Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Joy Berry Books For Children – Review

I loved books as a child, and now as an adult I enjoy picking out good books to give to my friends and family’s children. Author and child development specialist Joy Berry has an extensive series of books that aim to empower children and help them understand the world around them. I was recently sent a few titles to review – some address specific situations and needs, while others are applicable to everybody. Here’s a sampling of Joy Berry’s books, what I thought of them, and a few holiday specials that would make good gifts:

A Fun And Easy Way To Clean Your Room – Book & CD:

This book gives children a helpful walkthrough on how to clean and organize their room. Each step simply and clearly explains strategies on how to tackle messes, and describes each task so that nothing is overlooked. I think a lot of adults could benefit from following these hints, too! There is a discussion CD included with the disc, which also contains music to help motivate your child as they clean. I know I always need music to clean to!

Good Answers to Tough Questions About Divorce – Book:

This is one book you hope you’ll never need, but when parents separate, it’s important to be open and honest with your children. This explores a lot of the situations and feelings that children experience when their parents divorce, so it may be worth reviewing to see if it could be helpful to a child in your life that is going through this situation. The book explains a lot of different reasons why parents divorce – in addition to irreconcilable differences, it also mentions adultery, substance abuse, battery, mental illness, and other possible causes. I just wonder if this might put scary ideas into kid’s heads whose parents are separating simply due to incompatibility. It also asks a lot of the child to be very mature in how they handle the situation – and it’s certainly good to encourage kids to deal with their feelings in a positive way, but part of me felt very sad for the kids who have to grow up that fast. However, I don’t have any children and I’m no expert on divorce or psychology! I do think this book alleviates a lot of confusion, and may be helpful to parents in knowing what to say and explain.

Let’s Talk About Being Afraid Book & CD:

This is a sweet book for younger readers that discusses scary things and what to do when you feel afraid. A cute little guinea pig named Squeaky narrates a story about a boy named Kim who gets frightened by different situations – some real (like going to the hospital) and some imaginary (like watching horror movies). There is also a read-along CD that you can play, which includes a song about how to handle your feelings when you are scared.

Teach Me About Bathtime Book & CD:

This sweet book for toddlers comes with a read-along CD full of fun songs about bathtime. The cute illustrations and narrative clearly explain why baths are important, and tell children how to be safe and have fun at bathtime. I think this and other books from the “Teach Me About” series would make a nice gift for little ones!

Joy Berry books currently have a few holiday specials running – their “Teach Me About” 6 book set is on sale for $34.95, while the “Help Me Be Good” box set is on special for $129.95. Joy Berry also has a page with tips to help parents cope with problems during the holidays that you may be interested in checking out.