Wheeler, Chris and Lindsey. Kit and the Missing Notebook. Illustrated by Carmen Saldana. Grand Rapids, MI: ZonderKidz, 2024.

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Summary

Join Kit as she learns a lesson about overcoming anxiety and makes some new friends—and some delicious soup!—along the way. As kids get to know this little kangaroo with big feelings, they will discover how they can manage their own stress and new experiences in a healthy, positive manner.

When Kit’s family moves to Cozy Lane, she feels anxious. Exploring the neighborhood with her notebook where she writes everything down makes her feel a little better. But when her notebook goes missing, not even her new hamster friends can help her calm down. Then Mrs. G., the guinea pig next door, has an idea. They all make soup together, and as Kit breathes in the smell and breathes out to cool it, she finds herself feeling calmer. She even realizes her notebook isn’t as lost as she thought!

Kit and the Missing Notebook uses a fun and relatable character to teach children ages 4-8:

• What anxiety is and how to identify it in their bodies.
• A simple breathing exercise—smell the soup, cool the soup—that promotes mental wellness and can help when they are feeling overwhelmed.
• How to use their senses—sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste—to find themselves again.

For parents and educators, Kit and the Missing Notebook also includes an author’s note with information about anxiety, managing emotions with kids, and a delicious soup recipe!

Purchase Kit and the Missing Notebook on Amazon – https://amzn.to/3RX22l9

My Kid Review

Anxiety – many adults have trouble handling it, imagine how challenging it is for little ones. Christ and Lindsey Wheeler created a great storyline that will help parents, teachers, and caregivers as they try to help their little ones calm anxiety. 

Kit is a little kangaroo who is new to the neighborhood – that in itself is enough to cause anxiety. While exploring her neighborhood she meets some new friends. Then she loses her notebook which helps her remember things. They help her to calm down and eventually find her notebook. 

The story is beautiful, even for those who don’t suffer from anxiety. The book also includes a recipe for the soup that is part of the plot of the story.

The artwork of Carmen Saldana beautifully compliments the text, helping children to visualize the unfamiliar parts of the story. 

Kit and the Missing Notebook would be a great addition to a K-12 Christian School library. It is appropriate for preschool through primary-aged children.

I received a complimentary copy of Kit and the Missing Notebook. This is my honest review. 

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