Review: Be Your Own Best Friend Forever by Gary Robinson

 

BE YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND FOREVER!

by Gary Robinson

7th Generation

Picture Book

ages 9 to 12

Jayla knows to ignore voices that tell her she isn't good enough. She doesn't listen to the voice of self doubt and instead listens to her voice of self love, teaching herself to be her own best friend.

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BOOK BLINK

                                      * self-empowerment

                                      * tons of energy and positivity

MY TIDBITS

Bright illustrations, tons of positive vibes, and mounds of words of encouragement ensure self-doubt fades away.

Jayla is a girl just like any other girl. And like any other girl, she hears all those words, which put her down and make her feel bad about herself. If she lets them, that is. But Jayla knows how to force those words away and shares how she does it.

This is a book for those kids, who let the bad comments around them eat away at them. In other words, most. Jayla is a power house of positive energy on every page, and it sets the right atmosphere to support the message. While starting with the negative words, where they can come from, and what their value truly is, the book then slides into how to deal with these words. It builds self-esteem and explains why kids should love themselves. 

Now, this one is preachy, and that's something I usually steer very clear from. It bugged me a bit in these pages, and the idea of being your own best friend forever hit me as a bit over the top. At first. But then, I realized that I do know some girls who would love this book. I could see this one really speaking them, and they definitely need to hear the message again and again. Especially girls in elementary or beginning middle school will see themselves in Jayla and understand the very direct words. I do see some girls gripping this one tight and reading it when they feel down or to help build themselves up. So, I do recommend this one.

And here he is...

Award-winning writer and filmmaker Gary Robinson (Choctaw/Cherokee descent) has participated in the production of dozens of Native American educational, informational, and documentary television projects and worked to create Native American content most of his adult life. He is the author of sixteen books, including eight PathFinders teen novels. He lives in Santa Ynez, CA. For more information, visit his website at tribaleyeproductions.com.

Holiday Review: Native American Night Before Christmas by Gary Robinson

 I have another holiday read for you today, and this one takes a swing in the direction of Native Americans. When I found out about this one, I had to read it because...well, how could I pass up such a wonderful twist on the very well known Christmas poem? And I wasn't disappointed. It's one I really think many of you might enjoy, too.

NATIVE AMERICAN NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

by Gary Robinson

Illustrated by Jesse T. Hummingbird

7th Generation, Native Voices Book

Picture Book / Holiday

39 pages

ages 4 to 8

2010 Silver Winner, Moonbeam Children's Book Award An innovative re-telling of the classic Christmas tale, this full-color picture book takes a whimsical look at what Christmas Eve might be like for an American Indian family when Old Red Shirt (the Indian Santa Claus) comes a-calling with his team of flying white buffalo to deliver fry bread, commodities and other goodies. This delightful and very amusing rewrite of the traditional "A Night Before Christmas" is sure to be a hit with Native Americans and children everywhere as well as with people of all ages interested in Native customs and art. With full-page colorful, humorous paintings by renowned Cherokee artist Jesse T. Hummingbird.

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MY TIDBITS

This is a well done twist on a very familiar Christmas poem and will have you snuggling up in your tipi dreams, wishing Old Red Shirt might stop by.

Simply said, I enjoyed this one. Not only is it refreshing to visit the entire poem from the view of Native Americans, but the retelling is also nicely done. The author does a great job of changing the atmosphere to slide right into the Native American view point, while still holding the fun and humor the original tale also includes. It's light hearted, educates, and is still packed with holiday joy. 

The book begins with a note, pointing toward a glossary at the end, where several unfamiliar terms are explained. This section held the same lightness as the rest of tale and really added in help when needed with a handful of terms. The author really kept the age group in mind, and I appreciate that.

The illustrations are bright, cheerful, and pack the necessary details to not only keep listeners coming back and peeking at the scenes themselves, but also sneak in information. The scenes allow the life of a Native American in a tipi to peek through, and there is something to discover on each and every page.

I found it fun to see how the author kept to the old rhyme and found myself smiling more than once as, for example, 'choke cherries danced in their heads'. While the retold poem and illustrations stick to a more historical direction, I did stumble a bit when a sudden dash of modern slipped in twice. Part of me was disappointed and wished the historical end remained constant, but another part wonders if this is more enlightening. Either way, it's a lovely book, which adds a great twist to the Christmas story end of things, and I'm sure readers will enjoy this one.