WooHoo For Sensitive Somjay

Especially written for parents, grandparents and teachers to read aloud to their sensitive child; although, I’m sure all children will love it . The goal of this book is to teach you and your sensitive child a coping mechanism to use when your child begins to become overwhelmed. The main character is a little chimpanzee named Somjay. Somjay is very sensitive and sometimes struggles with this. The teacher in this book(a creature-teacher) is an owl who will teach you a simple breathing technique. When feelings get too big, we can’t think clearly. When we stop and focus in on our breathing, our frontal lobe, or the reasoning part of our brain, has an opportunity to reboot, thus allowing us to think more rationally. This works exceptionally well for adults, too. Please practice this skill with your child at random times of the day so that when they begin to become agitated, they will remember to use it. At the end of the book you will find some interesting bits of information about chimpanzees and owls to share with your child. I have also included some discussion questions. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

"Love the brilliant illustrations! Teaching kids how to slow down their thoughts and fears with breathing is a wonderful tool. I highly recommend this book."

Related activities and resources

• WooHoo For You Coloring Page
• Ms. Bardy Teaches a Breathing Technique coloring sheet
• Feelings Word Search

Feel Your Feelings Feel Them All

This picture book describes a young boy struggling with feeling his feelings. A little guru shows up to teach the boy ways to cope with feeling some challenging emotions. Included are a grounding technique for anxiety, several opportunities for using the breath to cope, and distraction activities for when your child feels overwhelmed by the intensity of an emotion. The author has taught many people to sit with their feelings, process them, then let them go. She is a mental health therapist who has worked with children and adults for over 30 years.