Book Description

Understanding Katie is a hands-on storybook written especially for children between the ages of 3-12 years of age who suffer from Selective Mutism and/or social phobia.

Selectively Mute/socially anxious children ‘cannot speak’ and feel afraid when they are in various social situations, such as school.This can be a very isolating feeling.Understanding Katie will help these children realize that they are not alone and there are others in this world who feel as they do.The goal for this book is to help Selectively Mute/socially anxious children identify with Katie’s feelings by reading about her trials and tribulations in ‘a day in the life of’ Katie. Children can color and draw on the illustrations as a means of expressing themselves and personalizing Katie. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Spirited Child?Shy Child?Difficult Child?Explosive Child?
In my search to find the answers to why my 6 year old middle child acted so differently than my other 4, and not receiving any answers, I began my own quest. I read books that explained temperments and it helped me understand my daughter. All of the books such as, "Raising your Spirited Child", "The Dificult Child", "The Strong Willed Child", "The Explosive Child" all had the same quality/traits that my daughter was exhibiting. However, it did not address her not speaking in certain situations. I believe all these books can be tied in with Selective Mutism / Communication Anxiety and other Childhood Anxieties. I don't know why my daughter has all these other symptoms such as low sensory, low frustration levels, etc., but after reading the forums at selectivemutism.org I have found that most of these children with SM have the same characteristics. Many have been misdiagnosed with ODD & Autism, among other things. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Quirky, sweet, and brilliantly illustrated, David Lucas' Halibut Jackson, has the makings of an instant classic. Parents and kids alike will love little Halibut with his penchant for wide brimmed hats and capes (ala Madeline) from the start--they just have to find him first.

Halibut Jackson is shy. He wants nothing more than to blend into the background--any background. In order to stay undercover, Halibut makes his own suits out of fabrics with convenient patterns: he saves the brick wall pattern for when he goes into town, the flower pattern for the park, and the book pattern for the library. So, when Queen invites Halibut to the Palace for a party, it is only natural for him to fashion an ornate and glittering suit to blend in with the Palace walls. Imagine his surprise when he realizes (too late) that it is a garden party!

Lucas balances the beautifully busy pages with simple, repetitive text complete with italics to help parents find the right tone: "Halibut Jackson was shy. Halibut Jackson didn't like to be noticed. Halibut Jackson liked to blend into the background." Parents will love Halibut Jackson for the art (each glorious spread is worthy of framing), and kids will not only identify with Halibut's shyness, but they'll be delighted to join the game of locating Halibut on each page. An artsy Where's Waldo for toddlers, Lucas' debut as author and illustrator has bright and playful watercolor illustrations that spill over the pages, encouraging kids to pore over every detail. With story and design elements reminiscent of Madeline and Curious George, Halibut Jackson promises to soon occupy happy children's bookshelves everywhere. Let's just hope that Lucas and Jackson are ready for all the attention. (Ages 4 to 9) --Daphne Durham ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Nice story, lots to look at in illustrations
This is a nice story and the illustrations are very lively and enjoyable to look at. The only problem I saw was that the story had a great build up and then seemed to end rather abruptly. A nice story nonetheless.

A delight to read
One of the most beautifully-presented books I have read - the coloured pictures have a great amount of detail; children will enjoy picking out the highly-camouflaged Halibut Jackson from the carefully chosen background. Halibut Jackson is shy and does not like to be noticed, and so he wears increasingly bizarre costumes to blend in with his surroundings. Until one day, he is noticed... A gentle, amusing story, which very young children will appreciate. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When class bully Irwin taunts Violet about her fat knees (they're not) ordeadly sewer gas smell (she doesn't), all she wants to do is shrink away. Thethought of being in the class play about the solar system makes her itch andscratch and twirl her hair. But when she's alone or with her best friend, Opal,Violet is a master performer, mimicking her classmates and retaliating againstIrwin with razor-sharp wit. Her chance for real-life revenge comes at lastduring the play, when she plays the offstage role of Lady Space. On openingnight, when Irwin, a.k.a. Mars, starts to spin out of control and forgets hislines, Violet saves the day (but not without a little of her savage humor).

Cari Best and Giselle Potter, whimsical creators of Three Cheers for Catherine theGreat!, bring every shy child's fantasy to life in this delightfullygratifying picture book. Potter's naive watercolors are unusual, but theycapture beautifully the shrinking and subsequent blooming of Violet as she findsher own voice, even if it is spoken from a "dark and mysterious place" offstage.(Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Shrinking Violet - More than just a wonderful story
A rare and delightful book about social anxiety disorder in childhood. Best aptly describes Violet's symptoms in an accurate and endearing way and communicates a basic truth of dealing with social anxiety - it gets better when you do the things you are afraid of. Beautifully illustrated and writen in an endearing style, children love the book and learn as they are giggling. As a psychologist, I've used this book in therapy with several children. It is a wonderful vehicle for helping them to understand and overcome their social and performance anxieties.

Who is the hidden actreas.
I think that this is a very interesting book. It shows how someone very shy and sometimes wants to just disappear gets over their fears. The main character is Violet. Violet always gets bullied around by Irwin who is always insulted her. One day Violet helped him out, to find out what happened read this book. I think that this is a very interesting book. It shows how someone very shy and sometimes wants to just disappear gets over their fears. The main character is Violet. Violet always gets bullied around by Irwin who is always insulted her. One day Violet helped him out, to find out what happened read this book.

Violet Saves the Day.....
For as long as Violet could remember, she didn't like to be watched. "I am allergic to attention." Being watched made her cheeks blush rhubarb red and when everyone stared, she itched and scratched and twirled her hair. Class bully, Irwin, made things even worse. He said she had fat knees, hairy arms and smelled liked deadly sewer gas and everyone stared. "I wish I could just shrink away," she thought. When her teacher, Mrs. Maxwell, announces that the class will put on a play about the solar system and everyone will have a part, poor Violet is terrified. But Mrs. Maxwell assures her that Lady Space is a mysterious voice, offstage, that is only heard and never seen. The class practices and works hard and Violet especially likes her part. During the performance, the play begins well, all the planets, stars and comets, asteroids, meteoroids and even the sun know their places and their lines. That is, except Irwin, and that's when Violet steps in and saves the day..... Cari Best and Giselle Potter have really captured the essence of the quiet, shy child and overt class bully in their charming picture book, Shrinking Violet. Ms Best's text is gentle and sympathetic and complemented by Ms Potter's expressive and detailed watercolor artwork and together they've written an empathetic and amusing story with a simple message that won't be lost on young readers. Perfect for kids 4-8, Shrinking Violet is a story told with great insight, humor and wisdom and youngsters will enjoy watching Violet "bloom" again and again, with each reading. ... Read more

Book Description

In these three stories Buster discovers his self-worth and self-confidence and makes friends along the way. Beginning readers will relate to Buster"s fears and successes and will relish in their very own triumph of completing a chapter book. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

A helpful model for shy kids?
This book tells the story of Sammy, a shy little boy whose dog runs away. To find Sparky, Sammy asks a number of grownups (people he would ordinarily be too shy to talk to) if they have seen his dog. This pays off, and Sammy finds his pet. The experience of approaching people and asking for help is meant to provide a successful model: The child hearing or reading the story is supposed to learn that talking to people doesn't have terrible consequences. The story and illustrations are appealing, and may be helpful to some shy children. There is also a brief essay to provide adults with information about shyness in children; it includes exercises parents can use. There is, however, one problem with the book: The fact is that talking to grownups DOES sometimes have terrible consequences for children. Kids who are trusting and approach adults are at increased risk of becoming victims of child molesters. (In fact, one tactic molesters use to lure children away is to ask them for help in finding a lost pet-- a situation very close to the one in the story.) There are, in other words, good reasons for children to be wary of adults. Parents will have to ask themselves whether their child's shyness is so severe that they need to intervene, or whether to be glad that the child is behaving in a way that may make him safer in a dangerous world. ... Read more

Book Description

Bobby canÍt imagine his life without Lucy, his squirmy beaglepuppy. But now sheÍs taken off on a wild chase after a fat orange cat. What willBobby do if his best friend is gone for good?

Lucy on the Loose is a sequel to Absolutely Lucy, a Spring 2000 Road to Readingtitle. ... Read more

Book Description

Charles is a mouse of few words. He doesn't like to talk, and he's perfectly happy playing by himself.But his parents are not happy. "It's time he played football or joined the ballet," says Charles's father. So off Charles goes to ballet class, where he curls up and pretends to be asleep. Football proves even less successful.Will anything bring Charles out of his shell?

"A nicely told fable as helpful for their parents as for shy children in need of respect."
-The New York Times Book Review
"Wells has a time-tested talent for taking a keenly felt emotion-in this case shyness-and exploring it in a manner that is reassuring to young listeners."
Booklist ... Read more

Reviews (3)

unfortunate name-calling in this book
We are tried and true Rosemary Wells fans, and are familiar with most of her books. I borrowed this one from the library, and was disappointed to find Charles' parents expressing their frustration through language like "another mother would have spanked you" for not saying thank you or goodbye (maybe Wells could have the mother model good manners rather than threatening punishment)and the father actually calling him names for not participating in football, which Dad forced on him. What a negative approach to modeling the behavior you want your child to adopt, never mind giving parents the idea that it's OK to treat a child in this manner. Needless to say, I edited it heavily when I read it, then returned it to the library post haste! Not one for my library!

shy is not so bad
This is a wonderful little book that makes the point that being shy is not such a terrible thing. Charles shows that he can do OK, even if he is shy. An implication is that Charles' parents may have been wrong to try to make Charles over, that maybe they should have recognized his special strengths instead of focusing on his "weak" points, so the book has a message for both children and parents.

I like this book better than "I Don't Know Why... I guess I'm Shy" (see my review there), because it has a more tolerant view of individual differences, doesn't encourage kids to approach adult strangers, and has really great, funny illustrations. (In fact, I'd love to have a print of Charles on his roller skates!)

A interesting look at a painfully shy mouse
Charles is not just a little shy, he is EXTREMELY shy, so shy he really doesn't seem to talk at all. As usual, Rosemary Wells is not afraid to have a hero who is quite out of the mainstream. Unlike in most of her books, Charles' parents are not very understanding of him, and seem to be at the point of being quite fed up with his shyness, which can make him seem impolite. However, people in the community seem to understand he's a special little mouse who will come out of his shell when he's ready. An unusual picture book which makes you think about how children who are not outgoing are treated. ... Read more

Book Description

Anna is more than shy. She is nearly invisible. At seven, terrified of school, Anna retreats within the walls of her family's enormous house, and builds a world of passageways and hidden rooms. As the years go by, people forget she ever existed. Then a mysterious note is thrust through a crack in the wall, and Anna must decide whether or not to come out of hiding. Patrice Kindl's astounding, inventive novel blends fantasy and reality -- and readers will not forget it."Thoroughly convincing and deeply moving. Whether we read the story as an allegory, an elaborate metaphor, even a bittersweet dream, the feelings and insights are precise and real, enhanced all the more by a wonderfully wry and rueful humor." -- Lloyd Alexander, Newbery Medal-winning author of The High King" Kindl creates an original world with authority and complete credibility. Her austere yet insistent, grave yet humorous style is perfect."-- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Wish there was a continuation!
One morning I woke up, started this book, and read it for an hour straight! It ws so good my eyes were zooming across the pages and I ended up reading half of the book! It's about a girl named Anna who loves her family but is really really shy. When she is seven,her mother wants her to go to school and she gets scared, so she builds secret passageways in the wall. She lives in there for seven years, baking treats, making outfits, and repairing things for her family but never letting them see her. One day she has to face the biggest decision of her life, stay in the walls when her family moves away, or come out and join her family.

Alex's Book Review
Patrice Kindl, author of "Owl in Love," produces yet another captivating story with her newest release, "The Woman in the Wall." The novel is written in first person, from the perspective of 14 year-old Anna Newland. Anna is not your typical teenage girl, though. Unlike her sisters, Andrea and Kirsty, who always seem to stand out, Anna wants just the opposite...to blend in. However, it's not people she wants to blend in with, so much as, the house. Or put more distinctively, the walls.
Anna lived in an old Queen Anne Victorian that was more like a mansion than a house and was built in the 1880's. She resided there with her mother and two sisters. Andrea was three years older than Anna and Kirsty was two years younger, so Anna was the middle child. Their father disappeared when Anna was only three. Anna, though extremely shy, had always been a very clever child and by the age of seven she had not only learned to sew clothes, but was also very handy with tools. She never wanted any recognition for the things she did, in fact, it was her desire to go through life completely unnoticed. It was because of this retiring disposition that when Ms. Newland insisted Anna go to school, she hid.
Anna created a small room out of plasterboard, lumber, and empty space that was actually just a room and passageway. The room was under the stairs and could only be entered through the basement. It had never been her intention to live there, just to have a secure hiding place but after an incident involving the psychologist from the school, Anna began coming out less and less. In fact, she built more and more secret passages. As time went on she only snuck out at night to get food. She had everything she needed within the walls and could go almost anywhere in the house, undetected. She went on this way for five years and though her mother protested, there was nothing she could do.
After a while, Andrea seemed to forget all about her but Ms. Newland and Kirsty continued to speak to her through the walls occasionally. Two days before her fourteenth birthday Anna received a love letter through a crack in the wall, written to "A" and signed, simply, "F". Anna decided to write back but it wasn't until he wrote his next note that she realized "F" had meant the letters to be for Andrea. Meanwhile Anna had begun to fall in love with this mystery man, so instead of telling him the truth, she went on pretending to be Andrea, always signing the letters with "A".
One day Anna overheard her mom talking to a man named Mr. Albright. It turned out that they were getting married and he wanted to move. Ms. Newland said she didn't want to move but couldn't tell him why. Being quite angry that her family had failed to mention this slight detail to her, Anna threw a huge fit and finally wore herself out. When she awoke she wasn't alone, someone else was in the wall with her. Two unexpected visitors bring startling news and Anna is faced with making a difficult decision: whether she should leave the sanctuary of the walls, the only home she's ever known or rejoin her family in the outside world once again.
A fairly fast-paced book, I greatly enjoyed the author's usage of literary elements. Kindl's straightforward approach sets a somewhat relaxing tone in that we can all relate, to a certain extent, to this desire for acceptance and understanding. Her interpretation of how the main character responds to situations is undeniably realistic and is only enhanced by the offbeat sense of humor of her character. Written so that you never know what to expect, "The Woman in the Wall," will hold your interest, through the climax, until very end.

Happy walls, a fortress steep and mighty
Millions of billions of trillions of gazillions of paperback kid books are produced every year. And of these, 99% are just awful. Really terribly written wish fulfillment stories in which the characters are poorly fleshed out, the prose is repugnant, and the book itself a minor (or major) disgrace to that author. Which is why 'The Woman In the Wall' is so wonderfully extraordinary. Patrice Kindl has taken a plot that millions of children would be able to identify with and has fleshed it out, given it new life and verve, and written a fiction story that I would have KILLED to read at the age of nine or ten. This is a wonderful and little acknowledged tale.

Anna is shy. Not the kind of shy where people blush when they're spoken to in public by strangers. More the kind of shy where people would rather build an entire world within their own home so as to avoid coming into contact with even their most beloved family members. When young Anna is told that she'll have to attend school soon, she uses her wits and cunning to fashion a living space for herself within the walls of her home. It is only when she finds a mysterious love letter pushed underneath one of the walls of her home that she must decide whether to make contact, or whether to continue to hide away.

The premise is fairly light. Any child that has ever felt a need to blend in with their surroundings will gravitate to such a tale. But Kindl has actually gone a step further. This is also a story of growing from childhood into adolescence. As Anna grows and learns, so too does her own body. She finds herself a young teenager with hormones just as raging as any other girl's. Furthermore, in the course of this relatively short story (my edition was a scant 185 pages) Anna learns not only to confront the world but also to deal with the disappearance of her own father. The book is an allegory for growing up and making the world notice you. It is also the tale of how, for many, childhood is not a time to revel in, but a time to avoid until you reach an age where things are just a little better. Kindl discusses all these topics AS WELL as working in a clever lunar moth metamorphosis metaphor as well. All this, and it's a fun read.

Someday I will write a list of the 100 children's books every human being should at least have a passing understanding of. 'The Woman In the Wall' will not be number one on that list. It will not be number two. It certainly won't make it into the top 20. But it will be on that list, and anyone who has ever felt the insanity of adolescence would do well to pick it up, read it through, and discuss it with their friends.

Great Book
This book was great! I really liked it and found it very interesting. It kept me wanting to read. It was about a girl who was very shy and and when she had to go to school she moved into her walls. She stayed in there for around 7 years and then she started getting love letters. After a few letters she was discovered and started living a normal teenage life. This is a fascinating book about friendship, identity, and love.

great book!
A wonderful book! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sad concept, but a very nice ending. I'd definately reccomend it!!! ... Read more

Book Description

When Sally moves into the house next door, Emma's mom thinks it will be easy for the two girls to become friends. But Emma is so shy, she can barely even read out loud in school. Will Emma ever make friends with her new neighbor?

Book Description

A wonderful book about making friends. In this first Mushtoons adventure, readers meet three little mushrooms, Edger, Hope, and Chip.

Chip has just moved with his family to a new part of the woods. While he is outside playing, Chip sees two little mushrooms playing next door. He wants to play with them but he doesn't know if they will like him...so he hides. When Edger and Hope head off on an adventure, Chip wants to go along, but he is afraid to ask. During the ensuing adventure, Chip finds out that sometimes all you need to do is speak up.

Parents will find this story offers a good opportunity to talk with their children about being shy and friendship. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Mushrooms Need Friends Too
"The Big Red Barn is a book that gives parents and teachers a good opportunity to talk with children about being shy and making friends, an important issue to our children today."

When Chip moves next door to a family with two little mushrooms, he decides he wants to make friends with the adventurous mushrooms. He first sees Hope (an adorable pink mushroom with white spots) playing on a swing that looks like it is made out of telephone wire. As Chip (a mushroom with blue and black stripes who wears big glasses) hides behind the blade of grass he feels afraid and doesn't want to ask if he can play too. So, he secretly follows Edger (a blue mushroom with white spots) and Hope as they head for the Big Red Barn.

"Hope and Edger hopped until they came to the stream. Edger said, 'The Big Red Barn is on the other side of the stream. Let's go check it out.' Hope wasn't sure she wanted to go but Edger hopped on and Hope followed him."

When they get to the barn, they find a caterpillar caught in a huge spider web. When the spider appears, Chip grabs a rope and knocks the spider off the ledge.

The picture of the caterpillar (who becomes the mushroom's pet), three mushrooms, blue flowers and bright green grass is worth seeing. The mushrooms are adorable and the colors are beautiful.

Christa & Jeff Galer's story works well with the computer modeled illustrations. Purple Crayon Studios is a computer animation company.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

Energetically illustrated with a distinctive animation style
Creatively written by Christa Galer and energetically illustrated with a distinctive animation style by Jeffrey Galer, The Big Red Barn the debut title for Purple Crayon Studios (a computer animation and graphics design company) in their "mushtoons", a family oriented children's cartoon book series who's main characters are animated mushroom children. Specifically, The Big Red Barn is an entertaining and "kid pleasing" story about making friends. A family value based story that children preschool through first grade will find immensely entertaining, The Big Red Barn will prove a very welcome addition to any family, school, or community library picture book collection. ... Read more

Book Description

Tina Esparza loves everything about soccer, but especially the fact that it is a team sport where no none player is in the spotlight.Imagine her surprise when the coach asks her to train as the team's goalkeeper!Will Tina be able to overcome her shyness and accept a position that puts her in the center of attention? ... Read more

Book Description

For a shy girl like Julie, there couldn't be anything worse than the very first day at a brand new school. What if the kids don't like her? What if no one ever talks to her at all? Julie's big sister has some advice -- and a plan -- that just might help. But will Julie be too scared to even give it a try?

Little souls will cheer for Julie and celebrate her transformation as a terrible day turns into a wonderful one in this tender story of overcoming limitations.And the funny, surprise ending will help readers realize that no matter how bad a situation seems, a happy solution is always close at hand.

Reviews (1)

Great story!
My kids and I loved this story. Actually, we love all the Chicken Soup for Little Souls stories, and this one is no exception! ... Read more

Book Description

Toddlers feel emotions just as older children and adults do. Their frustrations at their inability to say how they feel can be eased with these delightful rhymes that teach words and actions, sung to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands." This book will give the youngest children a head start on the road to healthy expression of feelings. Also see, When You're HAPPY . . ., When You're MAD . . ., When You're SILLY . . ., all part of the series Feelings for Little Children. ... Read more

Book Description

When Zucchini was six weeks old, the rodent man put him' in a cage of his own, separating him from his mother. It was time for him to be independent.

But Zucchini feels trapped in his cage. There must be more to life, thinks the tiny ferret. He soon discovers he doesn't belong in a cage -- he belongs out in the open! So he decides to escape. He heads for the prairies, where his kind of animal belongs. It's not an easy journey, but Zucchini makes a good start, first taking the IRT subway, then switching to the crosstown bus. But a slight detour brings Zucchini to the Ninety-second Street ASPCA and another cage. Here, Zucchini meets Billy.

Billy loves animals, and he loves Zucchini especially. But Billy is shy, much too shy to show Zucchini how much he loves him. A misunderstanding makes Zucchini feel rejected and hurt. He runs away again and continues his trek toward the prairies.

Hopping a taxicab and an airplane, and hiking along the highway, Zucchini comes closer and closer to that place where he belongs. At last he must make a decision. The same courage that helped Zucchini to follow his dream of finding the prairies helps him in making this most important choice.

1986 Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Minnesota)
1986-87 Land of Enchantment Children's Book Award (New Mexico) ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A great review from the kids in Miss Vasell's class
The book, Zucchini, was an excellent book. Zucchini had a great personality. We liked the author's message that you should follow your dreams and have courage. We especially liked it when Miss Vasell cried at the ending. We also liked that Zucchini was very honest and went back and let out Arnold the Crow. This is a great book for reading group.

Zucchini
A wonderful book. Even though some of the facts are wrong about ferrets in this book eg. fer's don't eat carrots,grain and don't befriend birds. Its is a wonderful story and it shows great character.

The second book (Zucchini out west) is more fact true and is more suspensful. A real page turner. It has a surprising twist at the end, and leaves the whole story open for a trio of Zucchini books ( three). I hope there is one, becuase i hate to make up my mind what would happen next.

Erin

A Wonderful Book For All Ages!
I first read this book when I was about ten years old. Its sense of longing for love and belonging not just in Zucchini, but in the boy Billy as well makes this book a perfect companion for all of us who have at one time or another been a lonely, scared child in a big scary world. The bond between the ferret and the boy is quite touching, and will warm even the coldest heart.

The only problem with this book is Ms. Dana's misinformation about ferret diet (try feeding a ferret a carrot!), but that by no means takes away from the quality of this story. This is one of those rare children's books that will find its way into your heart as well.

A touching story about a ferret and self discovery
While Barbara Dana gets a large number of ferret facts wrong in this book, Zucchini is still a delightful tale of two soul mates: Zucchini the ferret and Billy, a boy. Both Billy and Zucchini are searching for something in their lives, but neither knew it was each other. The sequel, Zucchini Out West, is a better book both from the ferret fact and character development standpoints.

A Great Book!
I liked this book because I like animals, especially ferrets. A boy named Billy was asked one day to be in a animal class. The teacher asked the class to do a oral report on a animal. The teacher thought Billy would pick Zucchini, the ferret, but he didn't. When Zucchini heard this he ran away. If you read this book you will find out if Billy finds Zucchini and trys to keep him. ... Read more

Book Description

"Veena and I'd been best friends for five years. Sure, I knew other kids, but I'd never hung out with anyone else. I've never been good at going up to kids and starting conversations. Or phoning them. What would I say?... Veena, she understood me. She liked me, quiet and all. And she never freaked out about my spiders." ... Read more

Book Description

Written to help children overcome their shyness, this picture book teaches children that God is stronger than our fears.

Did you know that many people feel shy at times—even grown ups! You're not alone! The good news is that you can make friends without changing who you are. You can take charge of those lonely feelings. Read I Have a Friend to find out about the One who chose your personality especially for you.

Book Description

In Tiny Tiger the focus is on the long vowel sound of the letter i.Tiny Tiger takes some advice from a wise Lion and learns not to be so shy!32 pages, 6 1/2 x 9, Audio Cassette: Side A: Read-Along, Side B: Listening, Ages 3-7 ... Read more

Book Description

Publishers Weekly praised this book's unique approach that shyness is okay, and not a handicap. Award-winning author Barbara Bottner and talented illustrator Alexander Stadler have created a reticent but precocious heroine who will delight children and parents alike. Vibrant, moving watercolors enhance this story about Charlene, a 6-year-old who is intimidated by many things: school, friendships, and parties. But this shy girl has a secret-she loves to make noise. Readers will relate to her challenges and be captivated by the bright, child-friendly artwork. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

We love this book!
Finally, a good kids book illustrating the beauty and sensitivity in shy children.Not only is it perseptive, but it's whimiscal and fun.Even our 2-year-old enjoys this book.The pictures are interesting and provide lots to talk about.Charlene is a cool chick once you get to know her.

I Loved this book!
A wonderful story for the shy person within all of us.Very, very sweet!
Think of all the money you'll save on future therapy if you read this book to your child. ... Read more

Book Description

Dear Michelle,

I think a girl in my class is nice. She's smart and good at sports. She has strawberry-blond hair and blue eyes. And she has a big, friendly family.

How can I get her to think I'm nice too? I'm too shy to talk to her.

Sincerely,
Shy Guy