The Secret Words

by Dominic Anglim, Marta Magnuska (Illustrator)

Rija the Aye-Aye lemur lives high up on a canopy tree on the beautiful island of Madagascar. Everything was going fine until one day, Rija was too afraid to step outside her comfort zone and try new things. In The Secret Words , kids will climb along with Rija to reach the top of her goals and discover that if you believe in yourself and never give up, you can accomplish anything. In The Secret Words , Rija learns that the 4 secret words to unlock her success is to tell herself, “I can do it.” After all, believing in yourself comes first. Then, focus on learning from your losses. Even if you fail the first time, it doesn't mean that you won't eventually succeed so choose to try again and remember that you can do anything. As Rija swings through the vines and steps outside her comfort zone, she discovers that you may have to swing through challenges and failures to get to where you want to be! But fear not. Use your inner strength and know that you can handle it. Children will be inspired by Rija's determination to try new things with confidence using the 4 secret words. Here, at Puppy Dogs & Ice Cream, we believe that children's books are more than just stories - they're vessels of inspiration, education, and imagination. Read other best-selling children books from Puppy Dogs & Ice Cream like Fiona Flamingo, I Believe in Me, Zen Pig, Pyra, and The Brave Little Crab.

Genres: Childrens

34 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2021

Reviews

[Jorge Shaft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your book is adorable Dominic, and was very fun.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to love about a book with the same theme as The Little Engine That Could?

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of a group of 10 books that came highly recommended to purchase as a set. Evidently, the set of books together had found to have great impact on students who had difficulties with social interactions. When I find the article, I will include the link here.

The Secret Words was a great read. The main character learns the to say the words "I can do this" before something challenging, instead of saying "I can't do this". As a result, she is able to accomplish a lot more at home, in school and in sports.

This would be a good book to read to help students reflect upon when they can change their mindset to help them overcome challenges they frequently cros..

[Mabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can do this!

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Publisher Puppy Dogs and Ice Cream is promoting bundles of books for mental health, anxiety, and emotional leaning for kids. Unfortunately, many of their books are not targeted to a specific age group, and are kind of meandering or dull.

In this book, Rija the Aye AYe lives in Madagascar with her heteronormative family. She always thinks "I can't do it" and can't do anything right, from climbing trees, to tests at school, to playing tennis(?). One day, she has to jump up to save her younger sister from a fall, and decides "I can do it". With her new mantra, she is suddenly able to all of the things she couldn't do before.

There is a LOT of text for a picture book. The pictures are cute, but not remarkable.

[Abby Peskin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet but simple book describing the power of words to keep us from what we want to accomplish (when the main character at the beginning tells herself "I can't do it!") and the power of words to also allow us to accomplish our goals once we replace the self-critical words with words that encourage ourselves to try (e.g., "I CAN do this!").

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute!
Powerful!
Thought provoking!
Amazing illustrations!
Well written!
Brilliant!

[Chad Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl learns a secret to successful endeavors is optimism