I was a teacher for over 30 years and I came across many McFidgetbottoms. Sally Ann McFidgetbottom just can't sit still. She has to move, all - the - time. Unfortunately, sometimes she crashes into kids and sometimes her teacher gets frustrated. One day when her teacher is at her wits end, she sends Sally Ann to see the principal. The principal is a kindred spirit. He was also a McFidgetbottom when he was young and he learned some strategies along the way. He shares them with Sally Ann so she will be able to control her wiggles. This book is written in rhyme and has a great cadence to read aloud. The illustrations are also fun. They were bright, full of action and colour. They added much to the story showing showing emotion and real kids of different cultures. As a teacher I need to say it is not that simple to calm those fidgets and parents with McFidgetbottoms also know this. It is important not only to teach, share and model those strategies, but also to practise them regularly and use self talk to identify feelings when those fidgets take over. This is a good story to begin with and good fun as well.

I have my very own Sally Ann McFidgetbottom in my house. He tries hard but he just has to wiggle.

That's Sally Ann McFidgetbottom. She is on the move. She's not a bad kid, she just can't sit still. She's got life to live and things to see. Unfortunately, that's not conducive to classroom life and her teacher, having had enough, sends her to the principal's office.

I love the principal. He gets Sally Ann. When he was a kid, he also had to fidget so instead of criticism, he provides kinship and then tools for how to manage her wiggles. They work! She finds herself able to be still. Victory.

Written in rhyme, it's inspirational and fun, hitting most of the right notes throughout although I wondered if the end was a bit over the heads of the intended age group. Loads of room for discussion around it, though, and it gives hope to a parent, like me, with a busy kid that not only will someone see them for they are but that there's hope for them to find peace and stillness.

The illustrator has to be mentioned. The artistry is cute, bright and fun. Turning each page made me smile. Also, seeing a classroom of kids of different color matched my kids' own experience and the care to show diversity was evident.

Thank you to net galley and the publishers for an electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an adorable kids book - my daughter loved the story. Cute illustrations and story line. Would recommend

I found this book very cute and I thought it taught children a good lesson. We all know there's kids out there that fidgets around and can't sit still so it's nice to see a book that same towards them and not shaming them for bad behavior. I thought the lesson at the end could really help and maybe even help them realize that there's nothing wrong with them that's bad but it's just naturally how their body is.

I read this to my fidget bottomed five year old—so far I have not seen less fidgeting, but it was a cute, humorous story that we enjoyed anyway. Beautiful pictures. If you ever wondered what a fidget looks like, you will want to read this book. I would recommend for pre-K, K and 1st grade. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc ebook in exchange for an honest review.

If you don't know a Sally Ann McFidgetbottom, then you might be her! Ths book was very cute and completely relateble to readers who have a difficult time not fidgeting and staying put!

A cute little story for children who fidget. Provides a tip to help them control their impulses. Let's children see they aren't alone when they can't keep still.

This book could be very helpful for those fidgety kids out there, as well as those who aren't fidgety but can better understand their friend. I love that it teaches a mindfulness tactic in a fun way and helps explain to the children that their fidgets do not define them.

Love this! A book that perfectly describes my boys who are stimulation-seekers through and through. Fidgets don't define them - they are simply part of them. Yes, please. More books about ADD/ADHD!

I wanted to like this, but it honestly just felt a bit too long. I lost interest long before the book was over.

Sally Ann loves life and engages in it with her whole being. She is always on the move and has a hard time composing herself and being still. Unfortunately her uncontrolled fidgeting is disruptive to those around her and deemed as bad behaviour by most. Her spontaneous exuberance is sometimes inexcusable.

Her teacher has had enough and sends Sally Ann off the principal's office for a time out... a break from her futile efforts to quiet the child and perhaps hope that Principal Gil can give Sally Ann some wise advice as to how to settle herself down. Fortunately Principal Gil totally identifies with the distraught little girl because when he was younger he acted very much like her. Because of the similarities he is able to give her some strategies to help her calm down those fidgets inside of her.

Sally Ann truly wants to behave properly so she whole-heartedly adheres to his advice and it works! Peace is attainable for this rambunctious, audacious little girl.

This rhyming book has spectacular animated illustrations that enrich the message of the text. They are full of emotion and oftentimes humour. The message is inspiring and encouraging to any parent, caregiver or educator who needs help to compose a fidgety child. I highly recommend this book.

4 Stars

Sally Ann is a super active girl who just cannot sit still. She is always on the go and causes trouble for her classmates and teachers. When the teacher can’t take it any longer, she sends Sally to the Principal’s office.
The Principal tells her that he was the same as a child and teaches her a trick to control the fidgets in her mind that makes her restless. Sally follows his advice of deep breathing and meditation to calm the fidgets and find some peace in being still.
The story is written in rhyming verse. Sometimes it’s a hit, and sometimes it feels a bit odd. However, the illustrations are beautiful and vibrant. They are so full of life and laughter that I couldn’t help but chuckle at the scenes. The illustrator and the author also took care of diversity, which made the book even cute.
My only grouse is the long text on the last two pages. Will kids sit through it? I’m not sure. They sure will love the rest of it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Clavis Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#ClavisPublishing #NetGalley

Sally Ann fidgets, seemingly more than the average kid. When her teacher reaches the end of her rope, will the principal help Sally Ann with her problem?

The author spends a lot of time on Sally Ann and her disruptive nature, mimicking what it must be like in real life to be around a child with an overexuberance to everything. The solution to her fidgeting is genius and one that gives a great message to both children and their parents. The artwork is fitting and the artist does a good job conveying the story. Overall, Sally Ann McFidgetbottom is a cute story that covers an issue that many parents and educators must deal with on a daily basis. I would recommend this book for either a home library or classroom one and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Disclaimer: NetGalley and Clavis Publishing gave me the opportunity to read an Advanced Copy of Sally Ann McFidgetbottom. The decision to read and review this children's book was entirely my own.

Every teacher has had a child or two over the years who just can’t keep still. I liked that it’s from Sally Ann’s perspective and shows her behavior as something she’s not in total control of rather than things she’s doing to cause trouble. In the end, she gets sent to the Principle’s office where he teachers her how to start regaining control of her body through deep breathing.

"A funny book about a girl who can't keep still."

This is the perfect book for elementary school teachers, especially those who teach kindergarten. Sally Ann is a character all kids can identify with. Howard Pearlstein does a lovely job crafting a story all about a fidgety little girl who learns how to stay still. Principal Gil is the kind of educator we need more of in the world, showing great patient with a little girl that many see as a trouble kid. Renate Vermeulen-Potter's illustrations are gorgeous and the perfect accompaniment to this story. This is definitely a book I plan on purchasing and using in my own classroom once it comes out. Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Clavis Publishing Inc. for the opportunity to read "Sally Ann McFidgetbottom" in exchange for my honest review.

Sally cannot stay still. While others sit, she stands on one foot, one hand, jumps up and down. Every day the teacher repeats 'please keep still'. Kids walk in a straight line, Sally will skate, slide, glide, smash, crash, whirl and twirl her way along. At story time she flip flops, rolling from wall to wall. At snack time she does jumping jacks. During arts & crafts she sends the glitter flying, sticks are scattered as she donkey kicks. At lunch she hides in her sweater, spills milk and the lunch lady falls. Of course, nap time means it's time to juggle. In the library she is a bird in flight, in computer lab she's a crab, during PE she gallops like a horse.

Even while standing in the corner she manages to twiddle and bounce, knocking over books, scaring the teacher, who in the process hits her head and Matt the rat escapes his cage, ending up in the goldfish tank. With the room in a shambles Sally is sent to the principal's office.

The principal has some great advice about calming the fidgets. He tells Sally to close her eyes, take 3 deep breaths, 3 deep sighs and imagine sending the fidget to sleep in it's bed.

It was fine but I don’t like that only one solution was given. It was fine for showing that it’s okay to fidget as well as that it can be disruptive

Sally Ann McFidgetbottom is a girl who just can’t sit still. She fidgets around the clock and it stresses both her classmates and teacher out. With the help of the school principal Sally learns how to calm her fidgeting down.

I loved the illustrations in this story. They were bright, colorful and detailed. The rhyming was great and there wasn’t too much text on each page - until the very end. The last few pages were full text, which might be a bit distracting for young kids (especially ones who can’t sit still). The message of this story is helpful and would definitely recommend this to anyone with a child who fidgets a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Sally is a girl who can’t sit still and keeps getting in trouble at school. Her principal helps give her tools to control her fidgets. This is an important story because fidgeting is prevalent in schools these days and kids shouldn’t’ think they are bad because of it. This boom gives children tools to help!

A very competent book, that to my mind successfully hides the fact it's just an issue book for the very young behind a good gloss of entertainment. The title character is a hyperactive fidget, forever on the move, making everyone regret her inclusion in their class at school. But when the worst comes to the worst (involving a frightened teacher and a rat in with the goldfish) she has to have a lesson from the principal in how to put a lid on things. So while this suggests one good way to ease off on being hyper, even the most lackadaisical, sloth-like reader could enjoy this for the drama of the story – and for the way it's all presented in very well done rhyming couplets. I'll raise the issue of, yet not properly object to, the way the story is in short spurts across wide double-page spreads, leaving the core lesson to conclude as a slightly unfriendly-seeming splodge of text, twice, for I think this is a book that very much achieves what it sets out to do, which means an easy four and a half stars.