THE LAW OF BIRTHDAYS
A Story About Choice
By: Brenna Jeanneret
Illustrated by: Marina Kondra
Published: May 1, 2023
Publisher: Cardinal Rule Press
Fiction
When our kids were little we had family birthday parties. We served a themed cake, sometimes made and decorated by me and other times purchased, and ice cream. One year, our son Bennett asked if he could have something different than cake for his party. I was shocked because apparently, I didn’t realize that he didn’t like cake all that much. I had never asked him. After that birthday, we served brownies or cookies, and one year, we had an ice cream truck stop by instead of serving cake. I learned that it was important to give our kids a choice.
In this story, the King is celebrating his birthday and at his party, everyone must eat cake. It’s the law. So, as all the guests are served cake, a girl says, “No thanks”. Everyone stops and looks at the girl. The guards don’t know what to do. It’s the law to eat cake on the King’s birthday. When she won’t change her mind, she is sent to see the King.
With an emphasis on the power of personal choice, using our voice, and that it is okay to have different opinions, THE LAW OF BIRTHDAYS reminds kids that it’s ok to make decisions that are best for you. Kids may have allergies or dislike a certain food. They may prefer reading under a tree to playing kickball at recess. They might want to wear the blue shirt today instead of the red shirt. It’s all about having their say. Having choices helps kids feel like they have some say in the decisions being made around them. This helps them learn decision-making skills later in life when it seems every day is full of all kinds of choices and decisions.
THE LAW OF BIRTHDAYS turns a challenging topic into a fun story that is relatable and understandable for kids. With illustrations that show the shocked reactions of the guards and king and the determination of the girl, kids will find this story fun. It will open up an opportunity for a discussion about choices and decisions as well. The end of the book includes a discussion about the six main factors when making food choices at mealtime. After the King decrees that guests can choose to have cake or not at his birthday party, the girl makes a decision that will surprise everyone and it reminds all of us that sometimes we might want to change our mind.
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Brenna Jeanneret is a kidlit author. THE LAW OF BIRTHDAYS is her debut picture book. Check out her website, HERE.
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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.
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Posted Under birthday, Book Review, Brenna Jeanneret, Children's books, fiction, Marina Kondra