Sinarski, Jessica. Riley the Brave’s Sensational Senses: help for sensory and emotional challenges. Illustrated by Zachary Kline. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2022.

Guide to categories: Kid Review – review of books for elementary-aged and younger children

Links in this post may be affiliate links. Purchases made using these links will not cost you more but may pay me an affiliate fee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and related sites. Thank you for using my links.

Summary

Join Riley the Brave in his latest adventure – making sense of his senses so he can finally have fun at the fair. 

Riley the Brave is a little bear with big feelings. He really wants to have fun at the fair, but sometimes he struggles just making it to school, especially on the STINKY, BUMPY, NOISY bus!

It is hard for Riley to focus and have fun when he is feeling so many confusing sensations. He has porcupine moments, turtle moments, and even tiger moments roaring at his teacher! How can he ever go to the fair?

This book teaches children about their senses through a playful story with real-life strategies for emotion regulation. An educational afterword for grown-ups includes tips for helping the brave cubs in your life. 

Purchase Riley the Brave’s Sensational Senses on Amazon

My Kid Review

It seems as though sensory challenges have become more prevalent in recent years. These challenges may have always been there for some but now it is a diagnosis with a treatment plan. Jessica Sinarski’s book Riley the Brave’s Sensational Senses is written with a main character who is learning to live with his senses which are at times overwhelming. I have always said that every child deserves to see himself/herself in a book so I am thankful for this book that highlights sensory disorders. The book may also help children better understand a classmate with sensory challenges. 

The book ends with an afterword for grown-ups. This section contains some great information on and help for sensory processing difficulties. There is also a list of additional resources.

Zachary Kline uses animals as the characters in this book. The colorful illustrations are done in a cartoon style and complement the text well. 

Riley the Brave’s Sensational Senses would be a great addition to the picture book section of a K-12 Christian school library. It is appropriate for early elementary children but could also be useful for older children or adults. 

I received a complimentary copy of Riley the Brave’s Sensational Senses. This is my honest review.

About the Author – JESSICA SINARSKI, LPCMH

Jessica’s superpower is making brain science accessible and entertaining for children and adults alike. Extensive post-graduate training and 15+ years as a therapist, consultant, and educator led her to create the resource and training platform—BraveBrains. In addition to speaking engagements all over the country, Jessica partners with schools, child welfare agencies, and other organizations to help adults become healers for hurting children. She is also the mom of 3 busy boys.

Jessica created a framework based on the concepts introduced in her award-winning picture book, RILEY THE BRAVE, which is available in English and Spanish. The series has grown and is now empowering children and their “safe big critters” in over 20 different countries. Jessica serves on the editorial board for The Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma and on the board of directors at Cardinal McCloskey Community Services, the largest Head Start provider in the Bronx, NY. She is also the author of the Your Magic Backpack series, which helps kids talk about big feelings and tough topics.

Homepage

Read more Kid Review posts