2 Children's Books That Will Entertain Your Young Reader

by MK French

Are you looking for gifts for your young child? Or perhaps you want to get them a new favorite book because if you have to read the favorite right now for the 100th time you might scream. Here are two great stories that teach valuable lessons to our little ones.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Ronaldo: Donny's Superpower by Maxine Sylvester

October 2023; Indie; 979-8842814091
ebook, print (106 pages); children's

Donny is terrible at flying, and Ronaldo is having a tough time coaching him. Ronaldo is the top cadet at school and refuses to give up on his friends. Visiting Donny's home reveals an incredible hidden talent.

As part of the Ronaldo's Flying Adventures series, this book features reindeer learning how to fly and eventually earn a spot on a racing team or possibly even pulling Santa's sleigh. As with other books in the series, it's a chapter book meant for elementary school-aged children. We see Ronaldo at school, getting excited about a class trip, and interacting with friends. Ronaldo's gift at flying is explained as his superpower, and everyone in the world has something that they're good at. This is their superpower, and is "what you’re passionate about and what fills you with joy every day." I love this description of people's talents, and how it can be anything.

Donny is big, awkward, uncoordinated, and was left back a few years. Of course, other reindeer in Ronaldo's class make fun of him, and Ronaldo is hired on as his tutor to help him with flying. As much as Ronaldo despairs of this, it's a situation kids will understand right away. There's always someone they know in their grade who isn't as talented and doesn't grasp concepts right away. That doesn't mean they don't have talents, just that academics aren't their thing. This is absolutely the case for Donny, and Ronaldo helps him showcase that talent and gain more confidence doing it. That's a great lesson for all kids to realize, and they'll learn it with reindeer illustrations to go along with the text.

Buy Ronaldo: Donny's Superpower at Amazon

Frankie's Fishy Feelings by Quincy Kadin

October 2023; Indie; 9798218260934
print (28 pages); children's

Frankie is a young tiger shark nervous about starting kindersharken. To help deal with the nervousness, she meets a therapist and learns ways to cope.

As a high schooler with anxiety, Quincy had benefited from therapy and the realization that she isn't the only student who has anxiety. Illustrations are by Adhemas Batista, and show Frankie as a cute shark with humanlike mannerisms that children can connect with. Anxiety often presents as physical symptoms before big events, so seeing that it's normal will help children. The book itself focuses on grounding, but there are many techniques that help to keep anxiety manageable.

In very easy-to-understand language, the "toolbox" of coping skills is explained as things Frankie does to make her anxious feelings go away. It's also presented as a checklist at the end so parents can easily go through the suggestions with their children.

Buy Frankie's Fishy Feelings at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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