Cover Image: A Smile in Your Pocket

A Smile in Your Pocket

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Member Reviews

A smile in Your Pocket by Jarrod Zayas is a book about the changing world. The changing world is about change and helping children cope with change. It is difficult for all of us to cope with change like we went through with the pandemic but this book helps children cope with those changes through brightly colored pictures and the facts that the people are not as friendly as they used to be.

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It warmed my heart; I enjoyed the story, and the illustrations are adorable. A Smile in Your Pocket combines sweet art and rhythmic text to tell a charming story about combating negative emotions and the power of positivity.

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This was a very sweet story and I enjoyed reading it to my son and daughter. My son is 4 and loved the smiles in your pocket idea for the adults in his life. The layout of the kindle e book was pretty atrocious and there is a line missing when the teacher is speaking but as a book this will be a fantastic read for all kids!

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This book is about coping with change or new routines by teaching the importance of combatting negative thoughts or emotions with positivity and the support of a trusted adult. The rhyming text is soothing and the story is simple and easy to follow. The message is clear early on, that it is ok to feel uncomfortable and anxious but that there are also things that you can do and support adults can give to help you feel better. I recommend this book to parents and teachers of children, especially those who are anxious, in the age 3-8 range. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

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This put a huge smile on my face :)
Being kind to each other can be as simple as a smile.
It did/does get tricky with covid and having certain rules to follow etc..
But that doesn't mean we cannot express joy in other ways.
Changes are not easy for anyone, not just kids.. adults too.
Was so good a read as I am undergoing changes too and this helped.

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Miles is not having a happy day; everything is wrong and Miles is anxious, confused, and stressed. Thankfully, a teacher sees his struggle, communicates with him, relates to his experience, and is able to share a way to acknowledge but lift his spirits!

This book was lovely. It was written along with a child therapist, and at the end of the book there's a page on children and coping with change which I'm sure will be beneficial to parents who may not have already had the opportunity to grow their knowledge on the subject.

I'd definitely recommend this to parents and teachers alike!

*I obtained a copy of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Adorable story with a very relatable message for children of all ages. The wording and pictures (especially the cute rhyming) made me smile. I would absolutely read to my class about how sometimes change can be necessary but it doesn’t always mean it has to be scary.

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I think this one may have just missed its prime time.

It would been great in 2020 or even 2021, but at this point it feels dated and not as applicable.

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A great children's book on dealing with change. Particularly with current event.
A boy is having a gloomy day no one seems their usual happy self. Even school is different with new rules. He is sad. His teacher finds a way to cheer him up and he decides to spread cheer on to those around him.
I suggest this book to those who have or work with children to help them make adjustments. Especially with the Corona virus pandemic.

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A Smile in Your Pocket follows Miles throughout his day as he deals with change and noticing other peoples emotions. I liked that it opened up the conversation that change can be a difficult feeling and provides strategies to work through it. The illustrations complemented the story and provided visual representation to what was being said. The rhymes brought a good flow to the story, although at times felt a little awkward and forced.

Thank you NetGalley and Baker & Taylor, Paw Prints Publishing for the digital ARC.

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A wonderful title to read to assist children with coping with change and stressors. Love that the book acknowledges the feelings of boy, Miles while also giving strategies to help him manage his emotions. At the end of the book there are "How-to's" for adults by Dr. Kaia Calbeck that would be great to use as Professional Development as educators deal with the changing classrooms.

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Some days just don’t start off the way you want them to. Everything seems off, and it’s hard to keep this from affecting the rest of your day. This book explores a day like this for Miles and how he’s taught to handle these feelings.

Honestly, as an adult, I really needed to read this book. It addresses how change can stress everyone out, but that change isn’t usually bad. There’s also a short section at the end of the work with questions and ideas that adults can use as conversations starters with children.

I loved the art style – the people were well drawn with a decent amount of representation in their physical aspects. A female garbage truck driver was included as well! The text was generally rhyming, short stanzas that were well written and meaningful.

Overall, this was an excellent children’s book addressing topics of coping with change and the normal, negative emotions surrounding unexpected events. I highly recommend this work for anyone who has kids in their life.

I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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A Smile in Your Pocket is about a boy Miles, who doesn't like the changes he's seeing around him and in his classroom. I appreciated the author discussing precautions in a way children will understand and not be scared by. I also loved the ending with all the smiles! Very sweet, upbeat book about dealing with change.

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A Smile in Your Pocket is a sweet story about a young boy learning to cope with change. Miles is on his way to school with his mom when he notices that everyone and everything is a bit gloomy and different. Then at school, things don't get better but there are even more changes that Miles isn't a fan of. Will he be able to embrace the change? With the help of his teacher, Miles learns that change isn't forever and when he feels down, he can embrace the smile in his pocket!

This book would be appropriate for younger students and children who are having difficulty embracing the changes in their lives. It would be a perfect read-aloud for children before starting school for the first time or making a big move. The tips at the end of the story for caretakers and adults to help children deal with the anxiety of change are super helpful and easy to understand.

Thank you NetGalley and Paw Prints Publishing for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

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An exceptional storyline to help children cope with change when it can be scary and hard to understand. The rhythm of the rhyming pattern in the text is somewhat unbalanced on occasion, which lends to the text being a bit harder to read aloud. The illustrations are fun and represent the text well. The back of the book also includes a list of coping mechanisms.

I received this book from the publisher free of charge with no expectation of a positive review.

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