Review of "Spiffy Kids: Storybook of Feelings Collection," by J. R. Robinson

Review of

Spiffy Kids: Storybook of Feelings Collection, by J. R. Robinson ISBN 9780578164960

Five out of five stars

 This is a fiction book designed to help children deal with the reality of feelings. There are nine members of the Spiffy Kids group and they are of different colors with unusual head appendages, big eyes and a wide smile. Each one is used to present an emotion and the way to deal with it. Both pleasurable and unpleasant emotions are examined.

 One the emotion is stated with a picture of the specific Spiffy Kid, it is described and there is a list of the consequences of the emotion. For example, if you are shy you are nervous, don’t know what to do when you meet new people and are afraid of crowds. The solution is to slowly try new things and build up confidence in being able to deal with the problems you encounter.

 The emotions dealt with are mad, silly, confident, confused, scared, happy, shy, sad and worry. The text is presented in segments of four lines where the second and fourth rhyme. The level of the text is late first or second grade and the rhythm is smooth and easy to read. Younger children will enjoy having it read to them.

 The book is structured with an image on the left and the explanatory text on the right. The images are colorful and with enough detail to attract the young eye but not so much as to be overwhelming. If this book had been available when my daughter was young, I would have read it to her.