Brad was Sad by MC Goldrick #AuthorPost #Giveaway
Today I am welcoming the author, M C Goldrick, who has written Brad was Sad, a picture book for young readers about feelings. I also have a great giveaway and the chance to win a paperback copy of Brad was Sad. (Open to the US/Canada only)
Did Brad's dad make him sad? Brad thought he had...until his
dog, Plaid, proved he could choose his outlook & feel glad.
Kids learn best through stories. Empower your child to own
their feelings with this beautifully illustrated picture book by award-winning
author, M.C. Goldrick.
Brad's dog Plaid shows him how to feel and deal with
emotions. Though Brad is having a bad day, Plaid shows him that it's in his
power to choose his perspective and his feelings.
Welcome to the blog. It is lovely to have you here to talk about feelings in babies and children, as it is such an important part of Brad was Sad. Over to you!
Feelings
are our first language. Before we can speak, we feel.
It’s easy to see if a baby is happy or sad.
When they are pleased, they smile and laugh, cooing adorably. When they are
upset their faces redden and contort, they scream with abandon.
Eventually the baby, grows into a child who
can express those feelings through words. But sometimes those emotions are hard
to describe. Children, and adults, often struggle to not only convey but also to
understand their emotions. Expressing love and happiness is easy, but when we
feel a negative emotion such as sadness it becomes more complicated.
Oftentimes, hard feelings are avoided. For
example, we can learn that to be mad can cause others discomfort, so that we
don’t express that emotion as readily. Other times we find that we must
escalate our reactions to get others to notice and hear our needs. It is
confusing, at any age.
Through my writing, I intend to assist
young and old alike to navigate this emotional territory with ease.
My first books, the TIMEFLIES juvenile
fiction series, are about kids who travel through time as houseflies. They
observe their ancestors as flies on the wall. While they learn about science,
history, and geography through their adventures, they also learn about
something even more valuable: empathy.
Empathy is innate, but like a muscle grows
stronger or weaker dependent upon use. They best ways to strengthen empathy is
to model it for our children and through reading. These are the overarching
themes emerging from my writing, authentic emotional intelligence and fostering
empathy.
In my latest rhyming picture book, Brad Was
Sad, Brad first believes his sadness was caused by his family. His father
yells, his mother is grumpy, his sister teases him and he decides that this is
the worst day ever. He is convinced of his need to remain in a foul mood.
That is until the innocent wisdom of his
puppy dog, Plaid, shows him that he need not remain sad. He observes Plaid
bounce back from sadness and realizes that he himself holds the key to his
outlook. It’s important to note that he does not discount his initial reaction.
He knows that it was natural to have sad feelings, but he also learns that he
is not stuck. Plaid shows him that he can move through them and choose
happiness.
This is something we all can do. It is
something that takes practice and patience. When we have a difficult experience
the tendency can be to allow it to pull us down and to compound the initial reaction.
But with an empowered perspective we all have the capacity to choose how we
wish to proceed.
I regularly engage in resetting my outlook.
It’s can be as simple as saying “Nope, I
choose happy instead.”
When my children were younger and prone to
meltdowns, I was often tempted to join them. It can be a challenge to remain
balanced around people who are freaking out! When I found myself starting to
match their discord I would play a fun game. I would comically press my nose
like button. I would make a silly buzzing noise and say “Reset.” It made them laugh and reminded me that I could choose.
That we all can. We just need to interrupt the pattern and make that choice.
I love writing about feelings. Although
words cannot accurately convey the deep and diverse sensations that come
through our emotions, it is something I like to do. That is, in its essence,
what any art form is doing. Be it painting, music, or writing, art is a way of
expressing emotions.
Through writing, I get to feel the range of
emotions the characters experience. My intention is to help people experience
emotions in healthy and balanced manner.
Thanks for reading about my writing. I am grateful
to be of service to those who “feel” even a little bit better from my books.
Wishing you good feeling days and the ability reset as needed. Aloha!
M.C. Goldrick
Award-winning Kid-Lit Author
Thank you so much. I love the idea of 'resetting your outlook'- I will have to give it a try!
About the Author
Award-winning author & mother of two, M.C. Goldrick sees
feelings as our first language. Through her books she helps us identify and own
our emotions. Her acclaimed Juvenile fiction series TIMEFLIES is an example of
how stories can both enrich and entertain. She lives in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
with her family.
About the Illustrator
Rebecca Alexander, mother of two now-grown-up boys, is an
accomplished artist with a private gallery. Her work has been featured on
Canada Post Christmas Cards & stamps. She lives in St.Catharines, Ontario,
Canada.
Thanks to M C Goldrick and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a place on the event.
Giveaway (US/Canada only)
To win one of three paperback copies of Brad was Sad, just follow the link below and good luck!
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