Friday, April 27, 2018

"Bye Bye Pesky Fly" - a bookwrap








"Parents struggle to deal with some of the most annoying toddler traits, like whining and complaining. Most often, they emanate from a sense of frustration. Those moments are opportunities for parents to teach their kids problem solving skills. Today’s world does little to encourage frustration tolerance; parents need all the help they can get in teaching their young ones how to handle such unwanted emotions."
 - Lysa Mullady




Unwrapping




"Bye Bye Pesky Fly" 
authored by Lisa Mullady
Illustrated by Janet McDonnell



Age Range:  4-8
Grade Level: 1-2
Publisher:  Magination Press
1 edition (May 14, 2018) 



Editorial Review



“This was a very cute book that looks at friendships in a whole new way. While the friendship of these two unlikely characters is not traditional however they still learn to find friendship through their adversity. This is a great book that was a ton of fun. My daughter and I loved the new way of looking at friendships and it opened us up to talking about a lot of issues in regards to the friendships she has as well!” —Dad of Divas



Some great illustrations for you to enjoy






































About the book




The adorable character Pig is basking in the goodness of his day thinking about "sunshine, rainbows, and the feel of cool mud on a hot summer day."  Then his "calm, peaceful, and happy" mood is suddenly interrupted by a pesky, buzzing fly and his thoughts turn sour and prickly and he is not happy any more.  Oh my!  

Pig feels angry and mad and he tries different ways to restore that feeling of peace and tranquility that has just disappeared.  He goes through many scenarios of regaining self-control like: should he yell loudly at that pesky fly and tell him to get lost?, should he run away and isolate himself?, maybe he should give that pesky fly a good swat with a fly-swatter... noooo... " Never. Pig was a pig of peace." None of those things would solve his dilemma. What then does Pig decide to do to restore his happiness and compose?  

This book helps children deal with the feeling of frustration and anger.  It helps a child understand the power of remaining calm when something or someone is annoying them.  They need to understand that you can't stop frustrating things from happening in your life but you can control your reaction to the annoying incidents. 

This book will help children develop compassion and think through choices as how to react such as:

*identify the feeling that is bothering you 
*develop coping skills to solve the problem
*get up and get moving... pig used physical activity (a walk), deep breathing, whistling a tune to cope
*how to cool down - try counting slowly to 10, do some pushups, go jogging, squeeze a ball or some type of stress-reliever, drink some water, listen to some quiet music while you figure out what to do.

If the annoyance leads to bullying or inappropriate behaviour towards you or is presistent then you must seek an adult's help and always, always do the right thing. 

The illustrations are strong enough to stand on their own.  Children will love Pig and certainly will identify with his feelings towards the pesky fly.  The book is inspirational and the dark feeling of frustration is woven perfectly through this relatable story.  I highly recommend this book and would suggest it be included in classrooms and school libraries.  



Storywraps Rating - 5 HUGS!!!!!







Meet the author









Lysa Mullady has been an elementary school counselor for 28 years. She is known for her engaging, enthusiastic, and creative counseling style. Her passion is to teach her students to be problem solvers by talking it out and thinking good things. Janet McDonnell is an illustrator and author living in the calm outskirts of the windy city with her husband and two sons, where she loves drawing peaceful pigs and friendly flies. In addition to illustrating books, magazines, and puzzles, Janet has both taught and written for children from preschool to high school ages.












About the illustrator





 Janet McDonnell is an illustrator and author living in the calm outskirts of the windy city with her husband, two sons, and their black and white dog, Buster. Her whimsical illustrations combine traditional media and digital magic. In addition to illustrating books, magazines, and puzzles, Janet has both taught and written for children from preschool to high school ages. She also enjoys being an Illustrator Coordinator for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her clients include Magination Press, Highlights, Zondervan, and Pearson. 

Janet is also on the board of Play for Peace, an organization bringing together children, youth and organizations from communities in conflict, using cooperative play to create laughter, compassion and peace. 













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