I Am!: Affirmations for Resilience

by Bela Barbosa, Edel Rodriguez (Illustrator)

A stunningly illustrated guide to simple affirmations for young children, building self-esteem and confidence.

When you feel nervous,
And you are ready to move on,
Put your hands on your belly,
take a breath,
and say:

I Am Brave!

This brightly hand-lettered board book empowers young readers to lift themselves up! Ten relatable emotions are each followed by a centering exercise and a positive affirmation to be recited, as a practice in mindfulness. Young readers are encouraged to find their inner strength by recognizing and addressing their emotions, instilling a sense of power and self-confidence.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Emotion, Nonfiction, Growth Mindset, Back To School, Inspirational

26 pages, Board Book

Published October 6, 2020

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bela is the greatest and it is amazing!

A note: I might be biased.

[Kasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for children but it is also for me. 🩷

[Liesl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may need to buy this little gem of a book for myself. These affirmations are easy, to the point and what we all need to hear/tell ourselves. I wish this book had come out 20 years ago.

[Lucy Reynal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, for kids and grown ups and everyone in between. Love love love it!

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it is a board book intended for preschool age children, this will be a useful book in classrooms and schools with older kids as well. The positive, straight-forward, clear affirmations shown as strategies for moving past strong emotions is a tool that can be used in all situations. I also greatly appreciate that it validates and allows for the feelings to be felt & to use the affirmations when kids are ready to move on. An empowering book to teach kids how to have more positive self-regard. Will pair with social-emotional learning lessons and books as well as Zones of Regulation teachings or calm-down spot areas in classrooms. Will definitely order for my school library.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this little board book full of affirmations that target specific feelings a child may be having, such as fear, jealousy, anger, guilt, impatience, etc. I appreciate the scenarios provided and the explanation of what to do with your hands and voice to help you move forward. The very last page talks about feelings, about how they're not forever, about how breathing helps, and it concludes with "...when you say the words that you know are true, you feel those, too!" I can see how this book would benefit not only children, but adults as well. The soothing artwork was created with woodblock printing inks and composed in Photoshop.

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love love love love love this book. I use it when I am working with students over zoom, as a way to break up the lesson, get them to move their body, and say positive words about themselves out loud. I tell you what, seeing a group of 6 years hug themselves and shout "My friends and family love me!" is a pretty great way to improve your day. I also use it with 4th and 5th graders, too. They might be bashful at first, but get pretty good at saying "I try my hardest! I can do it!!" Of course, all the teachers and support staff do it, too. Thank you for strengthening my heart, Bela and Edel!

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a special order from a customer that intrigued me so I had to read it. This would work not only as an introduction to what young readers may be feeling but also how to deal with them.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book but there are way too many words for a toddler. I’d share it with my teens.

[Trish Banda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! Great affirmations and when to use them.

Definitely would want it in my classroom or for my kids. I would add Bible verses too.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This board book is a great introduction to positive affirmations for children PreK-5th grade. It contains a variety of situations and affirmations for each one. Bright, colorful illustrations add to the appeal.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A practical book of affirmations for children, in some ways similar to Todd Parr but with phrases that will help children to repeat. I think this would be a great one to bring to storytime and have the kids do all of the actions they are directed to do in the book, and then talk about it after. Would also be great at home, but I think storytimes and Pre-K & K classrooms are going to build the most from this book, having all of the kids do it at once.

Highly recommended. Ages 3 to 6.

[Adriana Martinez Figueroa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of genuine affirmations and positivity geared towards children, Barbosa tackles emotional coping mechanisms in a board book. Straightforward and accessible for children as well as the grown-ups in charge of them, it's a colorful outlook at how to deal with our wild, human emotions. I showed the book to my mother, who's a third grade teacher, and it made her want to showcase these affirmations in her classroom.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Penguin Random House for this free review copy!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Illustrations that will engage very young children but are still beautiful. Don't get me wrong, I think high-contrast books that are just black and white are very important, but they aren't usually "art". This is art, and it is still clear enough for young eyes. The messages are very important for children of all ages.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect tool for young students, and I will definitely use this in my own classroom.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This board book would be good for a lot of adults.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

With its bright, cheerful woodblock print art and positive messages, this book of affirmations encourages kids to take on body and mood mastery. The author, an Early Childhood Social-Emotional Learning Educator, feels that arming kids with positive words can help them cope with overwhelming emotions. I agree that it is never too early to learn to regulate one’s feelings. The book combines acknowledging feelings with the actions children can take to calm or encourage themselves. For instance, “When your body feels out of control, sit with your hands in your lap and say: I am calm. My body is quiet.” The bodies of kids are represented in race- and gender-neutral shapes. I imagine this book would be most useful as a dialogic read aloud with one or more kids, where the adult helps the kids with examples of big feelings.

[Andrés · Rating 3 out of 5]

The text is A+ and covers a number of really important feelings that are not often covered in kids books: scared, out of control, jealous, mad, ignored, guilty, frustrated, trouble waiting, inadequacy, loneliness. The corresponding affirmations are great, and so are the book's set up, closing, and grown-up note.

I think a different concept for the art would have worked better, even though I do like the colors and the style. The all-consuming illustrations detracted from the power of the text for me, and if a younger reader is digesting this concept, I think a "from-to" format similar to the "mad to peaceful" spread would be more effective. Maybe the left pages could have had smaller-sized, greyscale simple stick figure drawings depicting the feeling scenario, and the right page could retain the large scale images with the existing bright color palette showing the affirmation.

[Jj · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good one for any age, honestly. Useful phrases and exercises/motions are found throughout, and are both direct and clear without being too overbearing or underwhelming. Excellent design and use of text and illustrations! I will definitely use this with kids and families to focus on socio-emotional learning and mindfulness.

Thanks to Penguin Young Readers for the review copy.

[Jared Pangier · Rating 5 out of 5]

All human beings need this book—from kids to adults. Affirmations transform our thinking and provide a path to control our emotions and to be the best version we can be. This book is beautifully done: simple, colorful, bright. It should be read by all and practiced daily. I might even make my own self-talk out of this :)

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I thought it taught so many great life skills. It's the most practical feelings board book I've read yet. But unfortunately it won't do me any good because my preschooler is totally not into it at all.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was over my almost 6 year old's head. But it's the kind of book that she might read again and get something from it. We just read it at the library, but I might have to get a copy to read to her.

[Mary Lee P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic board book! This empowering board book helps your little one recognize and respond to their feelings. Say the affirmations out loud together and perform the action that goes along with each to help understand emotions.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief and profound mindfulness meditation for young children and even not-so-young children (and maybe even some adults too)

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A board book that certainly has its place as a read aloud at school and in classroom libraries.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think most adults could use this book too.

[Jessica Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! In my opinion it's excellent for any age. These are affirmations even adults can practice.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to add this book to my collection!

[Ana Ruiz-Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 2020 nonfiction picturebook provides useful exercises and affirmations for building confidence and self-esteem. This book would be helpful for any age, making it perfect for a classroom library!