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Shame.

It’s such an overwhelming stomach-churning terrible feeling, that can be so quick to rear its nasty head, particularly when you are young and vulnerable.

Alex and the Shaming Monster is a charming picture book that deals with this very issue, helping children understand that shame, like a scary monster appearing inside us and around us, as if out of nowhere, can not only hurt but cause us to want to hurt others, in a misguided effort to pass on the shame. Which ends up making us only feel so much worse. (Particularly when the one we are hurting is as lovely as Alex’s wonderful mother, dancing and pirouetting in a heart-tugging attempt to help cheer him up).

In this bright and beautifully illustrated picture book, Alex learns to first recognize and then question his own shame and what it seems to be asking him to do. And then, with a flash of insight, Alex realizes he can tame it – he can only feel the shame if he lets it in.

The author tackles the subject with insight – the classroom situation which sparks Alex’s initial shame, as well as Alex’s reaction to it, will resonate with any child, setting the tone for a engaging and valuable read.

I enjoyed this lovely little book and recommend it to monster-taming children (and their parents) everywhere.

A big thank you to the author for an advance review copy of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.