Growing up is hard to do....

Hi!

Welcome back to the site that aims to please the reader in you….Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  So…how ya doin’?  Stupendous I hope….and if not, at least better than yesterday because really, you guys were in such a state of utter lurking!  No really…what’s with the lack of comments, hmm?  Don’t you want to turn my frown upside down?

Okay, okay…just kidding!

Though I do really love hearing from you guys, I totally understand.  Life gets in the way sometimes and just the fact that you swing by to even see little ole me is enough…but for children, that’s just one of many life lessons that can be hard to understand.  Good thing that in today’s world there are quite a few of books taking aim at making growing up just a bit easier…for both kids AND parents.  Take today’s featured titles from author Rebecca Perlman Coniglio for example…(and yes, I said titles as in plural, more than one, because this is a 2 for 1 post….you’ll see why in a moment)…

Lily’s Little Life Lessons, Book 1:

Lucky Lily and Lily’s Lucky Daddy

… introduces Lily and the gratitude she feels for the people in her life who are her greatest teachers. The second part…teaches a lesson, and in book one the lesson revolves around Lily’s lucky daddy.

Lily is this precocious, adorable little brown haired girl who loves bows in her hair, the color blue (today at least), laughing and learning….life in general.  She knows even at her young age that being loved and sharing that love with others are two of the best things life has to offer.  She shows that she is lucky not because of a four leaf clover or the oodles of presents she gets, but because she is well loved; a simple statement, yes….but oh-how-true. 

Part two goes on to explain how her Daddy is lucky, not in business or adventures but in his family life.  He has a little girl whom he adores and who adores him right back.  The special moments they share like shooting stars and playing ball only serve to strengthen their bond….but Lily is no fool.  She makes mention of the fact that sometimes Mommy and Daddy “yell and hiss” but that she knows they love each other and how lucky she is to have them.  It’s not often a children’s book makes mention of parents fighting (without turning into something much BIGGER) but the way it’s handled here makes it easier for little ones to digest the fact that even the most loving of parents are going to disagree from time to time; that doesn’t change how they feel about each other or them.  Moving on to book two….

Lily’s Little Life Lessons, Book 2:

The Luckiest Girl and Lily’s Lesson

… shares the daily fun she has with her Nama, and how Lily and Nama make her Mommy feel like the luckiest girl. Lily learns a lesson about divorce in the second part of the book as she hears why her Nama and Papa don’t live together.

I have to say had I known about this storybook a few weeks back, I ran into a customer that would have benefited from part one of this lesson.  They were looking for a book that explains the grandparent’s role in a grandchild’s life with regards to the boundaries set by the mother.  How do they all coincide without stepping on each other’s toes?  The first story here explains the loving relationship between the ladies in Lily’s life and the special time she gets to spend with her grandmother.  Lily’s mom has a chance to reflect on the time they share as well and sums it up rather nicely showing that not all families have that opportunity to see three generations together and to be grateful for their blessings. 

In part two, we’re shown another touchy subject…divorce.  The way the story is shared (through Lily’s grandparents marriage) is slightly removed from Lily’s here-and-now so it makes it less traumatic for both her and young readers while still getting to the heart of the matter.  It wasn’t a fun time to have to go through but in the end, things worked out for the better…and Lily’s mom even managed to keep both parents as a part of her life just as she’ll do for Lily.  You’ve gotta admit, this story was shared as much for children struggling with this concept as it was the parents going through it.  Making a go of it (even after the split) for the sake of the children if at all possible is definitely commendable. 

In short, two lovely books, many wonderful lessons, and a family that you’ll come to love.  Lily’s childish prose along with the lovely illustrations will keep young ones glued to the pages while adults get a helping hand in delivering messages that are somewhat of a gray area in the parenting handbook. 

Review copies received courtesy of Lynn at Smith Publicity, Inc.  (THANKS!)  For more information, please visit their official site.  To discover more of Lily’s world as created by author Rebecca Perlman Coniglio, LCSW, be sure to ‘like’ them on Facebook.  Both titles were released from Mascot Books, September 2011 and are available for the little ones in your life at any of these retailers…

Amazon    |     Barnes and Noble     |     Mascot Books

Until next time…happy reading!