of Joy, illustrated by Rafael López (Crown Books for Young
Readers, 2022). While this wouldn’t be a good book if your
child has clinical depression, because we don’t want to tell
them to just be happy, it is a good reminder that there is a reason
to be joyful all around us. And this story reminds us that
when we find joy we should share it with others so together
we can make the world a brighter place. For ages 4 to 8.
Another emotion that you might notice if your children are
stressed is anger. If that’s the case, I recommend getting Anger
Management Activities for Kids by Holly Forman-Patel and illustrated
by Claudio Cerri (Rockridge Press, 2020). Unlike the
previous two books on the list, this is not a story, it is a selfhelp
book for children. There are a variety of activities and
lessons in it to help you and your child learn why we get angry
in the first place, discover how to stop the anger monsters
Christina Van Starkenburg lives in Victoria with
her husband, children and cat. She is the author of One
Tiny Turtle: A Story You Can Colour and many articles.
To read more of her work and learn about her
upcoming books visit christinavanstarkenburg.com.
Facebook: facebook.com/christinavanstarkenburg
and Twitter: @Christina_VanS.
20 Island Parent Magazine IslandParent.ca