PPBF: If I Were A Moose

Today I'm excited because I just spent 24 glorious hours with my daughter, in her town, in her apartment. Lots of mommy/daughter time. And a sleepover. We walked to lunch and sat outside on the front porch of this adorable little sandwich shop before doing some shopping to pick her up some groceries. Then we went back to her place and relaxed for a bit before cooking up some meals for her for the upcoming week. What a joy to walk her through three of her favorite recipes and work together as she learned how to make them for herself. Then we watched a comedy and laughed together. A lot. And as I was drifting off last night, I smiled at what a special young lady she is and I prayed a prayer of thanks for the gift of a daughter like Kaitlyn. Here she is, recently featured in a magazine advertisement for the camp she so loves:

So today's PPBF is a book I bought right after she was born

and read to her religiously during her formative years.

Title:  If I Were A Moose

Written by: Patrick Kleinen

Illustrated by: Jeannie Winston

Published by: Discovery Toys

Publication Date: 1995

Suitable for: ages 3-7

Fiction

Themes: Unconditional love, imagination, self-esteem

Brief synopsis: Young Coopie asks his Momma how she would feel and what she would do if he were something else, like a moose. Much to his delight, each answer is a kind affirmation for Coopie.

Opening pages: Coopie and Momma went walking to the market. It was cold outside and it took a lot of imagination to keep warm. Coopie had plenty of imagination.

Resources:

*Compare and contrast with a book called Agate, reviewed {here}.
*Watch the Be Yourself  Sesame Street clip {here}.

*Watch the What I Am Sesame Street clip {here}.

*Practice Affirmations with your children; 

click this graphic to read about how I use this worksheet

and to print a copy.

*Put affirmations on napkins or notes in your child's lunchbox so that they know you're thinking about them and that you love them.

Why I like this book:  This brilliantly colored gem takes me back to the days when I could jump in bed with my babies and a book and read to them before they'd fall asleep. Now that two of the three of them are away at college, those days are so very far and few between ... and I'm feeling nostalgic about that time so many years ago. This was one of our favorites because we'd talk about affirmations and compliments. Coopie fires questions at his Momma and she's got an answer for each and every one. We would take turns being Momma and Coopie and asking each other what would happen if we were ......

Here's the text from my favorite page:  

Coopie thought for awhile, then asked Momma, "If I were an angry dog and growled and barked all day ... then what would you say?" 

"I'd say 'My goodness aren't you grouchy! But you just bark away! Even when you are a grouch, I love you more each day.'"

How sweet is that? And the rich nugget about how feelings are all okay and what we need to learn is how to process and manage them in a healthy way? Priceless.

Check out this book; I think you'll be happy that you did!

No PPBF for the next two weeks, so check back in April for more fun book reviews to add to our ever-growing list at Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.