Book Review: Wonderful Me

July 11, 2024 by Sarah White Leave a Comment

Before talking about anatomy and the changes kids go through in puberty, it’s great to have a base of information on what self-care looks like and what it means to be healthy. Wonderful Me: A First Guide to Taking Care of Yourself by Nancy Shapiro, walks kids through all the ways they can care for themselves and others.

The book generally covers aspects of the body, relationships and feelings, covering things like getting enough sleep, taking care of your body, getting exercise and learning how to check in with your body; being a good friend, establishing boundaries, balancing time alone and with others, asking for and offering help and learning to say no; communicating your feelings and using creative ways to express them and relaxing through balloon breathing.

Each topic is covered on a single page or a two-page spread, so it’s a pretty basic overview of these and other issues, but it’s a good place to start for early elementary school kids who are starting to learn to do things for themselves and express their needs more fluently than they could earlier in life.

The book includes illustrations by Vânia Sacramento showing kids with a range of skin tones and physical differences (there’s a child in a wheelchair and one with a hearing aid) so kids should be able to see themselves in the book and recognize that these are things they should be thinking about and doing in their own lives.

It doesn’t touch on anatomy or gender differences and doesn’t get into anything potentially scary (there are some mentions of talking to adults when things don’t feel right or someone asks you to do something you don’t want to do) and would be a fine book for use in a classroom (with an emphasis on being a good friend and being respectful of yourself and others) or at home if these are things you want to make sure your kids know about and do.

About the book: 48 pages, hardcover, published 2024 by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, suggested retail price $16.99

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Celebrating Mexican Independence Day

Lots of Americans seem to think that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, but that holiday actually falls on Sept. 16.

May 5 is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French in 1862. Independence Day marks the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain in 1810. That was the day of what’s known as El Grito de Dolores, or the cry of Dolores, for when the Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bells at his church in Dolores and declared that Mexico should be free from Spanish rule.

They would fight for their freedom until 1821 when they finally gained independence.

Fabulous Classroom has a little of the history and ideas for celebrating the holiday for all age groups. There’s also a link to a good video in that post about the real story of Mexican Independence Day.

Twinkl also has a good tops about the history and different activities, discussion ideas, crafts and foods that can be incorporated into lessons at school or used at home.

I also found a few pins that no longer link to a website but include good information on Mexican Independence Day, including some questions for students to answer based on the reading. You can find more printables and questions for kids from TX Homeschool Mama on Etsy (also available in Spanish).

You can find a lot more paid resources about Mexican Independence Day at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Mexican flag crafts are a fun option for celebrating Mexican Independence Day (though the current iteration of their flag has only been in use since 1968). Kids Activities Blog has a free Mexican flag printable and a few different ideas for decorating it including dot markers and torn tissue paper.

You can also find some great Mexican crafts at Red Ted Art. The post includes all sorts of Mexican inspired projects including Day of the Dead crafts, Frida Kahlo pinatas and upcycled musical instruments. I love the giant paper flowers they shared from Honestly WTF.

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