Playing Possum Picture Book (Perfect Back-to-School Book)

Each year, I have anxious kids enter my class and can instantly see that, because of their anxiety, they struggle to make friends. 

Often, these children don't even know how to go about it. 

Playing Possum, written and illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhart, is a must-have book for your classroom library that features two very anxious- and adorable- main characters.

I just discovered this on the NEW BOOK shelf at the library.  The cover's illustrations drew me in and I'm so happy I picked up the book.

then 

So...

then 

Another book that deals with anxiety is the magnificent After the Fall. Truly a wonderful book and one that ALL kids can identify with.

For some reason, many of my friends didn't see the anxiety connection.  That's a reminder that sometimes anxiety is so well hidden but it's there.  It may not manifest in obvious ways but in the case of Humpty, he wasn't able to enjoy the things he did in the past.  

It's such a lovely book.  Powerful.  Subtle.  

I simply cannot understand how this did not win the Caldecott Award.  It's that good.  

I created two packets in my store to support the book if interested. 

The first one is smaller (and at $2, cheaper.  BUT it's INCLUDED in the second packet so no need to purchase both if interested.)

Smaller one:

Larger Packet in store:

And I like to add that no one needs ANY materials to go along with a book.  I just make them for my own class from time to time and offer them in case an extension is needed for others as well.

Happy reading!

Don't Hug Doug Picture Book Part 2

A lot of people read my post on Don't Hug Doug and I just updated it with my newest TpT product that supports the book.  Then it dawned on me that I should probably write a new post. 

See the last post for a description of this wonderful new picture book.

From Amazon:

Doug doesn't like hugs. He thinks hugs are too squeezy, too squashy, too squooshy, too smooshy. He doesn't like hello hugs or goodbye hugs, game-winning home run hugs or dropped ice cream cone hugs, and he definitely doesn't like birthday hugs. He'd much rather give a high five--or a low five, a side five, a double five, or a spinny five. Yup, some people love hugs; other people don't. So how can you tell if someone likes hugs or not? There's only one way to find out: Ask! Because everybody gets to decide for themselves whether they want a hug or not.

Reviews:

“Don’t Hug Doug can make kids feel better about their own boundaries, and challenge them to understand the comfort of others. But really, it gives grown-ups something to consider, too.” —Boston Globe


“It’s great to see . . . boundaries [of consent and personal autonomy] talked about, and Don’t Hug Doug does it in a way that’s both reinforcing and fun to read.” —The A.V. Club


“A cheerful approach to basic consent . . . An excellent update on the golden rule: treat people how they want to be treated.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review


“A gently humorous picture book that kindly, effectively highlights the importance of asking others before initiating physical contact.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review


“Simple and effective in showing young viewers how to establish bodily autonomy . . . A great starting point for a conversation about boundaries and how to set them.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books


“A fun way to deliver the truth of different strokes for different folks.” —Booklist

Here's a prview of the packet: