Riley the Brave's Sensational Senses: Help for Sensory and Emotional Challenges by Jessica Sinarski, illustrated by Zachary Kline

This book is part of a series featuring Riley the Brave – a little bear with big feelings. In this story Riley is finding it difficult to deal with all the different sensations around him and struggles to make sense of his feelings. Sometimes it all gets too much and Riley gets angry and shouts at people, because his senses cannot cope. 

The joy of this story is that everyone around Riley recognises that when this happens he is feeling overwhelmed and in need of kindness and understanding. The other animals support Riley to learn how to make sense of his senses and figure out things to do to help him feel safe. The book also touches gently on the big feelings of being different, and through relationships helps Riley understand that everyone has different sensory experiences and needs.

The book has simple, fun, colourful illustrations that will help engage children in thinking about their sensory system. Included is an information section for grown-ups with useful explanations and practical tools. This book would help parents and professionals to make a sensational plan to support a child to feel safe and in control, and to build resilience for when things don’t go as planned. 

I would highly recommend this book, not only to those supporting children with sensory sensitivities. All children can at times feel sensory overload so this book is for all.

Claire Slocombe - mum, teacher

A Book of Feelings By Amanda McCardie
 
This story introduces us to a loving, safe family. We are guided through everyday situations that our children may come across which might seem so small, and yet feel so big. It starts from a place of safety, thinking about happiness, and then moves through the daily lives of the children within the family to explore the intricacies of other feelings that they and their friends might come across.
 

​There is a lovely journey through how one child’s underlying feelings might, in turn, lead to someone else’s feelings changing. There is a sprinkling of humour, which helps to give little light-hearted interruptions to some of the more difficult feelings being explored. The beautiful illustrations really help to bring colour to the words, through pictures and speech bubbles.
 
The book helps to think about how people might look or seem a certain way on the surface but be feeling something quite different on the inside. The family in the story give safe boundaries to think about the nuances of why events can cause us to feel a certain way.
 
What is also particularly helpful about this book, is the indexing of different emotions at the end, allowing this to become a resource to revisit at significant times. There are lots of examples – in the story and in the illustrations - which help to make the key themes relevant to lots of children.
 
A lovely story using a gentle flow of rupture, repair, a bit of humour, and real examples of growing up!
 
Emma Shedlow
Occupational Therapist, Trainer.

Up and Down Mum 
illustrated by Summer Macon. 
 
 
For the nameless child narrator in the story, living with Mum is like being on a roller coaster. When Mum is happy, it feels like she can do anything. When she is sad, “it feels like she is in a deep dark hole and nothing can make her feel better.”



​Imagine what it would be like for a young child living with a parent like that and having no one to support her through it. That is why books like this are important. Children know if it’s in a story it must be real for someone else other than just them and so they are not alone.
 
Mum in the story has bipolar disorder, but the child’s experience is likely to be similar if a parent has other mental health challenges characterised by fluctuating moods such as ADHD or a personality disorder for example, making the book’s application broader than the blurb suggests. I reviewed the book with my granddaughter who lives with an “up and down” parent so I was sensitive to the impact the story would have on her. Some of it resonated with her; inevitably some did not align with her lived experience, but I think it helped for her to read it and share the content.
 
This is what Amy had to say:
“I like the pictures and how she (the illustrator) draws the people. I like that the mum ends up being like other mums in the end. I was interested in the story, it was fun to read and I thought it felt quite happy. The mum’s emotions are a bit extreme and she has to go into hospital to help her control her emotions. I think that’s a good thing that she gets help with them. I like the fact that the boy likes spending time with his mum and grandad – he wouldn’t want to have to choose between them. He is embarrassed by his mum but he loves her. He loves her both ways – before her emotions are fixed and after. It’s a bit embarrassing that’s all, but he’s used to it. The mum wanted to be a good mum. I think she was glad when her emotions got fixed. The boy calls her his “up and down mum” and that’s how he makes sense of it. Some days she’s quiet and sad and sometimes lively. She is like a normal person but more extreme.”
 
The book highlights the importance of having support. Although family support is something that Amy understands and recognises as critical she is not familiar with the concept of therapeutic support (the child and Mum in the story see a family therapist). Neither does she have a mum who can ask for help, and that is very difficult for a child to understand. Also, Amy doesn’t have the supportive friendship group that the child in the book has. In essence, the book presents a “best possible scenario” of a child living with a mentally ill parent, which is helpful in flagging up what support is available for families but quite sad for children who are powerless to access any of it. These descriptions of support services are the parts from which I felt my granddaughter disengaged. Reflecting on this left me feeling quite sad for her and other children who are denied critical aspects of healthy childhood that their peers take for granted. Thankfully, Amy does have family who can help her think psychologically about what it is like having an “up and down mum”.  As Amy says, “It helps the child to have his grandad when his mum is not well and they can talk about things together. I am glad to have my nana and grandad.” Young children are egocentric; they think that they are the cause of everything. To have a parent who spends her days in bed can leave a child feeling unworthy of care; having a manic or intolerant parent can mean a child might imagine she is the cause of her parent’s problems. Open, honest an age-appropriate conversations about a parent’s mental health can create greater understanding and compassion in the relationship and relieve the burden of blame and shame that many children feel. In all of these areas this book would be a useful conversation opener and guide.
 
It is worth acknowledging the glorious illustrations. This is a lovely looking book, bright, detailed and really engaging for kids. I would have liked to have seen some more realistic representations of what this child lives with. I think that might have felt more real for child readers. Pictures can speak volumes, we see lots of the positives in this book so it would have been good for the illustrator to have sneaked in some of the mess that kids could look at or ignore if it all felt too much. Amy and I were able to discuss some of the facial expressions but beyond that there were no signifiers of a chaotic home life.
 
The final word goes to Amy, who probably speaks for most children when she says that, “The boy loves it when his mum is fine but he loves her anyway. We just love our mums however they are, although it’s nice when they are well. I like it best when my mum is in a good mood.”

Reviewed by Amy (age 8) and her NanaUp and Down Mum

Little Grey Fox written by Nikki Linfield illustrated by Bettine Harris and edited by Robert Spottswood

​There are some books which stay with you because of the emotional content and because the truth in a story shared is so meaningful. Little Grey Fox is one of those.

The author, Nikki Linfield’s career path shows her dedication to working with children and young people. She is an Art Therapist and DDP practitioner.
​Nikki’s story of Little Grey Fox is beautifully illustrated by Bettine Harris.

The illustrations, like the words, convey feelings in the story wonderfully. The story takes readers and listeners through heart break and slow, gentle healing. It’s the story of a journey and one of hope.
 
Little Grey Fox cannot stay with his birth family. He moves families and shame grows within him. He then moves to the Red Fox family and they begin to understand each other. Slowly, with time, acceptance and growing trust, sense is made of Little Grey Fox’s story as it is told through thoughts and feelings. Nikki Linfield’s skills in DDP shine through in her story telling.
 
The book is designed to be read together. There is a ‘last note from ‘Little Grey Fox’ at the end in which Little Grey Fox writes:

If it does not feel exactly right, then I hope you can talk to your Grown-Up and tell them how it is for you.’
 
A beautifully told story which I certainly will share with many families I support because I know they will find so many parts of it to connect with.
 
Dr Amelia Taylor
Child and Educational Psychologist
Theraplay Practitioner and Trainer
Lifecycles Psychology.

The Strange and Curious Guide to Trauma by Sally Donovan

From a personal viewpoint as an adoptive parent, coming to an understanding of the potential impact of trauma on a child’s emotional and social development was crucial if I was to meet my children’s needs. 

Subsequently, the desire to somehow share that understanding with my children and help them appreciate where their behaviours may be coming from also became a goal.  If only this skilfully told story by Sally Donovan had been around a few years ago!
 

Cleverly illustrated and formatted, Donovan’s latest story, aimed at 8 to 12 year olds, provides the perfect vehicle through which to gently explain and highlight the key concepts around trauma and attachment.  From Wendy the ‘wonky’ carrot to Courtney Cortisol, a number of likeable characters are used playfully yet also as representations of serious aspects in trauma-informed approaches. They are weaved through the story of Ordinary Jo as we witness how he reacts to his encounter with a Baboon on Baboon Tuesday.  Indeed it is the careful blending of the actual words (trauma, adrenaline, amygdala etc.) with characterisations and names which makes this book so accessible and powerful. 

​Trauma is such an overused word yet a concept which is often not fully understood in all its complexity.  Here it is not disguised nor oversimplified, rather it is broken down tactfully and presented in chunks which can be easily understood by young people.  Use of the correct terminology, albeit in an age-appropriate manner, is important if we are to begin the process of fully informing our young people about their brains.
 
Donovan also takes us back to early childhood as she describes how babies’ brains develop.  Lego is used as a metaphor here in one of the many nods to children and young people’s realities which make this story so relatable.  Images support the writing extremely well and there is clever use of fonts to reinforce key messages.  There are ‘remembering boxes’ and bullet points as well as a comprehensive and succinctly expressed list of possible behaviours of trauma-experienced children. 
 
Undoubtedly, children and adults alike will learn much from this short story into our ‘inside life’.  As Donovan states, we are ‘team human’ and it is about time that we realise that learning about trauma is indeed a ‘superpower’.  

Reviewed by Christine Hadfield

‘All Are Welcome’ by Alexander Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman
 
I found ‘All Are Welcome’ to be a joyous book celebrating everything wonderful about being an individual in a simple and fun format. 

It tackles inclusion and diversity in a child friendly manner following a day in the life of school class, making it easy for a young reader to relate and understand the similarities in their own day to day life.

My child loved the bright illustrations and fun jumping off the pages celebrating our different cultures, abilities, and backgrounds whilst recognising that we all have shared experiences and needs that bind us together.

We loved reading the book and shouting out ‘All are Welcome Here’ at the end of each page. It encouraged talking about why it’s good have our own special story behind what makes us unique and why having a different story from our friends helps children experience new things, be more adventurous, learn from each other, and embrace positivity through diversity. 

‘All Are Welcome’ is a fun, colorful and happy book, and my child’s current favorite book to show friends.
 
 Jane Cooper

''My name is not Refugee’ by Kate Milner
 
Trying to explain and answer questions from children about war and how it affects ordinary people can be difficult, I want to be honest without over burdening their young minds. 

‘My name is not Refugee’ allowed me to talk about the refugee crisis in a simple, easy to understand format that allowed the children to empathise, think, and discuss questions raised in the book without becoming too upsetting for young minds.

The story is based around a mother explaining to her child that they needed to leave their home, it shows highlights the difficulties in leaving behind loved ones and friends through a child eye’s as well as the practicalities, and then their journey to find safety.

It is handled wonderfully by the author with direct simple language and questions poised to the reader to help think over how they may feel in that situation. 

The illustrations are beautiful and reflect the hardships and danger faced without overwhelming the reader, my older child (aged 8) responded to the illustrations with observations on how the little family in the book would feel based off drawings and my younger child (aged 6) on the practicalities raised in the questions posed as we went through the story. 

The book itself handles a difficult, tragic subject in a sensitive manner and can be understood on different levels opening a wider conversation but also on the basic level bringing humanity back into the word refugee. 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a way to answer little one’s question in a sensitive, simple, and empathetic manner.

Jane Cooper

Michael Rosen’s Sad Book - illustrated by Quentin Blake
 
Reading the first page of this wonderful and tragic book, I felt as though I had taken a punch to the gut.

​Below a grinning portrait of author Michael Rosen reads the words, ‘This is me being sad.’ I read this book for the first time whilst on sick leave with anxiety and depression. After months of plodding on and ‘putting on a face’, these words resonated.

Reading on, there is a rawness to the writing; understandable as driving the subject matter is the death of the author’s son, Eddie, from meningitis. This is not the Michael Rosen of ‘Bear Hunt’ fame and not at all what I expected, but it is awesome and terrible all at once. The book speaks simply and truthfully about the maelstrom of emotions that come with bereavement. Rosen’s language is accessible to kids without being patronising to adults.

Quentin Blake’s illustrations lean towards a slightly older audience than my children (2 and 5) and my youngest was a little disturbed by the haunting, monochromatic portrait depicting ‘What makes me most sad’. However, they really do bring the text to life and would make excellent prompts for a discussion on recognising emotions or the different forms sadness can take.

​This book should have a place in almost every home or classroom. In a one-to-one setting it could support children dealing with grief, loss or confusing emotions; in a classroom or other group setting, it could help introduce and build on emotional intelligence. And for adults, it serves as a reminder that ‘sad’ can encompass so many different thoughts and feelings; and that it’s ok to feel them.

​Jocelyn Skaaning

​Goldilocks (A Hashtag Cautionary Tale) by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross
 
Three bears, porridge - you may think you know the drill; but this is Goldilocks for the SoMe generation. Driven by the need for more and more ‘likes’, Goldilocks becomes increasingly reckless and ultimately, her need for online recognition becomes her undoing.

Although it’s written in rhyme and retells a familiar story, the text feels modern, helped in no small part by the quirky illustrations.

This is the third in Willis and Ross’s series promoting internet safety and while my two (aged 2 and 5) were a bit bemused by the references, this book would doubtless be a hit with slightly older children keen to navigate the online world.

Both writer and illustrator are award winning and this engaging book showcases their talents.

My one gripe is that the moral seemed to be more ‘watch what you post’ and less ‘breaking and entering is a crime’ - but nonetheless, this is an excellent starting point for the inevitable and necessary conversations about staying safe online. 

Jocelyn Skaaning

The Nervous Knight: A Story About Overcoming Worries and Anxiety by Anthony Lloyd Jones

This book is about a knight who is rarely seen without their shiny armour. A protection from anything bad that might happen: a fall, being taken away by a dragon, spilled ice cream (sound familiar?).




​It is a story of building friendships and overcoming anxieties through connecting with others. It is also a story which has inclusivity at its heart. The knight’s pronoun is ‘they’, and a whole spectrum of human beings is included in the book.  

This is a book that will allow parents, carers and trusted adults and their little ones to relate to the knight in their struggle to deal with anxiety, and how it can manifest in various physical ways.

The knight, alongside their knight friends, navigates through not being able to control ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING and that not knowing what’s going to happen next does not mean the worst thing will indeed happen.

It’s a story of friendship where the knight learns to trust others, and the book gives the reader strategies and ideas they can take forward in real life.
​
A brilliant book, with plenty of opportunities to lead discussions and questions for your own little ones and with resources at the end of the book to support further learning and reflection. 

The Devil You know: Stories of Human Cruelty and Compassion by Dr Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne 

I have a passionate aversion to violence and cruelty.  Before holding Adshead’s book in my hand I would look away, change the channel, on anything related to cruelty – be it news, educational or (so called) entertainment.

So, it more than raised eyebrows at home that I was embarking on this book.  But why?
I had come to know of Gwen Adshead’s through her passion for attachment and her belief that ‘no psychiatrist should be without a working knowledge of attachment theory’*.  I instinctively felt curious.  But the word ‘compassion’ in the title was the deal breaker – a sense I could be safe to explore what I fear.

Gwen Adshead is a Forensic Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist.  The book is built on the case studies of 11 of her patients from across Broadmoor, the prison system, and the community.  In it Adshead is as much someone who walks alongside her patients as they tell and make sense of their story, as she is their therapist.  It is readable – in a language sense, with the input of co-author Eileen Horne.

For Adshead, the study of attachments in relationships has been a major influence on her thinking about human behaviour, and in this book the thread of childhood attachments in relationships and their association with later violence weaves through some of the cases.

The book seeks that we open a window on compassion and close the one on condemnation.  Adshead is very conscious not to fall foul of being accused of being soft on perpetrators.  To think so is to miss the point.  She advocates that as a society we can and should learn from their stories, to promote measures that encourage pro-social attitudes and reduce childhood adversity and making a powerful case for mental health services well before the point of crisis. 

The book was worth the emotional investment. Not one to be galloped through but contemplated with compassion, on how such behaviours make us feel about the perpetrators, and what it is for us all to be human.

Maggie McManus
Development Manager, Scottish Attachment in Action
(All views my own)

*https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/security-of-mind-20-years-of-attachment-theory-and-its-relevance-to-psychiatry/F730F989CACEF1AB43581D309616547A

Riley the Brave is an endearing story which has a powerful message for children who have a history of trauma; bravery isn’t what you think. The message is charmingly delivered through Riley and his other animal friends. It is accompanied by an afterword which helps grown-ups to understand what might be going on with their ‘cubs’ too. 

We are first introduced to a cub called Riley. We learn that although he has lots of friends, he feels different to them- and we begin to discover all the reasons that Riley has had to be brave in the past.

​The story guides us through the way animals might need to do things to survive and feel safe, just like Riley did.  These may resonate with early life trauma experiences that children have in their past; however, by telling these scenarios through the animal characters, it helps to minimise any experiences of shame for the child. Indeed, we learn why these have actually been useful in the past! It strikes me that so many children we work with may not realise why they do the things they do, and this book will help to gently explore this. We then learn new ways that Riley is learning to be brave, and the story ends with a sense of acknowledgement for what he finds difficult, and also with a sense of hope.

The afterword discusses concepts for grown-ups, such as using the ‘upstairs or the downstairs brain’, safety blindness, and why children may continue to experience difficulties long after their circumstances have changed. It helps to prompt grown-ups about how to use the book safely; that perhaps you may only read a couple of pages to begin with, the importance of going slowly, and of recognising whether the child is having a “turtle” moment or a “tiger” moment. 

This will be a lovely addition in my therapy toolkit, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Emma Shedlow
Specialist Occupational Therapist

Help! My feelings Are Too Big!
​Making Sense of Yourself and the World After a Difficult Start in Life by K.L.Aspden
 
Help! My feelings Are Too Big! Making Sense of Yourself and the World After a Difficult Start in Life is an easily accessible book which talks directly to young people and not about them. 

Written from their perspective, it navigates around the topics of attachment in a sensitive manner, being careful not to allocate blame or fault. 

It feels as though the reader is taken by the hand and walked through the book providing clear and simple explanations as to why they may struggle with regulating their emotions and behaviour because of their early experiences.  The basics of attachment theory develops through two fictional case studies.  The comparative stories of a child who develops a secure attachment and a child who develops an insecure attachment and how this plots your emotional trajectory is a useful way to illustrate how young people develop their ability to regulate their emotions and behaviours.  This book provides an explanation as to why young people might feel the way they do, providing a potential ‘light bulb’ moment as they recognise and understand their own emotional development.

Starting with early experiences and moving onto school experiences, the author describes what lies behind behaviour and uses appropriate examples and effective illustrations to do this. The book contains a handy section about the brain with reference to specific parts and their functions, which complements the explanation of behaviour.  It talks about feelings and normalises big emotions. It goes on to helpfully suggests realistic and achievable steps to make relational links with adults who can help and tasks to help alter how you feel about yourself. 

This colourful and attractive book covers a lot but does not use scary language or labels; instead it provides explanations in a calm, non threatening, well paced, sensitive manner.  It presents the information in large text interjected with text boxes, bullet points and illustrations allowing the reader to work through the book easily or dip in and out.

This book offers a simplified, accessible explanation of how our early experiences and interactions with our caregivers influence and shape our emotional development, our self perception and ability to navigate and interact with the world around us appropriately, positively and successfully.
The message is comfortably and cleverly repetitive and does not offer a quick fix but instead the hopeful reality of life after a difficult start.

Katriona Hirst
Trainee Educational Psychologist
Clackmannanshire Educational Psychology Service

​“Gilly the Giraffe Self Esteem Activity Book" by Dr Karen Treisman.

Another attractive cover which invites you and children into the book.  Very accessible and comprehensive. The graphics instantly suggest this is a child-friendly resource.  As with Neon the Ninja, plenty of activity sheets which can be photocopied.
​
Exploring this resource I held in mind the children I primarily come across in my role as a Social Worker in a Family Placement Team.  Self-esteem is something which many of these children lack significantly as a result of their early experiences, poor attachment relationships and trauma.

There is a broad spectrum of strengths-based activities within the book – some more cognitive and also many creative and sensory focussed resources with which children affected by poor attachment and developmental trauma could more easily engage.

The story of Gilly the Giraffe explores the message that we are all unique, its ok to be different and it’s important to notice and celebrate the positive things about ourselves and to believe the positive feedback from others.

Many children and adults find it difficult to see the positives in themselves.   Children affected by developmental and relational trauma even more so.
The story is easy to follow and engage with.  It’s important to read the story to your child before embarking on any of the activities so that your child has an understanding of the message.

The structure of Gilly the Giraffe resource is the practically the same as that of Neon the Ninja in that it begins with the story, then provides some activities which are fun, some further,  more in depth activities, and the Adults Guide which has some additional activities.

It’s important to read through the book and familiarise yourself with the activities.  However, you shouldn’t commence using the activities until you have read through and understood the information, advice and guidance within the Adult Guide.

Once the story is familiar to your child the parent, carer or professional should explore their own relationship to praise and positive feedback.  Dr Triesman, in the Adult Guide section emphasises how important it is for the adult to have awareness of this prior to instigating any activities with their child.  This provides an understanding of expectations or bias.

The activities within the Gilly the Giraffe resource range from more cognitive exercises e.g. sentence completion and thinking about situations to more creative activities involving making things, drawing, collages and more sensory based strategies which asks the child to associate positives with smell, taste, touch, sound, sight.  I liked the activities which look at a childs’ various “parts” like the “Russian dolls” exercise and the positive puzzle person.  It brought to mind “parts language” developed by Holly van Gulden (Adoption Counsellor, Author and trainer/consultant), which begins with noticing positive parts and accepts that we also have some less positive parts AND that we are still the same person.
The activities provide strategies for noticing, appreciating and celebrating positives and storing up positive feelings and thoughts which the child is encouraged to remember when things are tricky e.g. another child saying mean things.

Some activities focus on encouraging success and optimism for the future and ask the child to explore their hopes and dreams.

As with Neon the Ninja, the activities and exercises are not prescriptive or exhaustive.  Tools and strategies are provided which can be adapted and added to depending on the needs of the individual child.

Time can be taken over how the resource is used.  The story can “stand alone” or can be used in conjunction with whatever activities are appropriate.
Dr Treisman makes it clear that the parent, carer, professional should know and be attuned to the child and have a trusting relationship with them prior to embarking on the activities so that the child feel safe to explore the issues through the tools in the book.   The child requires to be regulated and calm so they are in a “thinking and learning space”.  The Guide explains that issues of self-esteem and obstacles to accepting praise and positive feedback need to be assessed and understood for each child.

There is a helpful and comprehensive section in the Adult Guide which determines that the adult should explore their own position, experiences and biases.  There is clear explanation as to how this impacts on the adult’s capacity to support the child and enable them to model thinking and feelings.   There are helpful questions to ask yourself in order to explore this.
I liked how the Guide provides exploration of the reasons why children struggle with poor self-esteem and how negative self-esteem develops including poor early experiences, domestic violence, neglect, abuse and trauma.  It also suggests how we parent or are parented impact on our capacity to believe in ourselves including blaming, shaming, rejection, being ignored, positive affirmation and how these are internalised, creating a negative cycle.

There are lots of helpful strengths-based suggestions, tools and strategies for children, particularly those who find it difficult to hear praise and identify positives about themselves and believe the positive feedback they receive from others.

The guide explores barriers to positive self-esteem including cultural, familial and generational differences in how we view praise and positive feedback.
All in all, this resource is extremely comprehensive and accessible.  Some adults may find exploring their own history and position with regard to praise and positives quite challenging and may require some support to do this in a safe way.

There are clear challenges working with children affected by developmental and relational trauma, however Dr Treisman acknowledges this and provides additional strategies whilst emphasising the need to “know the child” and take it at the child’s pace.

The scope of this resource means you can dip into it and adapt the wide range activities which fit with the child you have in mind.

Many of the activities are fun and creative and provide opportunities for conversations, expanding these conversations and enhancing connection with the child.  

This resource would be helpful to use in schools, as with Gilly the Giraffe, with groups of children as well as individuals.  Of course it would be important to have knowledge of how each child managed praise and positive feedback.   It would be an effective resource to promote inclusion and diversity and provide opportunities for individual children to feel noticed, heard and valued.
I tried a couple of the activities out with my 11 year old daughter.   She found some of the sentence completion activities more/less fun and enjoyed some of the more visual, creative exercises. 

I would want to use this as a resource with families in a systemic way which would allow exploration of how the adults manage praise and support modelling to the children in the family.

A valuable and comprehensive resource which clearly explores the issues.  Some parents or carers may benefit from support to explore their own position prior to initiating activities with their child.

Shona Thain, Family Placement Social Worker
(and my 11 year old daughter, Jenna)

Neon the Ninja Activity book for Children who struggle with sleep and nightmares by Dr Karen Treisman”

When I was asked to take a look at this resource, I felt it would be really helpful to seek the views of a friend, Liz Innes (retired Home Link Worker) who is a Sleep Scotland counsellor, parent and grand-parent.  I also engaged the services of my 11 year old daughter, Jenna to “test drive” it.
​
So, instantly, the cover of the book suggests that children will engage with this colourful character Neon the Ninja.  The visuals throughout the book are excellent.   On a practical note, the activity sheets can be photocopied.  It would be great if they could be downloaded and printed off as required – or the book came with a spiral spine to make it easier to photocopy.   This is a very accessible and comprehensive book.
​
I have used a variety of resources in my role as a front line Social Worker including workbooks and activity sheets – some of which can be basic, a bit too cognitive, or open to interpretation.  Most children with developmental trauma, gaps in early development and poor capacity, find it difficult to engage in more cognitive activities.   It is primarily through this lens that I explored Neon the Ninja.

There are indeed some such cognitive activities within the book, however, there are also many sensory focussed resources with which children affected by poor attachment and developmental trauma could more easily engage.
What I particularly like about the book is it’s optimism and hopefulness – predicting success – that things will get better and the nightmares will go away.   I also liked the activities which “rescript” the nightmares – changing the narrative which accepts that a child has nightmares for a reason AND that the child can have some control over how their fears are played out.

I agree that, as Dr Treisman explains, the reasons behind or causes of nightmares will differ from child to child, and this needs to be explored carefully prior to embarking on using the tools and resources within the book.  However, there is a comprehensive and varied range of activities and options which can be tailored to suit individual children depending on age, developmental age, experiences, circumstances, trauma and capacity.
Giving a sense of agency to the child about how they can be instrumental in banishing their nightmares empowers the child, particularly when supported by a trusted, attuned adult.   I was curious about whether some (developmentally) younger children might be expecting Neon the Ninja to be “real” and to actually materialise before their eyes to help – that bit about not being able to separate fantasy and reality – so this may need a conversation at the start.   Parents and carers need to walk it their child’s shoes and be able to communicate at their child’s developmental level.  The idea of course is that the child themselves becomes their own nightmare ninja.

Parents and carers need to be supported to validate their child’s fears from wherever they originate.   Validation/acceptance is key in the first place, lots of empathy and curiosity and of course where appropriate – the playfulness (PACE – Dan Hughes). 

The activity book should be parent/carer/professional lead rather than the child themselves, working through the book.  The activities are useful in supporting parents and carers to connect to and to build closer, trusting and secure relationships providing the child with the feeling that those caring for them can keep them safe.   Where a child does not have this kind of relationship with their parent or carer, some work would require to be done initially or alongside to facilitate this eg Theraplay.

What the book does well is offer the tools to open up opportunities for conversations with children and supporting them to share their worries.  This in itself is an important process.

Many of the activities provide opportunities for conversations and expanding discussion.   Some in a more creative way by encouraging the child to draw, colour or make something which would help chase away the nightmares.   Again, this gives the child capacity to influence the outcome/change/story.   The activity in itself when done alongside a primary attachment figure/trusted adult creates connection, safety and security.

The book begins with the story of who Neon the Nightmare Ninja is and what he does.  The story provides a sense of empowerment to the child and reassurance that someone is there to help and that the nightmares can be conquered with the help of a trusted adult.  Neon is not along and teams up with his friends.   He has a treasure chest full of lots of creative tools, tricks and suggestions for how to conquer your nightmares in different ways.

Once children become familiar with the story it can be followed up with some fun activities to do with the child which gently and creatively introduces them to Neon and opens conversations about their worries and fears and provides that sense of empowerment.  There are some more relaxing and calming activities to help with the feelings and sensations evoked by the worries and fears which involve some more sensory and mindful resources and strategies.  So it’s a bit of a pick and mix – one size doesn’t fit all – so it’s important that you know your child.

The Guide for Adults in the last section of the book, is very thorough, clearly set out, encouraging and helpful.  It should be read thoroughly prior to embarking on any of the activities.  As I worked my way through the Activity section of the book I paid attention to the range of tools and activities, holding in mind children with developmental trauma and gaps in early attachment development – wondering which activities would be most helpful for them (the more sensory activities) and which they would find difficult to engage with (ie the more cognitive activities).   Dr Karen Treisman sets out very clearly throughout the book, what to hold in mind when using this resource – about which I was really appreciative.

I was extremely impressed with the Adult Guide section.   Dr Treisman goes to great lengths to confirm that “one size doesn’t fit all” and that each child is unique and comes with their own experiences.  She emphasises the need to know your child and know their nightmare(s) before you are able to assess which resources are most appropriate.   She helpfully suggests that any of the tools can be adapted or tailored as required and gives examples of what this could look like.  There is solid exploration and advice around the many issues which cause children to have nightmares and how the impact of nightmares themselves, and the fear of having the nightmares, materialises and affects the individual child.

Dr Treisman reminds those adults using the resource to ensure that the child is supported to experience safety and provides various strategies for creating this in terms of both physical and emotional safety and space.

I was pleased to see a separate section devoted specifically to children affected by relational and developmental trauma.   She explains the impact of i.e. abuse, neglect, bereavement, trauma, domestic violence, bullying.   She explores how memories and flashbacks can be triggered by a range of experiences particularly of a sensory nature ie smells, sounds, temperature, colours, time of day and so on, and discusses how children affected by early trauma may respond when in a state of fear ie flight, fight, freeze and become extremely dysregulated.

She re-iterates how, before addressing the child’s nightmares, the adults involved require to carry out a “whole-child, trauma-informed assessment”.   If found this very encouraging.

This resource provides a range of child-focussed, fun and friendly ways to explore their nightmares and find ways to share their anxieties, whilst providing the tools to empower them to believe they can do something, in the safety of their relationship with a trusted adult, to banish their nightmares. 
Helpful suggestions and ideas are provided as to how to encourage a child to engage, items and materials and methods which can be used in the activities including many which are sensory-based eg massage, music, scents and oils, snuggle toys and blankets, transitional objects.  Methods for rescripting, creating new narratives, changing the outcomes using visualisation, guided meditation etc are also explained giving clear circumstances in which these would be helpful.

Each section of the Adult Guide tells you which activities within the book are relevant.  Lastly, the Guide suggests how to measure success and keep a record so you know what works and how to proceed.  The Guide contains prompts and instructions for the adult to reflect, read over, and review what they have learned.

I really enjoyed exploring this resource.  It provides for individual children with a range of experiences and clearly explains when, why and how to use the activities/tools.  Although the book is aimed at children aged 5-10, it could be tailored for older children and teens,  particularly those functioning at a younger developmental age. 

Parents, carers and professionals would find this book a useful resource in helping with sleep related issues and nightmares.  It may be that some parents may require support to have the confidence to understand and use the resource.
​
The book, whilst focussed on supporting children to overcome their fears and deal with nightmares, I believe has a broader application in supporting children, whether affected or not by early experiences of trauma,  to manage fears and anxiety in general.

Both myself and my friend Liz (Sleep Scotland counsellor), were impressed with the depth of the resource and the scope of activities provided.  My daughter, Jenna, who always likes to help try out resources, really thought the book was fun and helpful.   So thanks to Liz and Jenna for their valuable contributions.
Get the book – its great!

Shona Thain, Family Placement Social Worker
In consultation with Liz Innes, Sleep Scotland Counsellor, and my 11 year old daughter, Jenna

​It’s not fair! by Jane Foulkes and Wendy Picken
 
Some children’s bereavement books are stories written to be read or listened to by the young people themselves.  Some are for adults who want to help through understanding how a death might be experienced by their children or those entrusted to them.   “It’s not fair!” could easily be read by either but all the way through reading it,  the sense is of an adult and a child sitting together turning the pages.  It’s easy to imagine adult and child, sitting together, leafing through the pictures of faces in the first part of the book.  The words and the simple images of different feelings offer potential for conversation and reflection as well as learning.  However, I wonder if most children will skip past the faces looking for the stories, but this is a book for more than one reading so I don’t suppose it really matters. 
​
There are two stories.  In the second part of the book, Frankie lives with her mum and her grandma and her dog Jason who we are told has “three good legs and one not as good as the other three and sometimes stuck out to the side when he was running”  When her mum dies, Frankie doesn’t want to play with her friends anymore and only Jason, the dog, remains as her companion and, when others don’t, she senses that he understands, “when Frankie didn’t want to talk Jason put his head on Frankie’s lap”. There is a lightness in the storytelling and a simplicity in the words but allow the reader to hear the voice and the thoughts of the bereaved child.  

In the third part of the book, Albie’s story tells of boy who is often cross and angry as he struggles to understand himself in this new world of bereavement following his dad’s death. Wrapped around both stories are the voices of the two adults in the stories, Frankie’s grandma and Albie’s teacher.  For the reader they model the words that will explain, without creating confusion, and comfort, without denying the reality of death or the hurt of separation. 

The two authors, Jane Foulkes and Wendy Picken are to be commended for the way in which they have managed to capture the voices and the thoughts of the children they have worked with and embed them in the narrative. The result is a very readable book full of insight and wisdom wrought from experience.

Rev. Liz Henderson
Richmond's Hope

Not Again, Little Owl by Vivien Norris

Not Again, Little Owl is a therapeutic story book specially written for children moving from short term foster care to a permanent placement, whether adoption or foster care.

The writer, Vivien Norris, is a clinical psychologist, music therapist and DDP practitioner who has many years of experience of therapeutic work with families and adoption.

She wrote the book because she found that the transition to adoption books available tended to have an adult agenda and focus only on the positives. She saw the need for a story which would acknowledge the child’s distress and help the adults to see and engage with it.
 
The book tells the story of Little Owl who is living with his Mummy, who doesn’t look after him properly. Rabbit decides this is not good enough and takes him to his Granny who can’t keep up with his energy. Fox and Hedgehog can’t manage to look after him either, but then Rabbit takes him to stay with Badger who understands his fears and helps work out his “muddles”. When Rabbit arrives again to take him to say with Squirrel who will look after him forever, Little Owl is upset and wary. However, Rabbit, Squirrel and Badger work together to help him move and at last Little Owl can begin to settle into his new home.
 
The book is nicely illustrated using children’s drawings and offers opportunities for conversations about the realities of the multiple transitions that children can experience before moving to an adoptive family.  While the sadness and loss associated with these moves is acknowledged in the story, there is also hope and understanding. This book would be an invaluable tool for social workers, foster carers and adopters who need to open up discussions with children about moves in a sensitive and non-threatening way.
 
Jane Steele
Trainer/Consultant
Adoption and Fostering Alliance (AFA) Scotland 
The Adoption and Fostering Alliance (AFA) Scotland is an independent, charitable organisation dedicated to Not Again, Little Owlimproving outcomes for children in care by providing support to all those working in the field of adoption, fostering and the care of looked after children.

The Meltdown kids: Sensory solutions to everyday situations
[Box Set of 7 books]
By Linda Plowden OT and Hugo Plowden, illustrations by Peter McNaney

Reviewed by Lucky Lucy, a sensory challenged 22 1/2  year old.

First up, this is the story of my school life in a box! I found school really really hard even though I went to a very good school and these books explain some of the reasons why. I picked up the books because the title was intriguing. I laughed at it at first and then got annoyed. The books described me, but if anybody had used the term ‘meltdown’ to describe my behaviour when I was growing up they would really have seen what a meltdown was. Meltdown implies a bit of a strop, like just not getting your own way, it doesn’t convey the level of distress involved for the kids in these stories. There are seven books in the box covering the seven days of the week- why not just call it The Sensory Seven?

Mayhem Monday is completely relatable. The wee girl Jody has to get up for school on a Monday morning and because her mum, dad and sister all hound her to get out of bed and get dressed for school she loses it with them all. That’s spot on. What people don’t get is that wearing scratchy or uncomfortable clothes feel so overwhelming it completely dominates your thinking so if somebody talks to you at the same time as your clothes are irritating you it feels like the voice is part of the irritation - you can’t shout at your clothes so the person talking to you gets a mouthful. I always took it out on my mum because she was the one getting me up in the morning and you don’t want to leave your cosy bed, which is your safe place.
​People don’t understand how stiff and uncomfortable school uniforms are. We had plastic bits in the shirt collars, we had to keep the top button closed and we had to wear a tie – seriously, that feels like you are hanging, especially when the shirts are new or freshly ironed. Then you get that weird static feeling from acrylic jumper like its clinging to your skin. It is so claustrophobic you can’t think of anything else. I used to open my top button so I could breathe and then I’d get a note. If you got three bad notes in a week you’d get a detention. Can you imagine what it feels like to do the one thing you know will help you feel better and then get punished for it? Schools need to understand that when you feel better you learn more.

Tricky Tuesday. Just reading this makes me feel what William is going through. I would have hated all that change. Having a new teacher coming up and touching me would instantly make me feel 100 times more alert. You just don’t come up behind somebody and touch them, especially if you are bigger, more powerful and a stranger! I need to see someone face on so I can size them up. The teacher also expected William to sit in the middle of the room.
Kids like William and me need to sit with a wall behind us or in a corner, so you can see everyone, nobody can come up behind you and you know where the door is if you have to leave quickly. Where you sit makes a big difference to how vigilant you need to be in class. When William goes into survival mode and climbs the tree, Mr Shah says he will climb up and get him because it is not safe up there. But William is up there because it feels a lot safer than being on the ground. The tree becomes William’s safe space, and it is never okay to go into somebody’s safe space? You always ask permission. William’s mum gets called to the school. Mum gives him some crunchy cheese and crackers to bring him back to his senses and water in his sports bottle. Brilliant! I mean who doesn’t love a flip-up lid? It is a perfectly disguised, socially acceptable baby bottle – an instant soother and you can have a wee chew on it if you need to. 

Wobbly Wednesday. In brief, Wobbly Wednesday is about PE. I hated PE so I identify with Ben daydreaming in goal. Like him, I couldn’t be expected to concentrate when all the action was down the other end of the pitch. Also, why stand up on your own when you can sit down, make daisy chains and look for lady bugs like I did?  Anyway, goal is too much pressure. Practising does make a difference and encouragement from your friends really makes you want to do well. Friends make all the difference to school. 
Of course PE is also about the uniform issue again. As if it’s not annoying enough to put your uniform on in the morning, you have just broken yourself into it when you have to take it off, put on a PE kit with shorts! Not even jogging bottoms! And that horrible plasticky elastic around your waist, yuck. Then, when you are all sweaty you have to put your uniform on again and get back to school work. Let me explain what that feels like. It’s like putting a tight tee shirt on back to front and then wriggly around inside it to get it turned round but it doesn’t move properly. It feels like that all day after PE. It should be mandatory that PE comes at the end of the day, so you can go home in your kit and change into something comfortable.

Terrible Thursday. Oh what? This is definitely a week in the life of Lucy! Seriously, this is genuinely my life. Katie goes to the supermarket with her aunt, who sends her to look for four things. I couldn’t do that. One thing at a time please! Also, sending Katie for things where there is a lot of choice is a non-starter. She needs a description, or even better, like in the book, pictures. Bright lights are off putting – they’re not a huge deal for me but I can see why they would bother Katie. Sucking the lolly is a great idea because it regulates you. As the shop was new to Katie, her aunt should have done a walk around with her first so it wasn’t so frightening.
When I was at school, I wouldn’t walk the corridors between classes on my own. I was lucky because my friends understood my quirks and there was always somebody to walk with me, which anchored me. In shops, my mum used to say if we ever got separated just stay in the shop and she would find me because she would never leave without me. That helped when we did get separated because you can very quickly feel forgotten. Busy places with lots of people still scare me.

Frightening Friday. The restaurant scene. Again, the seating issue comes up. Sit in a corner or against a wall and look into the face of someone you know. In this story, things get so heated in the restaurant that Jack ends up under the table and his step dad tries to pull him out by the ankle. NO, NO, NO! I am pulling my feet under me as I read this. You don’t ever grab anybody by the ankle or the wrist. I don’t know what it is about it but its like having someone’s hands round your neck – it is terrifying! I would have stabbed him with my fork!
On a more positive note scoping the restaurant when its quiet is a good idea, previewing the menu – we do that! It sounds silly to some people but a new menu is not a pleasant surprise it is the suspense of the unknown – check it out first. Even seeing what the food looks like is a good idea. I mean I love gravy, but there’s all different kinds of gravy and I don’t want it poured all over my food. Restaurants can be intimidating, its not like being at home where your mum can scrape off the weird bits or pick out the green things, which can be a bit embarrassing, especially when you’re 22, LOL.  It made a big difference to Jack that the adults tried to understand what was difficult for him and helped him out. It is always calming driving around in the car and remember people need time to feel comfortable in a new place. If you are rushed into settling, you never settle.

Scary Saturday. I don’t have a lot to say about this book except I identify with the clothes thing. Also, don’t force a child to join in at parties, let him do his own thing until he finds his way. Any big exciting events can make you feel a bit wobbly so prepare children for change and excitement and the sensory environment of a birthday party. The scene where Nathan stuffs his hands into Danny’s birthday cake could easily be read as jealousy but I think its more about Nathan thinking if all the attention is on Danny, they’ll forget about me. It really helps to include Nathan in the preparation as the excitement can be overwhelming.
When me and my sister had birthdays my grandma always used to give the other one an “unbirthday” card and an “unbirthday” present. Blowing up the balloons is also a good idea.
  
Stressful Sunday. Sunday’s are always stressful because it’s the day before going back to school. Homework doesn’t help. But here’s the thing parents, don’t point out the obvious – we know we should tell you sooner that we have homework but we don’t want to do it so if we don’t write it down or talk about it then we can pretend it isn’t real until of course we are forced to do it. But going on about it will make us want to tell you less.
I completely identify with Ryan. I don’t think anybody gets how hard homework is – it’s not laziness, it’s mental exhaustion. I felt bad about not doing homework but I just couldn’t. However hard work is in school it is 100 times harder at homework time – even when it’s things you can do reasonably well at school – it’s like doing all your schoolwork in a different language. Ryan’s parents doing his homework for him reminds me of my mum. The colour coding and strategies from the senco also help, but more in school than at home.

I like these books. They highlight how difficult everyday things are for children with sensory challenges through simple stories and clear examples. They flag up the problem, why it might have occurred and offer easy solutions. Children with sensory difficulties are not bad kids, we do our best – we want to go shopping, do PE and join in but it’s not that simple. It’s pointless saying, “calm down”. Believe me, if we could we would! Adults need to recognise that when children have ‘meltdowns’ there’s nothing wrong with the child, there is something wrong with the situation so just take a step back, breathe and reflect. I also like that the adults in the books ask for help. I think it’s easy for parents and teachers to feel overwhelmed when they don’t understand the situation. It’s not the parents’ fault, it’s not the child’s fault, it just is what it is. We all need to help each other out.

Lucky Lucy
A sensory challenged 22 1/2  year old

“A Therapeutic Treasure Deck of Sentence Completion and Feelings Cards" 
(Therapeutic Treasures Collection) 
by Dr Karen Treisman
 
When I first received the Therapeutic Treasure Deck and had a quick flick through the cards, I have to confess I felt a wee bit cautious. 
​On reflection,  I think perhaps this was because I was busy with other stuff at work and that I have seen many different versions of “feelings cards” over the 23 years I’ve been a Social Worker.  So decided I would proceed with my cautious part! 

I would also just say that I haven’t (so far) read Dr Treisman’s “Therapeutic Treasure Box” book.  However, I was reassured that it wasn’t necessary to do so in order to use the Deck.

So actually, all it took was to read through the instruction booklet accompanying the Deck.  I began to feel rather curious about the possibilities of the cards, replacing my previous caution.

I like the cards themselves – the feel of them and the illustrations - I found myself wondering about children who would experience the Deck as a means of helping them connect with and communicate their feelings and story.  I quickly found myself connecting the application of the cards to DDP/PACE and Theraplay.

As a Social Worker in a small Family Placement Team, my role involves supporting families to build connections and attachment relationships with the children they care for and parent.  And it is important we acknowledge that parenting and caring for children with developmental trauma and attachment difficulties is not easy, particularly when children are resistant to our attempts. 

I chose to use the Deck with a 10 year old child to see how I could use them to connect.  I was curious - would they like them?   What sense would they make of them?  Would using the cards help them feel safe enough to communicate their feelings, hopes, wishes and fears?  Would it help me as a worker understand what they were communicating?  Lots of questions.

This child was immediately curious about the cards.   She was able to engage with them and recognise many of the feelings images. The cards provided opportunities for conversations about the less usual ones.  Exploring the cards, the child was able to verbalise what was going on in the image eg how is the swan keeping the cygnets safe?  Why do they need to be safe?   What might make them “not safe”?  She was able to reflect using her own words about when she feels safe and not safe, and what makes her feel safe when she is frightened.

She appeared relaxed about being able to choose and talk about what was on the cards.  This then lead us into talking about eg what the animal was feeling which flowed into how and when the child might experience this emotion.  It was helpful to use the sentence completion cards alongside the feelings cards which helped to fill in gaps in the stories.  Whilst using the cards I was mindful of the PACE attitude – using Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy and, where appropriate, playfulness.

One of my colleagues used the cards with a 14yr old who finds it difficult to explore and talk about her feelings.  The worker found the cards helpful both for the young person, who was able to choose the cards she connected best with, and also for the worker in helping to notice also which cards the young person was avoiding.  The young person was able to check out with the worker what they (the worker) would feel/think/do or say.  The young person was also able to reflect on what her parent might feel.   There was exploration with the young person as to what they were experiencing/feeling eg a year ago, and what is different now – opening up further conversations and about what might happen in the future.   This young person finds it difficult to sustain conversations, so, with the cards, she felt she had some control over how long to spend on each and how much reflection was manageable for her.

The worker in this case felt that using the cards took the pressure off the young person in having to sustain an intense, one-to-one, conversation with another.   This particular young person asked if the worker could bring the cards back again.  The worker’s experience was that the cards opened the possibility of further explorations next time they meet.

The Therapeutic Treasure Deck lends itself to working with individuals, groups and families and it connects well with other approaches.  As I experienced, they can be used effectively alongside the attitude of PACE (Playfulness; Acceptance; Curiosity; Empathy).

The child or young person can have some control over which cards they wish to look at and talk about, without the pressure of having to answer direct questions.  They can control the pace, the choice of card, how much they wish to talk about, and how to connect with their own experiences, which is especially helpful for children with a limited emotional vocabulary.  I like the idea also of encouraging the child or young person to expand on what appears on the cards by drawing, painting, colouring and using other media like playdoh. 

Using the cards opens up all sorts of creative possibilities of how to use them to connect and communicate effectively with the child.  They can be tailored to the individual child or young person’s needs.  They help us to go at the child’s pace. 
​
Using the cards keeps conversations open and engaged, letting the child or young person know you are interested in them.  You are noticing what they find tricky and you are alongside them, acknowledging with them that some of this stuff is hard.  Using the cards provides the worker with a raft of information about the child without using checklists or questions – including why they might be avoiding particular cards.  It helps us as workers notice what might be under the surface - what’s behind a child’s fears and anxieties and presenting behaviours, and what might help the child to manage the things they find hard to manage. 

The Therapeutic Treasure Deck creates opportunities to help children connect and make sense of their own story and to begin be open to the possibility that the adults who care for them can help them and accept and love them.   I will be sharing the Deck with my colleagues in the Family Placement Team here as well as generally within Children’s Services.

In conclusion - I have moved from having a rather large cautious part to having developed a rather inspired part!   I am in fact a total convert!  I really like the Therapeutic Treasure Deck and will most definitely be using it with the children and families I support.  So my advice would be – pick them up and give it a go!

Shona Thain
Social Worker (Family Placement Team)
and Adoptive Parent

The Boy Who Built a Wall around Himself
by Ali Redford, illustrated by Kara Simpson.
 
This little book is intended for 4-9 year olds but carries a message for people of all ages.

Written by adoptive mother, Ali Redford, it tells the story of “Boy” who, finding “everything  scarily wrong”, builds a protective wall around himself because no one seems to  care.

Fortunately for Boy, there is help at hand in the form of “Someone Kind “who persists in engaging with him and helps to break the wall down.

The text of the book is perfectly complemented with illustrations by Kara Simpson who captures, in comic book format drawings, the isolation felt by Boy and the playful and imaginative attempts by Someone Kind to help him. The use of “Boy” and “Someone Kind”, instead of names, allows any child listening to the story to relate to it at their own level.

There are messages in this book for all those involved in the care of traumatised children.  Firstly, that helping children to heal from past experiences takes persistence and time, that for a child to give up their “wall” can be very scary for them and that the way forward is through a positive and consistent relationship with a secure adult.  Dan Hughes would approve of the way “Someone Kind engages with the child in a playful way!  Most importantly the book gives a message of hope that, in time, children can heal from past experiences.
​
Talking about “walls”, both physical and metaphorical, seems topical these days! There are lessons that can be drawn from this useful little book - that talking is better than silence and building bridges more helpful than building walls.  This book would offer encouragement to any child hearing Boy’s story and to parents / carers as well.  Although small in size it gives a big message!

Star rating ****
Heather Drysdale
(Systemic Psychotherapist/Adoption and Fostering Consultant)

​Review of  “The Great Big Book of Feelings” by Mary Hoffman and Ros Asquith
 
At first glance, this book is jam packed with child-like illustrations that are colourful and exciting to look at.  These show mixed emotions in picture form which I feel a young child would find easier to relate to than a sentence exploring a feeling.
​
Excitement, happiness, fear, boredom and cheekiness are some of the emotions explored in this book.  It moves through the different feeling visually with illustrations and minimalistic narrative.  However it provides ways to deal with feelings we don’t enjoy such as boredom or sadness, which is such a positive way a child could look at these feelings. 

​The use of questions throughout means a child could interact with you when reading, thus opening up to you; something that may be difficult for them, in a casual and less pressurising way.  Mary and Ros look at feelings in the family, school and out in the big bad world.

This book is full of wit and charm as well as sensitivity and I would encourage you to read this to young children to allow them to open up or to provide answers on how to cope with strong emotions and feelings in a calm way, with the book even containing a hide-and-seek game with a cat that will keep you and the child on your toes!
 
Reviewed by Anna Laidlaw

Review of My Big Shouting Day
Author-illustrator Rebecca Patterson.

I love this book.   I am sure there are several  reasons  as to why it was awarded the Roald Dahl Funny Prize… the illustrations and narrative are just two.  Anyone who has had the care of a child will identify with what looks like a rough day from beginning to end.  

Bella, the child in question (and star of the book, though the mother  is the real heroine  for her patience) starts her day off with finding her baby brother in her room, crawling on the floor licking her jewellery and that is the start of the shouting. Nothing…..absolutely nothing in her day goes well from here on in…..her egg, her shoes, the broken biscuit, not letting her friend be a princess, the itchy ballet outfit, lying on the pavement with her leg stuck up in the air are just some of the problems Bella, her mother and brother suffer throughout the day.  

It is a book that you can read with a child (preferably when they are not having a’ Bella Day’). The large shouty writing encourages the reader to provide the volume and tone of each thing Bella is complaining about. The wry looks of Mum and other bystanders are also noticeable. Eventually after the ‘too hot bath’ and ‘too minty toothpaste’ Bella eventually succumbs to being tired and gives in to her mum reading her favourite book to her.  Bella recognises she had had a big shouting day, and apologised to her Mummy (now, I know that may seem unbelievable  but stick with me on this!).  The heroine Mum says we all get those days and offers the hope of a better day tomorrow.  And like all good stories,  Bella has an absolutely fantastic day all day.  And they all lived happily ever after. 

Well maybe not really, but do give this book a go, I bet your little ones and big ones will enjoy it.  Reading this out loud, making funny voices and faces with story telling can be a great way of connecting and enjoying a bit of time with your child.  I think this could become a favourite for children and parents alike as it affords the opportunity for fun time together, and you can also slip in a few messages along the way.  Enjoy.

Rita Grant
Adoption Support Manager
St. Andrews Children’s Society.

THESE REVIEWS ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON THE SCOTTISH ADOPTION WEBSITE AND ARE REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION

The Huge Bag of Worries tells the story of Jenny and her struggles with her increasing number of worries. Big worries, small worries, worries about all manner of things. No matter what Jenny tries to do, the worries just won’t go away and worse still, they keep growing...

Thankfully, help is at hand, in the shape of a kindly neighbour, who knows a thing or two about tackling a worry. Her words of wisdom and range of strategies soon help Jenny to lighten her load and finish up with a smile on her face!

This is a lovely children’s book, which would appeal particularly to those in the early years of primary school. It is enhanced by lively and witty illustrations, which help bring the story to life. The depiction of worries as furry creatures living in a bag also offers great creative options for working with children in a similar vein, to conceptualise and manage their own personal worries. The story has a reassuring message and the strategies offered by the neighbour are widely transferable and could be used by children again and again.

As a story, it stands alone as enjoyable read. For children struggling with worries on a range of levels, it is a terrific resource for supporting them to understand and manage these.

This months review comes from Naomi Head, a Senior Practitioner in the Placement Team.

Review

The Bean Seed by Judith Bush & Robert Spottswood.

"The Bean Seed" by Judith Bush and Robert Spottswood, is a book I can relate to better than anything else I’ve read in my entire life.  
To those who haven’t yet read this book will think that sounds crazy – how can someone relate to a seed? 

If you take a moment to think about what a seed requires in order to grow into a strong, healthy plant, and compare it to the things a child needs to grow into a strong, healthy young adult, it is much the same thing, metaphorically speaking. 

Think of a seed that hasn’t been planted properly, with no soil and no water, left out in the sun, abused and neglected.  Now think of it not as a seed, but as a child.  Without blankets, food, water, nurture and care a child will do the same as the seed in this book.  They will start to believe that they are worthless.  That they don’t deserve the love and attention they so much desire, and that only way to survive is to take care of themselves.  They keep all their feelings inside so they don’t show weakness, they build walls so they don’t get hurt and they have developed the inability to trust that anyone else can or will look after them at this vulnerable time in their lives.

"The Bean Seed" is written in such a way that it is easy enough for a child to read with their parents as a bedtime story, or even on their own and while they may not understand it completely, they will relate with the little bean seed on some levels without really knowing it.  As the child matures and becomes more aware of the story and its meaning, it will be easier for them to comprehend as everything finally clicks in their mind.  The simplicity of it however does not mean that an adult will see it as too juvenile or think they will not be able to relate to a child's book.  It is set out with pictures and large text, and written in plain, easy to understand english, but the deeper metaphorical meaning of the book is what adults like myself will be able to take from the book, so don’t judge it by its cover. Sometimes because of the startling innocence and naivety of children’s books it allows the mind to understand things in a more profound way, there is no jargon or unnecessary complex words, just the truth written as if a child had written it themselves. 

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, be it an adult, teen or child. For me this book was an eye opener because I had never fully been able to understand and come to terms with my feelings, and I couldn’t figure out why I don’t trust other people, why I feel the need to do things by myself, why I keep my feelings to myself and why I build so many walls.  "The Bean Seed" explains it all.  Children do these things to protect themselves, so they don’t get hurt again. It allows the reader to feel like they are not alone, that other people out there have been through a similar experience and that although the feelings they have are natural, it is okay to let go once in a while and let other people take care of you, that it’s okay to trust people again and that it is safe to grow into a strong, beautiful, healthy person that is valued and respected by those who love them. 

A beautiful story and absolutely worth a read.