By: Deborah Fannie Miller
Illustrated by: Danielle Bazinet
Published: September 7, 2013
Publisher: Frontenac House
Fiction
Do you ever have a hard time shutting down at the end of the day? I know I have a hard time turning my brain off if I have a big day the next day or if I am worried or anxious about something. Well, kids can have the same difficulties with getting ready for bedtime. It can be hard to turn off our brains and stop thinking about what’s going to happen the next day or worrying about something that happened to us that day. It’s normal.
In JUGGLING THE JITTERS, Jacob is tucked into bed and then starts thinking about the birthday party he is attending the next day. He gets excited thinking about the gift he is bringing, the friends that will be there, and if there will be balloons? Soon he is wide awake and there are jitters starting to pop up in his bedroom.
Next, rather than be excited about the party, he is starting to worry about the what-ifs. What if his friend doesn’t like his present? What if he won’t make new friends? Then those worries turn into more jitters and there is no way Jacob can go to sleep now.
His dad hears all the commotion upstairs and comes in to help calm Jacob with a nice, warm hug and a fun way to get rid of those pesky jitters. Soon, Jacob is ready to drift off to dreamland with no more jitters in his room.
I think this is such a great way for kids to understand those anxious, nervous, and excited feelings that can overwhelm them or make them act jumpy and jittery. Jacob’s feelings will be relatable to kids and reading this book will open up a conversation about how to handle those jittery feelings whether they are at bedtime or any time of day.
DEBORAH FANNIE MILLER is a widely published poet and children’s book author with three books of poetry published, and poems in two anthologies. Her work has been heard on CBC Radio, the Women’s Television Network, and Vision TV. She lives in Calgary, Alberta. Check out her website, HERE.
DANIELLE BAZINET was born and raised in Alberta. She is a recent graduate of the prestigious Alberta College of Art + Design illustration program.
To purchase a copy of JUGGLING THE JITTERS, click the photo below:
All summer I’ll be sharing books for kids of all ages on topics that will interest them or offer them a new interest to learn about. Most of the time these will be nonfiction books, but sometimes we can learn how to be better people or learn empathy from fictional stories too.
So, I hope you will stay tuned to these posts. They will always have Summer Read-to-Learn in the title and in the tags. There will be books from some of my favorite publishers like National Geographic, plus, some from independent publishers. See them all, HERE.
Other posts you might like:
Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under anxiety, bedtime, Book Review, Children's books, Danielle Bazinet, Deborah Fannie Miller, fiction, Summer Read-to-Learn