Does your child have difficulties adjusting to school or being away from you?
This is one of our favorite books:
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn and it may help your child ease his/her fears.
The book is "for any child who confronts a difficult situation, and for the child within each of us who sometimes needs reassurance." It's a great story and has super cute illustrations.
The Kissing Hand
School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary.
Mrs. Raccoon tells her son "I know a wonderful secret that will make your nights at school seem as warm and cozy as your days at home." She then kisses his palm, and Chester feels the kiss "rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart." Whenever he gets lonely, she advises him to press his hand to his cheek and "that very kiss will jump to your face and fill you with toasty warm thoughts."
The Verdict
We love, love, love this book and we have gifted it to many friends.
The story is perfect and the illustrations are beautiful. Every time we read the book, I take the hands of the girls in our hands, "spread their fingers" and "kiss their palms", "press their hands on their cheeks" and make fun kissing sounds.
Tip: Draw a little heart on your child's palm before he or she goes to school and tell your little one to look at his/her hand whenever he/she feels intimidated, scared or lost!
Book Facts
Reading time: 5 minutes.
Age Range: 3 - 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 3
Hardcover: 32 pages
ISBN-10: 1933718005
ISBN-13: 978-1933718002
Get your copy at one of Austin's awesome book stores (yay, go local!) or order it online.
Let us know if it works for you and your little one!