Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends! Today’s featured book is very special – it launches in just a few days, on July 24th…and I think kids are going to love it! And author Rachel Funez is also very special – and generous…she’s offering a giveaway of a copy of SONIA AND THE SUPER DUPER DISASTER, so make sure you leave a comment for a chance to win.

SONIA AND THE SUPER SUPER DISASTER

Written by Rachel Funez

Illustrated by Kelly Kennedy

Published by Free Spirit Press

Ages: 4-9

Themes: Learning Disorders, Anxiety, Superheroes

Synopsis: From Amazon:
Sonia’s adventure-filled story with worry-fighting gadgets helps kids learn how to cope when it feels like everything is going wrong.

When Sonia forgets Mom’s birthday, she’s determined to whip up a super surprise and become Mom’s hero. But her ADHD foils her best-laid plans, and her anxiety multiplies as the chaos grows. Sonia has to use all her coping skills to find a new recipe for success and become her own superhero.

Celebrating the individual strengths and special qualities of neurodivergent children, Sonia helps children with ADHD and anxiety recognize how their bodies feel when they become anxious and gives them tools to calm down with her worry-fighting gadgets. Activate Breath Blasters! Stellar Self-Talk! Senses Scanner!

A section at the back of the book includes more information on Sonia’s worry-fighting gadgets for kids and tips and reminders for caring adults.

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love books where kids can connect with the characters and relate to what they are experiencing.
2. I love books that provide hands-on actionable methods for coping with anxiety and big emotions.
3. I love books where the art is such an integral part of the story.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

Check out these 40 superhero crafts: https://modpodgerocksblog.com/superhero-crafts/

It’s always fun to get to know a little bit about the creators of the books we love:

Rachel Funez was born in the United States, spent most of her childhood living in Latin America, and is now an attorney raising multicultural children in Peru with her Honduran American husband. Rachel knows exactly what it’s like to have ADHD and anxiety. She still uses her Breath Blasters, Stellar Self-Talk, Senses Scanner, and other tools to get through lots of tough and scary moments. She wishes she could hug every kid who is struggling with overwhelming feelings, but she will settle for creating stories that celebrate children with special brains and help them cope with their big emotions in productive ways. When Rachel isn’t writing or working, she enjoys walking her bearded collie, playing board games with her family, dancing like nobody’s watching, and cuddling up on rainy afternoons with a hot beverage and a good book. You can learn more about Rachel by checking out her website at rachelfunez.com.

Kelly Kennedy is an artist and a children’s book writer and illustrator. He is best known for illustrating the Dr. Seuss book Maybe You Should Fly a Jet! Maybe You Should Be a Vet! and as a longtime contributor to Highlights magazines. He has also worked for various animation studios, such as Nickelodeon, where he directed and created the award-winning short film The Baseball Card Shop. When he’s not drawing, Kelly is usually in the garage working on his vintage cars or fixing up his old house. Kelly lives and works in the sleepy little town of Los Angeles. He often lies about his height. He is 6’5″.

And, dear friends, we can be superheroes too! We can help new books like SONIA AND THE SUPER DUPER DISASTER succeed by doing one or more of these things:
Buying them
Reviewing them
Placing them on our Goodreads Want to Read Shelf
Telling friends about them
Asking our local library to purchase copies for their collection

Please make sure you leave a comment and share the post on your social media for more chances in the giveaway hat.