Sophie Learns to Be Brave

This is such a cute book! I love the way it teaches children to stay calm and aware even when facing scary new situations.

Some elements of the story I really liked:
* The use of figurative language- this would also be a great book to teach onomatopoeia and personification to older children!
* Lots of opportunities for young readers to practice making inferences- What is it that Sophie knows she has to do? Why does the man appear tired and worried?
* The illustrations- absolutely beautiful!
* The message- a wonderful and useful strategy to help young children learn how to breathe and calm their bodies when they are feeling scared or nervous. I will definitely be trying it out with my daughter!
*The author’s note explaining her inspiration for the story as well as further ideas on how to use the “safe and free” meditation.

At times I feel like the plot has tiny jumps in time or missing explanations that don’t give readers very smooth transitions from scene to scene. For example, when Sophie sees the lost dog sign, the text doesn’t explicitly tell us that her dog friend has a home somewhere, and it doesn’t really explain that Sophie and her grandmother have gone to the dog’s owner’s house to bring the dog home to him. I can infer from the pictures that all this is happening, but it would be nice to have a little phrase or sentence showing us that. None if this is enough of a distraction to prevent me from reading this story to my daughter, however. I know children will be able to tell what is happening just fine.

Overall I really liked this book. You get a sense of feeling at peace as you read, and the meditation is such a great way to help young children become aware of their feelings.

I would recommend this book to any teacher or parent of young children, especially those whose children love dogs or could use some help working through anxiety. I will very likely purchase my own copy once it is published!

In this story, Sophie is afraid of a storm. She rescues a furry pal who is also struggling with the storm, and together they comfort and support each other and practice some great self-talk. Sophie finds the owner of her lost puppy friend but is still able to be strong and brave during a storm by telling herself that she is strong and brave. I LOVE the representation of positive affirmations and self talk in a children's book! What a great way to normalize good mental health practices and give children another tool if they need to be brave!

Sophie Learns to Be Brave by Joan Halifax is an encouraging book. It is a great book for dealing with fear for all of us, not just kids. Thank you Joan Halifax for giving me one more tool in my toolbox for dealing with fear.
The book is wonderful to read and the illustrations are beautiful and go well with each page. I love the way this book uses a relationship with dogs to deal with fear. There is a wonderful Grandma in this book and some other important lessons. The Author’s Note at the end is really inspiring, don’t miss it.
Fear is something that all of us experience and have to learn to deal with from young childhood until death. Some of us are good at it and some are not. But we are never too old to learn new habits to deal with our fear. God addresses fear so many different times in the bible. God tells us "do not be afraid"
We expect children to have fear and it is ok to talk about it as a child. But as we grow up, we are not supposed to be afraid or admit we have fear. This book would be a great opportunity for us to talk to kids about fear. We could teach them that fear is something they will always deal with in life. We could admit that we have fear as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, preachers, etc. We could teach them that everyone has fear, but it is what you do as a result of your fear that is important.
The title of this book and the description really appealed to me. I am dealing with fear issues right now. I started learning to ride a horse after I was over 60 years old. It has been such a blessing to me. But I have also had to deal with fear. And feeling fear and riding a horse do not mix well. So I am doing everything I can to learn to deal with this fear. So I will be using this book to talk to others at the barn about fear.
I teach dog obedience classes and so many adults are afraid of their dog. Which means, if they do not tackle their fear they will never have a healthy relationship with their dog. The dog will have no respect for their owners. Now I have another way to teach overcoming fear. So thankful. This book is a blessing to me and I hope to use it to bless others.

Firstly, I am thankful for the opportunity to have received a free copy of this eBook through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was an adorable children’s book with delightful illustrations and such a beautiful story about how to be brave and the love for a lost dog.

I rate this eBook 5 stars and would recommend to those with children who may sometimes find themselves a little scared in certain situations.

#SophieLearnstoBeBrave #NetGalley

Wonderful book! I enjoyed the simple yet practical messages for children. Sophie learned about positive self-talk, letting things come (and go) and that like Dorothy - she had the power all along. Really beautiful story and messaging. Highly recommend. - Maureen Healy, author of The Happiness Workbook for Kids

This is a heartwarming story about a little girl named Sophie and an adorable elderly dog that teaches her some very valuable life lessons about friendship, bravery, letting go, loss and how to gain control of her emotions. She discovers how to stay in the present moment and not let her feelings and imagination dictate the "what ifs" that may occur in the future. Both she and the old canine meet up during a raging thunderstorm and both are terrified. Sophie repeats again and again..."Breathing in, I am safe; breathing out, I am free. " As she focuses on her breathing techniques and those calming words peace envelops her.

A beautiful bond of friendship is established between the two as they support each other through their fears. Together they discover that fears can be conquered. I love the book and highly recommend it.

With the help of a friend, Sophie learns to overcome her fears. In return, Sophie is able to help her friend return home. This is a great text for young readers

This is the story of sophie and a seemingly stray dog facing their fears of a storm together. Also learning to be brave and feel safe when you are afraid on their own. Thinking positive thoughts is key! This was a good book but i did feel it dragged on a bit.