LitPick Review
It’s the first day of kindergarten and both Mateo and Penny are really nervous. Mateo tells his mom that he feels like he has butterflies in his stomach. He further explains he feels excited, scared, and sad. Another child, Penny, tells her dad that she’s excited and worried because she thinks no one will like her. She further explains to him that she’s curious and nervous. Both parents reassure their child that it’s okay to be feeling all these mixed emotions on the first day of kindergarten.
When all the children arrive at school, they are greeted by Ms. Thomas, their teacher. She teaches the children that it’s okay to be nervous and excited. She then begins teaching them not only a breathing exercise to calm all of their nerves, but also what they need to learn in order to make new friends. The children’s lesson for that day is to find ways to make new friends with their fellow classmates.
Opinion:
I found this book to be a special one not only for the fact of teaching children that it’s okay to feel varying emotions for different situations, but it also teaches them how to do things such as deep breathing exercises to calm themselves down so they can deal with whatever situation they might be facing at that point. I think it’s a wonderful idea teaching young children safe and productive ways to calm themselves when they find they are experiencing emotions that might be making them feel anxious, sad, or even depressed at the moment.
This children’s book had such a strong message of teaching children how to take hold of their emotions and work through them, that I feel a book of this caliber would be beneficial not only for every child’s home library, but every school library should offer this book as well. It’s presented in a fun way that children will not only learn how to safely control their emotions, but it has colorful illustrations that will draw the reader in as they turn the pages.
Also included in this children’s book were invaluable resources that teachers and parents can use with their children. There was a sheet entitled “I Feel” which is a drawing of a full-bodied figure, and it was broken up into quadrants. Whatever the child is feeling, they can fill in the area in which they are feeling some emotions, such as the head where they are feeling a headache or their stomach in which they have butterflies. Then you finish filling in what you would like to happen next to make yourself feel better. There were also QR codes included in the book which you can download the “Take 5” and “Lazy 8” breathing techniques that were described in the story with different characters.
The illustrations provided by Margarita Fomenko were found on almost every page and were vibrantly colored to draw the readers in. They were done by digital and hand-painted mediums, which only enhanced the story being told. Ms. Fomenko aims at working closely with each author so they both collaborate together in telling the best story possible. She’s a self-taught artist who has made her dominant medium to be watercolors, but she has also expanded her tools to incorporate digital art.
Co-authors Amy Sage and Roni Nocon, the founders of ParentingEQ, aim to improve children’s mental health through cultivation of emotional intelligence (EQ). Both are school counselors and parents of young children. Their company aims to provide counselors and parents learning tools to help support mental health in children.
Overall, First Day Feels: I’m Going to Kindergarten is a book that will empower children to learn how to deal with their emotions immediately and take positive action to change a negative feeling into a positive one for them. It has a great storyline, wonderful characters to learn from, and fun illustrations that enhance the storyline. It comes highly recommend!
