Oh, the nostalgia! The colorful books that made exciting bedtime stories and took us on a sweet journey to dreamland! 

To this day, I chuckle when I remember Goldilocks saying, "Ahhh, this porridge is just right." How my eyes light up at the thought of a nice warm bowl of oatmeal (or porridge lol). It really is just a friendly feeling. That is thanks to an amazing, beautiful, simple picture book! Goldilocks and the Three Bears!  

Today, on National Children's Picture Book Day, we celebrate these exciting memories that we can all relate to because of the magic that children's picture books are. These are the same books that give our kids the time of their lives and teach them essential values in fun ways.

Here are a few tips on letting go than can help you and your children: 

On this day, we stay thankful for the immense benefits of picture books. So, we'll round the celebrations off by reading our kids a picture book that helps them deal with one challenge that they may be having, fear. 

But first, did you know that April 2nd is National Children's Picture Book Day because it's also renowned fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday?

Okay, now you do. Happy National Children's Picture Book Day!

Why Should You Read to Your Child?

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." ~ Albert Einstein

There are many reasons why reading picture books to our children is necessary and not a luxury.

According to research, reading to children improves their creativity, expands their vocabulary, and aids cognitive and language development. It also helps their socio-emotional development and equips them with memory-retention skills.

Reading to children also teaches them all the essential life lessons in the simplest ways. For example, an adventure story about overcoming uncertainties or fear can teach your child that everyone goes through fear and they can overcome it by evaluating what fear looks and feels like to them. Parents too! 

Let's Talk About Fear  

"What at first may seem alarming, in the end, will be clear. Sometimes if you look deeper there may be nothing at all to fear.” ~ Mona Symone

When it comes to children, fear can be so crippling that it interferes with their daily lives, play, and sleep. I know this because I experienced it firsthand with my son, who when was little would constantly creep into bed with me. After all, he was scared... Let's explore. 

When children are afraid, their vivid imaginations can quickly turn shapes and figures into creepy shadows. And it becomes easier for their minds to turn the sound of wind whistling in the night or shadows from tree branches illuminated on the wall and interpret these harmless things as scary.

The key to overcoming this type of crippling fear is helping your child see that nothing is always as it seems. Our worst fears are the worst liars of all time, and we can prove this by just being brave and taking the next step regardless of how we feel. The solution we need is usually on the other side of fear... bravery. 

Fortunately, I was able to help my son understand this, face his fears, and tackle the unknown through effective communication which lead to one awesome picture book (One Brave Knight)! 

Helping your kids deal with fear starts with getting them to talk about what frightens them. Then, you can let them know you understand them. from there, create a plan on how you can tackle the problem.

The problem is that sometimes, your child may know what scares them but don't have the right words to explain it. Reading helps this process by improving their language and exposing them to words that best describe their fears.

My understanding of the importance of reading and my son's experience of dealing with fear allowed me to create this book which visually shows children that fear can just be an illusion! 

One Brave Knight: How Your Kids Can Overcome Their Fears and Stand Up For Themselves  

It’s a terrifying feeling when a child first sleeps alone. Nighttime can play tricks on them; it’s frightening and chilling to the bone.

One Brave Knight is a captivating children’s story of when mom turns off the light and a brave little boy, Jasiah, goes on an adventure on one scary night.

After being tucked into bed, Jasiah is filled with terrifying fear as he notices spooky branch shadows on the wall and creepy sounds from the neighborhood. Instantly, he leaps out of bed to grab a flashlight that will help him sleep alone.

One night his flashlight disappears from his closet and inside is now a yellow slide. What should Jasiah do? Should he go down? He decides to face his fears to see where this magical slide will take him.

He is taken on a wild adventure in which a valuable lesson becomes dear.  

Jasiah encounters a dragon and cannot help but be brave. He moves further and discovers that the scary creature was in pain and wasn't out to hurt him; his fear only existed in his mind. 

This magical book empowers kids to face their fears! It’s perfect for children struggling to go to bed by themselves. It's tough for a child to see creepy images and hear creepy sounds at night. Adults still struggle with this feeling (Is there someone under the bed?)! 

One Brave Knight's key character, Jasiah, goes through those exact same feelings but in the end, he goes on an incredible adventure where he realizes: What at first may seem alarming, in the end, will be clear. Sometimes if you look deeper there may be nothing at all to fear.” 

Children who read 'One Brave Knight' understand that success starts when they take a bold step, look deeper, and discover that there's nothing to fear. You can get a copy of One Brave Knight on Amazon to see all the ways Jasiah conquered his fears and how your child can too.

Fear doesn’t also form from an imaginative mind; fear also comes from the fear of bullying which he also had to deal with. I've written about this personal story in my article, A Time to Fight Back. 

Conclusion 

First celebrated in 1967, we commemorate National Children’s Picture Book Day to spike our kids' interest in reading and learning. We can leverage the opportunity to gift them picture books that teach them how to deal with the unique challenges they're facing. 

Pick books filled with fun pictures and simple words. It's a fun way to instill values and coping strategies to help your kids grow.

National Children's Picture Book Day is also an opportunity to spend some time reading books to your children to improve your relationship and creativity. Especially, One Brave Knight. Get your copy on Amazon today!

What books will you be reading to your children today and why? I'd love to know in the comments. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and join our Facebook Group!