Children’s Books That Open Your Heart & Mind

Angel Violet’s Magic Wings

Angel Violet’s Magic Wings is a full color, beautifully illustrated digital and print storybook inspired by the desire to give our precious little ones a tool to cope, heal and thrive in a world of stress and uncertainty, to be the best they can be. Making this storybook unique are the “Parent Notes” which offer ideas and questions to facilitate communication and to open avenues for children to recognize how they are feeling. With easy prompts, parents and grandparents can relax and guide children to express their feelings, find their strengths, and build resilience. This picture book is an easy way for children to learn how to feel safe and shift from feeling yucky to “sparkling” again. Read more here.

“Angel Violet, helps children sweep away their negative emotions. While this is a book to read to young children, author Bonnie Snyder has included Parents Notes throughout the book, to guide parents in discussing emotions with their children… These words begin the story of Angel Violet, who helps children sweep away their negative emotions. Great stocking stuffer for highly sensitive/intuitive children!” -Dr. Laura Markham from AhaParenting.com 

I Will Always Be With You

“After September 11, 2001, my heart ached for all those children who lost their parents…and for all those parents who lost their children. As a mother, that is one of my greatest fears – to think my children will be without me. As a professional harpist, I use music to express my feelings, so one October evening I was playing a new melody on the harp. Our two sons named the melody, “I Will Always Be With You” then went to bed. My heart opened and the words came. In 15 minutes the song was complete. It was so simple…yet it said everything.” ~Amy Camie

Amy is a gifted harpist whose music is truly transforming. I am blessed to have her amazing gift of music as the companion to my meditations. ~Bonnie Snyder

Here are some of the lyrics to give you an idea of the message:

When the wind blows
When the snow falls
I will always be with you

When the sun comes up each morning
When the stars come out at night
When you look up at a rainbow
I’ll be there…

Tapping Play to Create Your Happy Rainbow Day

“Tapping Play is a wonderful gift of love for children: love of self, love of their uniqueness, love of movement, love of singing, love of self-expression, love of positive feelings, and love for life. This daily celebration of your beautiful and unique child through the act of singing and tapping helps teach your child to love themselves and be able to verbalize it! The 7 songs, one for each day of the week, emphasize positive self-esteem verses, happy thoughts, I am affirmations, joyful expressions of self-love and happy hugs. All SEVEN songs are FREE downloads with the purchase of this book. These upbeat songs of love and celebration have no age limit.”

We all love this one! Great for just a daily dose of love or if there are some upset feelings.

The 7 Laws of Raising Financially Independent Kids

The 7 Laws of Raising Financially Independent Kids shows parents and grandparents the most effective methods to teach, inspire and coach their children into the true financial competence that will enable them to create the exciting, enchanted life of their dreams.

Since 1983 Kasey Claytor has been a financial advisor and now operates a Registered Investment Advisory Firm in Florida. She is a trained wealth coach, and an author of two other books, The God of Anna, and The 7 Big Mistakes Investors Make & The 7 Habits of Successful Investors, as well as several articles on investing, achieving prosperity, and coaching to success.

“I wrote this book to save our children years of struggling to find their dreams. I want to empower families by showing them how easy it is to discover their destiny.” Kasey is a very successful financial advisor who has succeeded in balancing and blending her financial skill set and intuitive side creating a balanced way of living and sharing her gifts in a more male dominated industry.

7LawsforKids.com

All I See Is Part of Me

“In a journey that carries the reader far beyond the printed page, a child discovers his common link with all of Life. Inspired by Sister Star, he finds the light within his heart and, as his version expands, he sees that same light in all other things.”

What is God?

What is God? by Etan Bortizer – This book could almost serve as the mission statement for this blog. Designed to answer a child asking “what is God?”, it provides both a poetic and open-ended vision, and introduces the idea of world religions by exploring the different ways each view God. It includes a page on each religion’s holy books, and even touches on the concept of religious intolerance and disagreement. If you have a very orthodox view of God, this book might not be for you, but if you consider yourself more interfaith-oriented, it is perfect. It was a bit wordy for my four-year old, but I think she will grow into it.

The Little Soul and the Sun

The Little Soul and the Sun is a simple and powerful story that brings children a very profound truth: there is not absolute good or bad–that underneath all that happens in the world, all that we call “good” and all that we call “bad,” is love. Your child will discover a God that she or he can love, because God is love, as are all the Little Souls who are a part of God. And perhaps parents, too, will rediscover who they really are.

The Wizard’s Wish

Have you ever wished there were a book that was not only fun for children (and adults) to read, but one that also taught them a simple and effective way to feel good – and good about themselves – even when they have been upset? Your wish is granted with The Wizard’s Wish – Or, How He Made the Yuckies Go Away – A Story About the Magic in You! (If you know anything about tapping, you’ll not only be happy with the way he teaches kids you will be in awe of the authors brilliance in presenting tapping in this way.)

Angel Heart Adventures: Mission To Earth

This is an Exciting and Uplifting book as the children are able to go into Heaven with Angel Heart for a very short period of time to see where beauty is created and where life is lived in Harmony and Peace. The children love what they experience and now want to bring this reality to Earth. This is a great bedtime story for children 6-12 years of age.

Secret of the Peaceful Warrior

When Danny’s family moves to a new neighborhood, he is confronted by a frightening bully. One night in a dream, Danny meets an old man with shining white hair–a man who will soon appear in real life and share a wonderful secret. An inspirational story about courage and love.

Tilt Your Head, Rosie the Red

Arriving at school, Rosie is dismayed to see the kids on the playground taunting her classmate Fadimata, who is Muslim and wears a headscarf. Rosie comes up with a plan. Rosie has a red cape she likes to wear, so she asks Fadimata if she would turn the cape into a headscarf for her. The other kids in their class don’t want to be left out, so they ask Fadimata to make them headscarves as well.

Have You Filled a Bucket Today?

For more information on bucket filling and free downloadables and resources, visit bucketfillers101.com.

Through simple prose and vivid illustrations, this heartwarming book encourages positive behavior as children see how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation, and love. Bucket filling and dipping are effective metaphors for understanding the effects of our actions and words on the well being of others and ourselves.

Woolfred Cannot Eat Dandelions

Most sheep will eat almost anything, whether it s good for them or not. Woolfred is a sheep who cannot eat dandelions. He must learn to live amongst a flock of others who do not share his problem and do not understand it. He discovers that focusing on what’s missing can mean not seeing the good things that are right in front of you.

Making a Splash

This book advocates the growth mindset philosophy that says intelligence is malleable and can be developed through dedication and hard work, as opposed to the belief you’re born with a fixed amount of smarts. The illustrated pages tell the story of two siblings, Lisa and Johnny, and how they differ in their attitudes toward learning. The takeaway: It’s not how smart you are; it’s how smart you can become if you push yourself.

The Adventures of Beekle

This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name: Beekle. Ages 3-5

I am You, You are Me

 Anu French is an integrative pediatrician and author of  I am you. You are me. Sharing resources to reveal a more colorful, joyful, connected, peaceful world, she is committed to empowering the journey of healing. www.anufrench.com  is a fun site to find information on healing, music, art and more for adults and children on how to happy and healthy. Thank you

There is an underlying theme  that we are all more similar than we are different. It’s a great book for parents, grandparents, educators and older siblings to read to young children and simple enough to be a learning-to-read book. It helps children early on, to absorb the awareness of how we are all connected to each other, connected to our earth, our joy, our love, our peace and light. Anu French MD is an integrative pediatrician she wrote this and illustrated this book with her daughters.

Peace, Bugs, and Understanding

Lily and her little sister Ruby are having a picnic when Ruby spoils their game of checkers. Lily lashes out but soon gets absorbed in a wonderful book, the story of her great grandfather’s encounter with a strange looking frog-like creature called Anger.

Thank Goodness for Different

Lilly feels different, and that doesn’t make her very happy. Lilly’s mother explains to her that we are all different, and shows her how the things that make us different can make our world a better, more beautiful place for everyone. All the illustrations in this book were drawn and crafted by hand, using beautiful paper, paint, and a whole lot of love.

Relax Kids

Using guided meditations based around traditional stories this is a gentle and fun way of introducing older children to the world of meditation and relaxation. It is designed to counteract some of the tensions with which we are all familiar at the end of a busy day, and offer parent and children together some quality time to relax and share. The meditations and visualisations aim to develop children’s imagination and provide them with skills that will be invaluable for the rest of their life. For children aged 5 upwards. The Relax Kids series is currently available in Europe and will be available in US in 2015.

Buddha at Bedtime Dharmachari Nagaraja

Many of today’s children face challenges and obstacles far beyond what their parents ever imagined. These 20 thoroughly modern retellings of ancient Buddhist tales give parents a fun, low-pressure way to impart wisdom and moral guidance without preaching. Each story highlights a moral or ethical dilemma that echoes those that children face in their own lives, providing insight.

Peaceful Piggy Mediation

Sometimes life seems like it’s all about hurrying—so many places to go! And sometimes it’s hard when things don’t go your way—it can make a piggy angry and sad. So how do young piggies find a peaceful place in a frustrating world? They meditate!

Tap The Magic Tree

Every book needs you to turn the pages. But not every book needs you to tap it, shake it, jiggle it, or even blow it a kiss. Innovative and timeless, Tap the Magic Tree asks you to help one lonely tree change with the seasons. Now that’s interactive—and magical!

It begins with a bare brown tree. But tap that tree, turn the page, and one bright green leaf has sprouted! Tap again—one, two, three, four—and four more leaves have grown on the next page. Pat, clap, wiggle, jiggle, and see blossoms bloom, apples grow, and the leaves swirl away with the autumn breeze.

Thank you to the Mommy Mystic for great suggestions for some of the spiritual books!

Good Night Yoga

For kids in early to middle childhood – and the lucky people who have to get them to bed – Good Night Yoga is both a bedtime story and a series of simple poses for following the natural world as it comes to rest at day’s end. This bedtime story is so much more than a story. It’s a practice for kids and parents to end the day in a calming, mindful way. Turn the page and stretch like a tree, settle softly like a ladybug, float like a cloud, and you’ll be dreaming soon.Created by the founder of the celebrated Kid Power Yoga program. Love love this book for kids and parents alike.

Authentic Parenting Power

It takes more than love to be an authentically powerful parent. This book begins with the paradox that parents are less powerful than they want to be and more powerful than they realize. Knowing how you are totally powerless actually opens the pathway to discovering where your greatest influence lies.

A Blueprint for Happy, Resilient, Parents, Teachers and Kids Through the Magic of Heart-Thoughtful Mindfulness: Easy-to-Implement Self Empowerment Strategies

Would you love to be able to refocus, feel a sense of clarity and even a sense of peace in just a few minutes? It is possible!

In our chaotic world, many women, especially mothers and teachers, find themselves feeling stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, and many times downhearted with the negativity and pace of life and all that has to be done. Sometimes even the kids feel it.

Multitasking seems to be the only answer to get things accomplished…but is it?

Avoid the crash! Get off of autopilot… Become grounded, calm, and clear!

Through the magic of “Heart-Thoughtful Mindfulness©,” you’ll change that feeling of being “stressed and overwhelmed” into calm focus, creating a happy connection between your heart and mind.

The Handbook of Spiritual Tools: Reaching Beyond the Challenge to Find the Solution

There was once an Aboriginal tribe of people who lived for centuries beside a mighty river. They worshiped the river, they admired it, and they feared it, but they never ventured too close to it and they certainly never went into it. If they had only tapped into the resources that mighty river had to offer, they would have enjoyed and benefited in ways they could never have imagined. The river would have provided food for their families, transportation, and power; not to mention adding a great deal of fun to their life experience.

In the same way, we human beings live in the Presence of a metaphorical River of Power, consistently available to anyone, anytime, anywhere – FREE, but more often than not, we also fail to take advantage of it. Spiritual Tools are the fastest and most successful way to attain access to that might power. When utilized consistently, they can add increased prosperity, better health, more harmonious relationships, deeper Spirituality and a great deal more joy to our human experience. Spiritual tools are ours simply for the asking, whether we wish to use them to fix whatever isn’t working in our life now, or to create the desires of our heart in the future.