Title: Mikey Helps Toot-Toot

Sub-Title: Personal Development for Children Series - Positive Thinking - With supporting notes for parents / teachers and children

Authors: Amal & Santa Simothy, Hitul & Seema Thobani

Illustrator: Anca Budeanu

ISBN: 978-0-9563260-0-3

Publisher: Kidz4mation

Genre: Fiction / Children

Presentation: Soft cover, illustrated and plastic coated

This booklet is one of the six booklets and deals with the power of positive thinking. Mikey wants to play with his friend Toot-Toot (the baby elephant) but Toot-Toot is sad and depressed. When asked for the reason, he says he does not know. "I don't know Mikey. I just feel sad," said Toot-toot. "I want to be happy, but how can I?"

Mikey's friend Genie comes as usual for help. He suggests to Toot-Toot to think of something that makes him happy. Toot-Toot loves his ground nuts (pea nuts) and follows Genie's advice.

Mikey was happy that he had helped Toot-Toot.

This booklet and two more titles, "Mikey Aces His Test" and "Mikey Says 'I Can Do It'" are closely inter-related and talk of the power of positive thoughts, positive attitude etc. To the children, of course, the different stories help in reinforcing the concepts but the parents and caregivers may be forgiven if they feel confused about the need for three booklets on one idea.

The printing and the illustrations are on par with the remaining booklets in the series (very good). The booklet is recommended alone or as a part of the whole series published by the same team. 

Title: Mikey Says 'I Can Do It'

Sub-Title: Personal Development for Children Series - Overcoming Limiting Beliefs - With supporting notes for parents / teachers and children

Authors: Amal & Santa Simothy, Hitul & Seema Thobani

Illustrator: Anca Budeanu

ISBN: 978-0-9563260-2-7

Publisher: Kidz4mation

Genre: Fiction / Children

Presentation: Soft cover, illustrated and plastic coated

In this booklet, Mikey overcomes his fears and doubts about climbing to and playing on the top branches of his friend Tiggle, where his other friends Jake and Louie. Mikey wants to follow them but is afraid and overcome with self doubts. His friend Genie comes as usual to Mikey's rescue and teaches Mikey the power of thoughts and beliefs and how negative thoughts can be overcome by positive beliefs. Here is a short excerpt from that booklet:

"So Genie, are you saying that it would help me if I told myself that I could climb to Tiggle's top even if I felt that I couldn't?" asked Mikey.

"Yes Mikey!" replied the Genie. "When you do that, you will feel happy. That's when the magic inside you starts to happen!" JUST FEEL THE MAGIC AND TELL YOURSELF YOU CAN DO IT!" 

Well, as expected Mikey believes in his friend Genie and through the positive affirmations, starts feeling better and climbs to the top of Tiggle to join and play with his friends. 

The printing and the illustrations are of the same standard as the other booklets in the series. 

I was wondering about the need for this particular booklet and how it is different from the other booklets "Mikey Helps Toot-Toot" and "Mikey Aces His Test" since those booklets also deals with self doubts and the power of positive thinking and positive affirmations. To the children, of course, it is another story and helps reinforce the concept. 

Recommended for children and their care givers. 

Title: Mikey Takes a Moment

Sub-Title: Personal Development for Children Series - Meditation and Relaxation - With supporting notes for parents / teachers and children

Authors: Amal & Santa Simothy, Hitul & Seema Thobani

Illustrator: Anca Budeanu

ISBN: 978-0-9563260-4-1

Publisher: Kidz4mation

Genre: Fiction / Children

Presentation: Soft cover, illustrated and plastic coated

In this delightful and in my view, most useful of the series booklet, Mikey and his friends are taught a technique to relax and be calm through music and visualization. Pari, the Peacock is known for keeping calm amidst all the chaos of the modern world and at the request of class teacher, Mr.Nutwell, the Owl, she shares her techniques for meditation and relaxation with the children. 

Restlessness and stress are known to reduce the efficiency of learning and working. Meditation, visualization etc.  esp. when accompanied by soothing, relaxing music are known to be very effective in helping people, including young children calm and stress free. 

Breathing plays an important role in stress reduction and the authors could have covered that too. 

The illustrations and printing are as usual good. 

The booklet and in fact, the whole series (of 6 booklets) make excellent reading for children and their caretakers. 

Title: Mikey Aces His Test

Sub-Title: Personal Development for Children Series - Positive Attituide - With supporting notes for parents / teachers and children

Authors: Amal & Santa Simothy, Hitul & Seema Thobani

Illustrator: Anca Budeanu

ISBN: 978-0-9563260-3-4

Presentation: Soft cover, illustrated and plastic coated

In this booklet, Mikey prepares well for his school test on the subject of forest history, but is worried that he won’t be able to remember what he read. Thus he is anxious and is unable to relax and play with his tree friend Tiggle. His friend Genie comes as usual to his help and advises his young friend to practice the principles of positive affirmations. He suggests that Mikey write down a piece of paper that he is going to remember all that he studied. He also advises Mikey to imagine that he has done well in his test and that he has passed the test! Mikey does as suggested by Genie and thanks to the power of suggestion, affirmations, positive thinking etc., does very well in the test.

Mikey is very happy and suggests to his friend Toot-Toot to follow a similar technique for his future tests.  

I felt that he could have shared the secret before the test and saved Toot-Toot the bother of a reexamination but then I realized that  boys would be boys!

The power of positive affirmations is nicely brought out in this delightful story. However, the authors could have cautioned the parents and the children that these work only when the preparatory effort has been put into any work or test and not otherwise! As presented, it gives an impression to the child that there is some sort of a magic formula available to ensure success, while the truth is that the magic lies in hard work and self belief. 

Another great booklet for young children and their caregivers. 

Title: Chik-Chick's Cap

Sub-Title: Personal Development for Children Series  - Raising Self Esteem - With supporting notes for parents/teachers and children

Authors: Amal & Santa Simothy, Hitul & Seema Thobani

Illustrator: Anca Delia Budeanu

Publisher: Kidz4mation
ISBN: 978-0-9563260-5-8

Presentation: Soft cover, illustrated and plastic coated

This particular booklet is on the theme of accepting oneself, having a good self image and raising one's self esteem where needed. Chik-Chik the rabbit has one ear missing and felt that she was ugly and tried to hide her problem by wearing a cap. However, Pari, the peacock, school friend Mikey, the monkey and Tiggle the tree help her accept herself by accepting her as their friend. 

The printing is excellent - colorful, eye catching, on good art paper, plastic coated to withstand little grimy hands! The illustrations are good. Contrast between the background illustrations and the text could be better (through a different selection of shades and colors probably). 

The authors rightly bring out the importance of having a good self image and the need for self acceptance. The book helps children and parents, friends etc. to appreciate how they can help raise the self esteem and thus help those in need. 

Recommended for children and their care givers. 

Title: Tiggle Takes off

Sub-Title: Personal Development for Children Series - Gratitude - With supporting notes for parents/teachers and children

Authors: Amal & Santa Simothy, Hitul & Seema Thobani

Illustrator: Anca Delia Budeanu

Publisher: Kidz4mation

ISBN: 978-0-9563260-1-0

Genre: Fiction / Children

Presentation: Soft Cover colorfully illustrated and plastic coated

This particular booklet is on the theme of being thankful, gratitude. Mikey (the monkey child) goes daily to play with his favorite tree Tiggle, but does not think any time of thanking his friend. One day, this gets to Tiggle and Tiggle starts weeping at the way he is being ignored by his friend. His friend Genie agrees to have a talk with Mikey and instead of preaching the morals and thus putting off his friend Mikey, Genie adopts a rather novel, practical approach to bring home the lessons of being thankful, being grateful, not to take one's blessings for granted etc. Needless to say, the story ends on a happy note and both the friends Mikey and Tiggle are very happy.

The printing is excellent - colorful, eye catching, on good art paper, plastic coated to withstand little grimy hands! The illustrations are good. However, I could not but help noticing something interesting - both Mikey and Tiggle are very happy but they forget to thank their friend the Genie! This just goes to show the difficulty in being thankful all the time!

The authors rightly bring out the importance of being thankful for all the blessings in our life in their note at the end.  But the real power of gratitude comes out when we start being grateful for everything around us, the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly... May be they could revise their advice in the next edition.  

The booklet will make excellent reading for children and their caregivers.