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Jonsey The Purple Frog: Discovers a fun Healthy Lifestyle
Jonsey, the Purple Frog, is ready for race day. After filling up on a load of sugary foods and drinks, he hopes to easily win this race. He is convinced that stocking up on sweets will push him over the edge, and he will swim faster and farther than any of his friends. Once the race begins, poor Jonsey quickly realizes that all the practice in the world wasn’t enough to bring home the win. He cannot figure out exactly why he is so tired and why he was left lagging behind every other racer.
Jonsey the Purple Frog Discovers a Fun Healthy Lifestyle, by Rohan Jagarlamudi, is a brilliantly illustrated children’s book that promotes healthy eating through its central character Jonsey, a vibrant and memorable character. Jonsey’s story jumps (no pun intended) right to the point, with a swim race ending in disaster and many questions. The author makes an immediate impact with Jonsey and his unhealthy approach to eating. Young readers will quickly begin to recognize the connection between consuming too many sweets and a lack of energy.
Throughout Jagarlamudi’s book, readers will learn alongside Jonsey as he finds out how specific foods provide vitamins and minerals, energy, and build muscle. Jagarlamudi’s book is a health lesson neatly folded into an engaging and visually striking picture book. Young readers will enjoy watching Jonsey share his newly-acquired knowledge with a friend in need. Sharing is caring, and Jagarlamudi has done an excellent job of meshing this lesson with the book’s overall theme.
Discussing eating habits with young ones can be quite a challenge at times. Jagarlamudi makes this task much more accessible and entirely enjoyable by introducing parents and little ones alike to a lovable cast of characters and a very happy ending!
Pages: 24 | ASIN : B0CB785CY6
Everyone Processes Information Differently
My Brain is Magic: A Sensory-Seeking Celebration follows a little girl who explores her senses in a creative and fun manner. What was the inspiration for your story?
My inspiration is my daughter. She’s now five years old, but the book was written when she was two; we just started her assessments with medical professionals for her neurodiversity diagnosis. I wanted to give her an easy way to communicate her sensory needs to me so that I could help her to regulate and fulfill those needs.
I wanted to remind myself (and her) that everyone processes information in different ways, and that should be celebrated. I wanted to focus on how she learns and processes information from the environment and show it in a positive light. By using animals, children can verbalize and easily express their sensory needs to grown-ups, who can then help them to meet those needs. For example, I feel like an octopus, I want to touch things, or I feel like a lion, I want to be loud today.
As a two-year-old, she had a limited vocabulary, but all kids that age are familiar with animals, so that’s how the book came to be.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
Sensory seekers are individuals who have a strong desire for sensory input, such as movement, touch, and sound. They may seek out intense sensory experiences and engage in behaviors such as jumping, spinning, or touching objects with different textures, so I wanted to write something that helps parents and educators to provide those inputs in a safe and meaningful way. Educators might not be aware that a child has additional sensory needs, so the book provides a way for kids to communicate this and also the jacket cover and endpapers have sensory ideas for grown-ups to help facilitate these needs. I wanted a resource that is easy for parents and educators to pull out and really practical ideas to incorporate into daily routines.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about neurodiversity and sensory processing?
A common misconception about neurodiversity and sensory processing is that sensory sensitivities or challenges are simply a matter of preference or overreaction. This misconception can lead to the belief that individuals who experience sensory processing differences are being difficult, dramatic, or seeking attention. It’s important to look at these behaviors and examine the reasons why and how we can help kids meet their sensory needs. Once these needs are met, they often find it easier to regulate their emotions and behaviors, and this facilitates their learning.
In reality, sensory processing differences are neurologically based and can significantly impact how individuals perceive and respond to sensory stimuli. Neurodivergent individuals, such as those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, or sensory processing disorder (SPD), may have heightened or diminished sensory responses, which can affect their daily lives and interactions.
What is the next story that you’re writing, and when will it be published?
I have a board book called Counting to Calm due out in 2024, also with Soaring Kite Books. It’s a picture and counting book on self-regulation for toddlers. I also have a middle-grade fiction book due next year with Dixi Books set in an ecotopian future.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram
This sensory-seeking celebration shines a light on neurodiversity and sensory processing in a fun and action-packed way for all children to enjoy.
My Brain is Magic: A Sensory-Seeking Celebration
Every child is different, and they all experience different moods as well as explore their senses in their own way. My Brain is Magic: A Sensory-Seeking Celebration by Prasha Sooful introduces different fun sensory exercises as animals such as a bee, a sloth, or even an owl. These are meant to help stimulate kids and keep them aware of their senses, and we see an example of this through our main character. As she is going through her own different moods and exploring her senses in her own ways!
This book is very unique, and just seeing the first page of “What animal are you?” was very exciting. I loved reading through each animal and learning new sensory exploring techniques. As I read through the story I felt like I was transported into a child’s world, seeing her imagination and how she functions through the day.
Seeing her go through moods of being a busy bee, a tired whale, and even a loud lion was nice as it showed the truth of how you may feel. Seeing how each of her moods explored her senses was also fun, as we got to see her being a touchy octopus with her hands or a slippery fish playing in the water.
The drawings throughout the book were definitely my favorite part, as it was full of color and life, and all the characters had so much emotion. It really makes the reader feel like they are transported into this child’s world!
My Brain is Magic: A Sensory-Seeking Celebration by Prasha Sooful is a wonderful picture book and a must-have for parents! I had so much fun reading it, and I know any kid would love to read it as well. Especially with the activities it comes with for your own child to explore their senses. This children’s book is full of bright illustrations and fun writing. It’s one of the best books I’ve read all month!
Pages: 32 | ASIN : B0BNT5YKGH
LITERARY TITAN 