A group of reviewers and I had a fantastic opportunity to read two books about self-esteem, boosting confidence and instilling assertiveness. The first being, “The Mouse, Monster and Me” and the second, “Liking Myself“. Both books are written by Dr. Pat Palmer, illustrated by Betty L. Shondeck and published by Uplift Press.
I shall kick off this book blog tour with my review on “The Mouse, the Monster and Me“. Basically, this book is about helping young people (from 8years and up) understand their personalities and various behaviors and how it can affect other people or be mirrored by them. It is written, in a very informal handwriting style, with lots of doodles/drawings which keeps the young reader interested and motivated to continue reading.
Let me first warn you that this is not the type of book you can read through in one sitting. Whether your child is the mouse, the monster or both, it’s worthwhile to sit with them and spend the time reading this book together. No matter how long the reading takes, as I think this forges an important message to them. That you care about their feelings and that you, the parent want to work with them to manage it. It has various exercises and activities that you or your child can work with, that can help build their self-esteem, and assert themselves appropriately. I myself had some time to self-explore my type of personality and had some moments where I asked myself why I made some pretty bad/negative choices and became a really bad monster. 
No, not a proud moment.
From what I can safely assume is that not many kids will realise that every single one of us, have the same type of feelings. Especially those of sadness, hurt, vengefulness and anger.
This is not a book you get and leave it on the bookshelf. This is a book you get, and put it where your family gathers most. The kitchen. The dining table. The bedroom. Everywhere but the bookshelf. Where your child can come home, share their thoughts on how their day went, and grab the book easily and work out their feelings if they’re finding it hard to manage it by themselves. This book was very relevant for my 8 year old, as he is quite a ‘mouse’ and needs to improve on his assertiveness and learn how to speak out without being too bossy.
The second book, “Liking Myself” is clearly about building self-esteem. Just like the first book, it’s informally written, with drawings/doodles, making it more interesting for the younger reader (between ages 5-9). Younger kids who are growing to be more aware of their feelings and themselves. My 4 year old son, has often display feelings of anger, and would storm off angrily whenever his little brother takes his toys. But because he is also a pre-schooler, his teacher has been teaching him how to explain his feelings out. Unfortunately, saying that to a 2 year old does not work. 
So, he comes around to tell me how he feels, and thanks to this book, both of us, can pick out his ‘feeling face’ and we play the “letting go” game. The activities and games in the book, are simple and easy for younger kids to engage with.
About Dr. Pat Palmer :
As a therapist for 20 years, Dr. Pat Palmer taught children and adults how to solve problems and to like themselves. Her books, popular in the United States and Japan, have helped many people learn to feel better about themselves and take responsibility for getting what they want in life.
Pat is the author of four delightful books that teach young people to have a good relationship with themselves. All of her books are rated five stars by Amazon.com readers!
Pat’s two most popular books, Liking Myself and The Mouse, the Monster, and Me, have just been re-released after ten years out of print!
Well, these group of reviewers had a wonderful opportunity to review them, and these are snippets of their reviews :
The Mom Maven : What makes these books even more exciting for me is they cover a subject that is seldom covered, at least in a positive way in our schools and even in many homes-social skills, emotional stability and self-esteem.These books have sold over a half a million copies world wide in 6 different languages before going out of print in the US in 2000. Now they are back in print and available online from Uplift Press.
5 Vinez Monkeys : Overall, I am quite impressed with both books. I loved the fun and unique print and doodles throughout both of the books. It made it seem like each book was a “letter” written just to my child. These books are the prefect addition to our home library, and I’m certain we’ll be reading them often in the years to come.
Lisa Reviews : Both these books are pretty cute. The kids learn without realizing it, and they definitely teach some great skills.
Creative Writings 101 : As a parent, I recommend these books wholeheartedly. In our busy lives, sometimes we don’t always get the chance to sit down and talk with our children as much as we’d like to. These books are informative, interesting, and can be a helpful tool in helping our children grow up and define who they are as a person.
Sassy Frazz : This book can be used as a great resource to build a conversation with your child about their feelings, and the feelings of others. I think this book is another great book to work through with your child.
This Southern Girls’ Nest : Both of these books are wonderfully illustrated in the fact that I think even the kids who don’t like to read would be able to pick it up and start reading. The games that are associated in getting the kids involved with their feelings is great!
Buy It! : Both books are extremely useful and helpful when it comes to feelings and behavior. Highly recommended for parents, teachers, care support givers, therapists, etc. These books are available for sale here and digital copies are available as well. Uplift Press Inc. also has other books available : The Winning Family and On the Wings of Self-Esteem. Sign up for their free positive parenting newsletter delivered via email!
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There is nothing as special as giving a gift to someone personalized with their own name. I love finding gifts to give the special little ones in my life that are special and “just for them”. I was very excited when I was recently given the opportunity to review the new Hooray My Name Activity DVD. This great, personalized and interactive DVD provides children with 8 fun and educational activities that teach letters, numbers, colors, animals, and much more. My children were both thrilled to receive copies of the Hooray My Name DVD with their own names on them. Although the DVD’s are geared for a slightly younger audience, my children thoroughly enjoyed the fact that “Jack and Rocco” knew their names and were talking directly to them. The activities on the Hooray My Name Activity DVD are cute and entertaining with bright colors, clear graphics and fun educational activities. Including a child’s personal name is a great way to keep their attention and the great concept of these DVD’s combines fun and learning and is sure to please.At Hooray My Name, we recognized that with all the amazing assortment of educational content available to children, one thing was missing when it came to television and DVD entertainment – a personalized connection to the content. Inspired by many of our friends children, our soon to be born daughter and our adopted Boxer, Rocco, we set out to create a series of activities that not only provided entertaining educational content, but would also engage each child on a more personal level by incorporating their name. Considering a child’s first form of identity is established through their name, it’s our feeling, at Hooray My Name, that by combining educational content while incorporating a child’s name, children are much more likely to be engaged in the material presented.
parenting resources to discover what is available.
Father’s Day is fast approaching and while lists of top gift ideas for Dad are always helpful, sometimes practical gifts can be just what he really wants. Why not present the greatest father in the world with the gift of reading? Books also make the perfect alternative to the same old, tired Father’s Day gifts such as ties, mugs, and colognes.
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