Children's Book for Dealing with Illness - Short and Effective
345971
Short book which effectively communicates the saga of a mother who underwent brain surgery and the adjustments made by her and her family.  The book illustrates the love of family in making a terrible physical condition liveable.  Its a perfect book for enabling children to understand and hopefully cope with such a situation.
4336096
I like the book to a point, and perhaps for a young child who is struggling to understand his/her language difficulties, it would be a good introduction.  The downside is that the problem in the book is solved so quickly that it doesn't ring true.  But again, as a way to help a child start to feel not so alone in his/her situation, this book may be just the right place to begin.  The cover and illustrations are beautiful.
4735821
'Rafi's Red Racing Car: Explaining Suicide and Grief to Young Children' by Louise Moir may seem to be an odd title to read for the holidays, but in many ways, it's exactly the kind of thing that could be very useful at this time of year.

Rafi the rabbit loves his toy red race car.  He especially loves racing it along with his father, until his father loses interest in the car and everything else.  One day, Rafi's father leaves the house and doesn't come back.  When Rafi's mom tells him that his father has committed suicide and won't be coming back, Rafi doesn't know how to handle his feelings.  He is angry with his friends and even wrecks his favorite toy.  Then he meets an adult who knows how to help him.

This is a story meant to help young children process the loss of a family member.  There is a helpful introduction as well and a multiple page section for adults helping children in this sort of situation.  The illustrations are a bit weak in my mind, but the content is solid and helpful.  Hopefully, you never have to buy a book like this for a child in your life, but it should be of great comfort to know these kind of resources exist.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
1808641
"It's Christmas, David!" is a really quick and easy book for children. Most of the book features two word sentences, so it would be a good book for kids who are just learning how to read. The premise is cute, it shows little David doing some naughty things at Christmas time (a time when children usually try to be on their best behavior). In one picture, David is seen peeking at his presents and in another, David is seen running out in the street without much on. Will David get coal in his stocking? You'll have to read the book to find out.

The book is cute but I didn't really care for the illustrations of David. Like, another review that I saw, I think David is slightly creepy. He's got sharp, wide spaced teeth and his fingers are really pointy. He kind of reminds me of the drawings from those "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" books that I read when I was a kid. If David had been drawn a bit cuter, it would have been a five star review book for me.
4944280
When their teacher Mrs. Giordano is sick and a new substitute teacher, Miss Pelly takes over, things are bound to go wrong.  A student writes in an epistolary poems format, explaining why Miss Pelly is doing things wrong and how she misses her teacher.

I read this cute picture book to the tots I volunteered with. They thought the book was funny. However, I am not sure they grasped the entire message of the book until we discussed the book. The book had an interesting way to encourage children to try new experiences because they might enjoy it. A good book especially for children who are nervous in trying new things.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**
4822552
I was fortunate enough to receive a free copy of the book "One Hand, Two Hands" from [...].  This is a short children's story that shows examples of how we use our hands every day.  At the end of the book it gives a cute prayer that goes "One hand, two hands, five fingers ten... God, thanks for my hands. Please, use them again."  I read this book to my three year old nephew and had him fold his hands to pray like the girl in the book did.  He enjoyed hearing this story and especially liked the illustrations which included a cute puppy and kitten.  I think this is a great book for young children to show them how much they can do with their hands even though they are little.  I also thought the rhyming in the book was educational and helped my nephew stay interested in hearing the story.  I would definitely recommend this book for parents to read to their children or Sunday school teachers to their students.
1145524
This book is truly a great book to have on the shelf if you have children.  With the help of this book, you can more effectively care for your children when they are sick.  Parents get a lot of advice but this is the place to go to for answers.
1690402
A touching story told in simple terms.  The format and flavor of this story of a family's relationship with a rescued dog is that of a personal diary.  It examines the mundane events of everyday living and how the lives of each individual family member is effected and enhanced when pets are added to the mix.  It also serves as a "life lesson" on coping with loss and death and the value of friends and acquaintances in helping us through difficult times.

Because of the elementary and uncomplicated writing style, this book is a very quick, easy read and would be an excellent choice for young readers.
1015732
This is a nice little book for children from 9-12 who are having difficulty expressing what they feel, or don't really understand their feelings. It is often difficult for children to express their feelings to parents, and sometimes reading this book together may be perfect for the entire family.

I purchased this book for my granddaughter who us 6, but realized reading the first book this was too advanced for her. She can express her feelings but has difficulty understanding what they are, and her parents sometimes have to play guessing games. I do find that I am able to talk with her because I do not represent any type of threat, and I always have her back. She trusts me, but I also know she won't give up her real inner secrets.

I did find that this book gave me hints in how to approach some situations by asking explicit questions that involve other people and giving her a few variations of answers. This is a good book for parents to read, and to formulate in their own minds about how to best approach their child when problems arise.  All in all, I can see this book would be valuable to the parents and child when they reach the age of 8 or 9. I will keep it handy until then.

Recommended. prisrob 08-19-15
4238250
My two and a half year old enjoys this book.  It was bought to help explain his hospital stays and I think it does help reassure them that Doctors make you better.
1070066
A lovely way to open up dialogue with children about feeling sad or anxious.  The text and illustrations will appeal to kids and gives them ways to recognise and name their feelings.  A simple yet powerful resource to teach kids that sad feelings are a normal part of life but they need not be permanent and there are ways of coping.  What a great contribution to the mental health of our children!
3735093
This wonderful children's book addresses death of a loved one in a simple caring manner. Beautifully done with lovely illustrations.
A book to embrace with your child in a time of need.
1211865
I chose this to see if it might have good information for my grandson who is heaving difficulties coping with the loss of his mom She is still hospitalized with Locked in Syndrome

This book starts out with good perspectives from a child's viewpoint. the problem is that it is too short. I wanted more
619364
Walter and Gretchen's dad raise goats. Little Tippy Tip can use his legs properly, so Dad won't be able to sell him. The children are worried about what will happen to him since they can't keep him on the farm. But a wonderful solution arises that helps everyone.

My children (7 & 5 yrs old) enjoyed the story, but said there weren't enough pictures. The text seems to be geared towards 2-3rd graders. The illustrations are more K-2nd. But both of my children enjoyed the book, so maybe this is more my thinking than theirs. The message was sweet and really hit home with us since both of my children have asthma.

I received this book free of charge from Goodreads in exchange for my honest review.
4890463
I would like to see this little story properly developed as a real book for children, with pictures. It's very short, maybe 6 pages? And written very simply - I think a child of ages 2 - 5 years would enjoy it.
1138304
Externalising worry is a really good way to work with younger children.  Rosemary Wells has created a lovely story with cute illustrations.  A nice book for the little worriers.
636301
This is a delightful book for children and adults...we look forward to more in the series!  This book would be great for kids who have sick loved ones or who may themselves be sick.