I Can Do Hard Things / Yo Puedo Hacer Cosas Difíciles (Bilingual English and Spanish): (Bilingual English and Spanish) Mindful Affirmations for Kids/ Afirmaciones Conscientes Para Niños

by Gabi Garcia, Charity Russell (Illustrator)

Introduces children to the practice of listening to their quiet voice inside and using mindful affirmations to support them in navigating hard situations.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Self Help, Nonfiction, Mental Health

38 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Gabi Garcia is a mama, Licensed Professional Counselor and former teacher who believes that empowering children to tune into and trust their bodies is a lifelong gift. She has worked as a therapist in a variety of setting for over 15 years and currently works as a public school counselor.

Gabi agrees that we teach what we most need to learn, and she always has better days when she listens to her body. She lives with her family in Austin, Texas.

Reviews

[Gustavo Gomez]

This book shares what all kids can do. Their are so many things children can do that they think they can't do, but this book shows what every body can do. This book is a well written text. The text shows that anyone can do anything. On page 7 the text shows and says that anyone can do anything that they are afraid to say. Saying no or standing up to someone is something everyone can do. I can see this book fitting in a reading time. This can show that the students can do something when they see something wrong. It might seem hard to the students, but its really easy.

[Evelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mindful affirmations go a long way for children and adults. In the book, I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids by Gabi Garcia, kids can build resilience, confidence, and emotional strength. The story is told in different scenarios children encounter situations and having them recognize their feelings, face challenges, and believe in their abilities to handle difficult situations. This is a children’s motivation and information book that supports emotional awareness and self-empowerment. It teaches children to recognize their own strengths and capabilities when facing challenges and to ask for help when needed. The book also reminds children to notice their feelings and thoughts without judgment and respond with kindness and calmness. This is a WOW book for me because, as an adult, I need a reminder that “I can do hard things.” Life gets in the way, and we get sidetracked or let fear stop us from doing what we need to do. It can also be used by multiple people, like teachers, counselors, and parents, to make our inner voices strong!

Even though this book is short and sweet, literary devices are still used effectively throughout. Garcia uses repetition, like “I can…,” at the beginning of most of the sentences. This repetition can reinforce the positive message and build confidence in young children to make positive choices. It also makes it memorable for them. Symbolism is used by the phrase “hard things,” representing the challenges a child might face. Furthermore, it symbolizes the everyday bravery children must find inside themselves to do the things that are normal. This is an anti-bias book because it uses inclusive language that represents diverse identities and feels welcoming to all children. “You can do anything you put your mind to, even the hard things.”

[Leticia Garza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes life has a mind all it's own, and we never really know what's going to happen. Sometimes, it's overwhelming and our feelings get the best of us, this makes things difficult, especially for kids. I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids follows in the footsteps of children as they deal with the hardships of childhood, while trying to stay strong and promote positivity in their own lives.

Gabi Garcia, creates an all inclusive and diverse piece of literature that allows it's readers to learn and understand as well as identify with it. According to the article written by
Frank SerafiniLindsey Moses, this book could fit into several of its roles in the classroom. However, I feel like two stand out the most and would be more appropriate to classroom use given the context of I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids. These classroom roles as defined by Frank SerafiniLindsey Moses's article are that using literature studentss are able to gain new insights and understandings about different people, circumstances and feelings that can cross cultures, and races, promoting tolerance and inclusion. This can be seen in I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids as children are depicted in several different colors, shapes, looks, and abilities all in different settings as well as stating "I get so many messages about how I should be. Pulled in different directions, I feel wobbly." Another classroom role that Gabi Garcia's book includes is how books read aloud allow students the opportunity to express their ideas and allows them access to more sophisticated texts and stories. This promotes the broadening of vocabulary, and increased understanding in how to use such words allowing students the abilities to better express themselves in discussions. Examples of this are spread throughout the book when Gabi Garcia uses words like "brave", 'kindness", "community", "appoligize", "feeling" and "point of view", words and phrases like these may be new to some students and can help them improve their vocabulary as well as learn new words to help themselves understand and explain themselves if necessary. According to Children's Literature, Briefly, chapter 1, books like this increase our reading skills and general knowledge, without being aware of our growth, and this book is an example of that.

I found reading I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids, interesting and appealing. I liked how Gabi Garcia made use of several different types of children in her book creating an all inclusive world and the positive message she reinforced throughout the text. From the eyes of my seven year old, the colors held her captive as she nodded along in agreement as we read each page.

There are several books simmilar to I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids, if this one sparked your interest read Unique and Wonderful orSmall or Tall, We Sparkle After All: A Body Positive Children's Book about Confidence and Kindness. Enjoy!

[Tim Buchko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Affirmations are a great way to have kids learn to be themselves. This information book allows the reader to show resistance, self-love and to have positive thinking. This book allows children to build self-confidence and learn how to control difficult situations. Themes that can be picked up from this book are self-compassion and mindfulness. Being self-compassionate can help them when they are going through stressful situations and it is important to take care of yourself. Mindfulness can teach children that you should keep a level head when in stressful situations and that you can work through the problems. This book is a WOW book for me because there is nothing but good information for a child in the book. It teaches strong points about being nice to everybody and most importantly nice to yourself.
Teaching children how to understand their emotions and control them is beneficial to them. Having confidence through affirmations can assist them through their childhood. Literary devices in this book include Rhyme and Simile. Ryme is used on most of the pages to attract the reader's attention and allows the children to remember the affirmations. Similes are used when the author compares things using like or as so that the reader can understand the affirmations more easily. This book is nonbiased due to the author using all different people of races in the illustrations. It sends a universal message to all people. This book is a great book that I would have my future kids read when they are growing up and going through school because school with give them a lot of adversity and challenges and these affirmations will help them grow as a person.

[Zeinab Metawea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever been overwhelmed with feelings of insecurity? If so, try to engage in daily affirmation to repair your confidence and self-love. This book shares negative thoughts that many of us may have about ourselves. The key to overcoming this are positive affirmation. The text shows how to do this, and instances where you many need to use them. This is an informational book discussing the importance of self-respect. The theme is to learn to make yourself feel validated especially with all the emotions you experience. Also, steps you must take towards building confidence. This is the most unique book I’ve read as it’s the first time reading a book on positive affirmations, making it a WOW book.

I love how the author starts off with negative affirmations first to make them rise to the surface. It makes the reader feel seen as many of the thoughts in the book are ones that we have ourselves. Then it starts to shift to positive affirmations, uplifting the mood. I also love the level of diversity the book focuses on. It included disabled characters, people of color, and all types of people of faith. This elevates the quality as kids may feel a sense of representation reading this book. Lastly, there is no indication of bias as it represents everyone in a respectful manner.

[Jessica Trujillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids written by Gabi Garcia and illustrated by Charity Russell is a wholesome book that shows students the importance of believing in ourselves. The affirmations in this text show diversity among people and situations which will be beneficial for children to see.

According to Serafini and Moses (2014) in their article The Roles of Children’s Literature in the Primary Grades, one role this text could play in the classroom is to allow students to have a vicarious experience through this book. The authors state “these vicarious experiences allow children to develop a sense of empathy for other people and understand their own lives in more meaningful ways”. This can be seen in this text because of the diversity within the illustrations and affirmations. Students are able to see protagonists which are also children accomplish and overcome obstacles depending on their mindset. This can then help our students to place themselves and others in the shoes of the characters to develop empathy and understanding, both for themselves and their peers.

For teachers interested in using this book in their classroom, here is a link for a read-aloud which can be projected on your Smart Board. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=retSV...

[Trevor Persons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Can Do Hard Things is a contemporary informational book that teaches children that they can be strong. This book is short and sweet and is about how no matter how hard one thing could seem to be, you should stay strong and continue to try. The message of the story is clear but very important, that is, no matter the challenge, you should carry on because you can do challenging things. This is a WOW book for me just because of the message alone. This message is important and I feel like many people struggle with this and teaching children at a young age that no matter the challenge they can do it is something I believe is crucial and important. Literary devices aren't used heavily in the book, but one device is used more than most that being repetition. The phrase "I can" is used almost throughout the whole book and the reason it is used is to make the reader feel empowered and that they can do anything. The writing craft is also very good because it really makes the reader feel empowered building off the idea that the reader can do anything. Anti-bias language is used a great amount during the book. The book shows many people from different walks of life and doesn't leave anyone out. Furthermore, no hurtful or any biased language was used at all during the book.

[Eve Costarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Can Do Hard Things by Gabi Garcia
Gabi Garcia has done it again! I Can Do Hard Things, which comes in an adorable mini tote bag along with two affirmation posters, is an engaging and relevant picture book that combines a simple story with strong positive affirmations to help kids deal with every day stressors, some large and some small. The illustrations depict a beautiful rainbow of diverse characters using positive affirmations to accept feelings, try harder, not being afraid to fail or stand up for what is right and all-in-all learning to embrace uniqueness and acceptance is supreme. A major take away from this book is that what you say matters, whether it is to yourself or to someone else and above all, be kind.

I highly recommend this book to families and school communities alike. Libraries should have a section for mindfulness books specifically aimed at children. I know I am going to embrace this book and share it with the children I have the opportunity to work with through my children's yoga program. Its fun and engaging nature make it an easy fit as a gateway into mindfulness for young children.

¡Olé Namaste! Eve Costarelli

Thank you to Gabi Garcia for sending me a copy of this book. All opinions stated are my own.

For more information about my accessible mindfulness/yoga/dance program, please visit https://alwaysbedancing(dot)wordpress...

[Maha Hafeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book ‘I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids’ is an amazing motivation book written by Gabi Garcia, emphasizing all the things humans are capable of. In this book, Gabi Garcia narrates how she doesn’t always feel brave and confident. Sometimes, so many thoughts pop up in her head, thinking about who she is. When she experiences this, she likes to listen to the voice inside of her. With this, she connects to the love and strength it brings and remembers that she can do hard things. The story goes on to list all the things she is capable of, like being a friend to herself, she can ask for help, she can believe in herself, she can say no to her friends, she can apologize, she can care for her community, she can just be herself. Realizing that what's hard for her may not be hard for others. Trusting her voice helps her find her way, growing braver and stronger every day. Remembering that she’s ready to face the hard things, and so is everyone else. In addition, I believe the two major themes in this book were resilience and confidence. I believe resilience is one of the themes of this book because of the way Gabi overcomes her fear of thinking she is not capable of anything. At the beginning of the book, she starts by not feeling brave, confident, or strong, believing that it's easier to follow others along. However at the end of the book she realizes that everyone is different, stating that “You are you…and I am me”, “We walk through the world differently”, trying to imply that even though the days she had a hard time trying to figure out who she was, and trying to be like others. She learned to listen to herself and figure out who she truly is. Another major theme is confidence. At the beginning of the book, Gabi didn’t have much confidence in herself, as she said, “I don’t always feel brave, confident, or strong. Sometimes, it’s easier to follow others along.” She felt like that because she thought she had to be like other people, but once she decided to pay attention to her voice inside, she realized she could do so many things. Like when she said, “I connect with the love and strength it brings. It helps me remember: I can do hard things.” Confidence is emphasized throughout the book, and it shows how to believe and not give up on oneself. As it says, “I can believe in myself”, emphasizing that if to believe in yourself and you will always find your way. Additionally, the main genre of this book is informational. Through reading this book, children could learn words of affirmation and confidence. This book teaches children many words of affirmation that are important for them to say to themselves every single day. By reading this book, they will learn what words of affirmation are and how to use them in their everyday life. Not just kids, but many age groups struggle with affirming themselves and believing in what they can do. So reading this book reminds children of all the things they are capable of. Another lesson children could learn is to gain confidence. This book teaches children how to believe in themselves, and reminds them that they are who they are, and should not want to be like someone else. It teaches children that they can do so many things like: trying again and not giving up, speaking up when it would be easier to stay quiet, learning to apologize, and listening to understand different points of view. It’s a great way to learn different types of confidence skills and how to find them in their everyday lives. Moreover, this book was a WOW book for me because I loved the amazing affirmations it included, and it taught me how to be confident and true to myself. I wish they had books like this when I was a child, because these are amazing books to gain confidence. Also, the beautiful illustrations of different types of people, finding their style, showing emotions, finding their talent, empathy, and lastly, the globe with everyone walking on it is amazing. The illustrations are very meaningful.

Two of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were repetition and rhyme. Repetition is used in this book with every sentence starting with “I can…”. For example, it started off with saying, “I can be a friend to myself”, “I can feel all my feelings”, “I can ask for help”, “I can try again, rather than give up”, “I can believe in myself”, and so many other pages giving examples of what Gabi can do. Another literary device used is rhyme. Rhyme is used by ending the sentence with a word that rhymes with the previous page's last word. For example, “Hard things can be about what we think, feel, say, or do”, then on the next page it says, “What’s hard for me may not be hard for you”. So the words “do” and “you” are the words here that rhyme. Another example is “The tough stuff I face is all my own”, then on the next page it says “But I can also remember I’m not alone”. The words here that rhyme together are “own” and “alone”. These literary devices added to the quality of the writing in this book by repetition, helping to catch the reader's attention, making the “I can” memorable, and reminding the reader that they are capable of doing anything. Rhyme helps add quality to the book by making it more engaging to read, and also picks up the reader's attention, like how I was looking forward to seeing what words would rhyme on the next page. Furthermore, I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it shows diverse people throughout the whole book with different backgrounds, ethnicities, and races. Also, there were all positive affirmations portrayed throughout the book, and no negativity at all.

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mantra Mania

I wish mantras were a bigger deal when I was a kid. This book is full of some great ones. Mantras may be a little hippie, but I believe it is important to combat the negative voices that naturally seem to creep in. I love the wide variety of children represented in the illustrations.

[Ayesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful and helpful book about positive affirmations! I Can Do Hard Things is honestly a really great book for people in their early 20s, an age where people often struggle with their identity. In this book, the narrator begins by talking about not feeling confident or brave. They talk about how it is sometimes hard for them to know who they are because they are influenced by everyone around them. When they don’t feel strong, they listen for their inner voice, and it guides them. It helps them remember that they can do hard things, be kind to themselves, feel their emotions, ask for help, not give up, and believe in themselves. It helps them stand up for themselves, set boundaries, and better connect with people. It reminds them that they can choose kindness and peace. Listening to their inner voice and trusting it helps them become braver and stronger. They continue, talking about how everyone is unique; Everyone faces their own difficulties and challenges, and they can all use their inner voice to guide them. Although we face our difficulties alone, we can remind ourselves that everyone is facing their own battles, so we are not alone because we are all dealing with something. Listening to your inner voice helps everyone do hard things. The major themes in the book were confidence and resilience. The theme of confidence is demonstrated through teaching children to rely on their own inner voice, instead of listening to what others have told them to be. It is also demonstrated through repeating “I can…” statements, because believing that you can is the most important step in achieving anything. The theme of resilience is demonstrated through teaching children that they can rely on themselves and their inner voice when things get difficult in life, and to always keep going forward. The main genre of this book is informational. Children reading this book could learn inner strength. This book teaches children that they are capable of handling difficult situations, and inspires them to keep on trying and never give up. Children reading this book could also learn positive self-talk. This book emphasizes using kind words with yourself, which helps children build confidence and emotional awareness. This book was a WOW book for me because I loved reading all of the positive affirmations. I have struggled with my confidence and self-esteem for a long time, and I know that positive affirmations are a very beneficial tool in increasing your confidence. The affirmations remind me to consciously listen to my thoughts to make sure they are all positive and eliminate any negative patterns of thinking.

One of the literary devices the author used in writing this book was repetition. The author repeated “I can” several times in the book when saying affirmations, to remind readers that they really are capable, and they must believe that they are. This literary device added to the quality of the writing in this book by making the affirmations more effective and engaging for young readers. Another literary device the author used in writing this book was rhyme. Many of the lines rhymed with each other. This literary device contributed to the quality of the writing in this book by making it more engaging for readers, and making it more memorable. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because there were no stereotypical characters. In addition, the illustrations included people of all races, colors, backgrounds, religions, and cultures. There were no negative portrayals and nothing racist in the book. One illustration even showed two girls holding hands.

[Justin Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I Can Do Hard Things" is a children's book written by Gabi Garcia. It that emphasizes the importance of perseverance and self-confidence. The book highlights a multitude of simple motivational phrases that can help give a child the confidence they need to overcome any sort of challenges or drawbacks they face.
The major theme in the book is the power of positive self-talk and the idea that with determination, we can overcome any obstacle. The girl in the book repeats the phrase "I can do hard things" throughout the story, and talks about the various hard things that she has to do, and how she can do them all, which gives her the strength to keep going and never give up.
The main genre of this book is Informational texts.
Through reading this book, 2 lessons I can teach children are the importance of resilience, determination, and positive self-talk. The book teaches and reminds children that it's okay to struggle and make mistakes, as long as they keep trying and believe in themselves. The book encourages them to always believe in themselves and use positive self-affirmation to convince them that they have what it takes. I think these are great lessons that a child can take from this book as it helps set them up for success in their future when they face hurdles, and gives them the strength and confidence to keep going.
This book was a WOW book for me because it uses simple language and relatable scenarios to convey a powerful message about resilience and self-confidence. I find this book amazing because of how simple and straightforward it is. The book has no plot, context, characters, or anything of the sort, all it focuses on is providing positive affirmations to those reading it and giving them the confidence and strength they need. I believe the best part about this book is how it does not need to be a children’s book. I believe the lessons imparted in this book applies to everyone and anyone can stand to benefit from it, adults too. I myself could feel my confidence increasing as I read the book and it made me feel like I could achieve anything too if I put my mind and effort into it.

The author uses repetition as a literary device throughout the book to reinforce the idea of positive self-talk. The phrase "I can do hard things" and “hard things” is repeated multiple times, which emphasizes the fact that the girl has hard tasks ahead of her and she can do all of these hard tasks, which in turn gives the reader the confidence they need to do it too.
The author provided anti bias perspectives in this book by promoting the idea that anyone can achieve their goals, regardless of their background or circumstances. The book includes a variety of characters from a variety of backgrounds but does not highlight any specific one, each of them are able to work together and achieve their goals. The one main character in the book is a young girl, which I believe could also be done to challenge gender stereotypes and encourage young girls to believe in themselves. The book overall just provides a simple message of affirmation that anyone can achieve what they set out to do, if they commit the required effort and believe in themselves.

[Rachel Eberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a summary of what happened in the book I Can Do Hard Things by Gabi Garcia and Charity Russell. At the beginning of the book, numerous children express hesitation when talking about themselves. They find it hard to be the person everyone wants them to be and sometimes they are not confident and brave. However, when they take some time to listen to that voice inside their heads they realize that they can do hard things. The book continues to list affirmations that the children say to themselves to make sure they can do whatever they strive to do. One of the major themes in the book was we can do anything we put our minds to. I think this is a great theme to teach children because we want them to grow up confident in themselves. We want them to achieve great things and not have to hide the person they truly are. The main genre of this book is informational because we need to be informed of the support and encouragement we need to give ourselves. Through reading this book, I learned that what is hard for one person may be easy for another. I never really thought about this before because I just categorize us all as humans. But I think it's important to let children know that we all have strengths and that we are great because of them. I also learned the great power of self-talk. When you practice positive self-talk it’s easier to get through a challenging time. In general, it makes us feel more confident which in the end makes us more motivated to be ourselves. This book was a WOW book for me because I loved the message and the simple power behind it. We can do anything we put our minds to and it only takes us to believe it.
A few of the literary devices the author included in this book were repetition and rhyming. We hear repetition when the children state the affirmations. The repeated phrase is “ I can…” and this gets said numerous times. An example of rhyming is when the author isn't stating the repetition phrase they rhyme the rest of the book. An example from the book is “ trusting my voice helps me find my way, I grow braver and stronger every day.” I would consider this book to be an example of an anti-bias book because it brings people from different backgrounds together. Its illustrations are diverse and it is very welcoming for everyone to read.

[Athicha Asawatungsathian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can do hard things by Gabi Garcia is an empowering book that aims to inspire children to believe in themselves. The book is about a girl named Gabi who faces various challenges throughout her day from forgetting her homework to being excluded by her peers, she learned that the overcome those obstacles by reminding herself that she can do hard things and that she is capable of overcoming anything with determination and perseverance. The genre of the book is motivation and information book. Because of the book we need to be informed of the support and encouragement we need to give ourselves. Throughput this book, children can learn the importance of life skills such as self-confidence and perseverance. The book encourages children to embrace challenges and not to be afraid of making their own mistakes. The theme of this book is kindness and empathy towards others. Gabi learns to show compassion towards her peers who have excluded her in the past. This book is my WOW book because it provided an empowering message that can be inspiring for everyone and how this can be helpful to children who can use this example to navigate through their life. Being to be able to fight through the challenges of fear can make a lot of things easier in life.


The author used a variety of literary devices to convey the message of the book by having repetition, rhyming, and colorful illustrations. The takes away is the importance how embracing challenges and having a growth mindset in life. And also to be able to overcome your personal growth. The book emphasizes the importance of self-love and self-care. This book can teach children o take care of themselves physically and mentally. The writing craft is the use of repetition and simple language to make it understandable for all ages. The book does not include any harmful stereotypes or languages therefore it’s free of bias and applicable to all ages.

I recommend this book to everyone. This book can be used in the classroom to teach children about a growth mindset and to encourage them to embrace challenges in life.

[Regina Tijerina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book displays young children who are learning how to be positive or do positive things. Children think they are not capable of doing something, but they are! and this book helps affirm that.

The role that this reading could play in a classroom is a supportive one. The diversity within the text, meaning of the story, and the illustrations are a few factors in why this book would be in support of the children in the classroom and for their experiences in the outside world. Frank Serafini and Lindsey Moses stated in an article "These vicarious experiences allow children to develop a sense of empathy for other people and understand their own lives in more meaningful ways." Young students or children are still learning on how to love and understand themselves. Just because school is a place to learn about subjects such as mathematics, reading, science, and social studies, that does not mean this place is subjective to just those things. For instance, Just reading a book such as this one will allow the students to creative positive mindsets or change their negative way of thinking about themselves or others. I Can Do Hard Things plays a role of support not only in the classroom but outside of it as well.

The intended audience for this reading would be kindergarten-4th. This is a perfect reading for your classroom and even at home to read about the uniqueness in yourself and in others. For kindergarten through 2nd grade, this text would fit well in a shared reading because the students will be able to interact and give their opinions of the text. As for 3rd and 4th grade, this book would work well in an independent reading with a mini-discussion with a group afterwards, the students will be able to make personal connections as well as talk about others' experiences. Overall, a touching reading and meaning for children!

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a common thought that kids don’t go through many hard things because they are young and their parents mostly do everything for them but that is far from truth. In reality, and this book it shows that kid’s go through many trials and errors, but the author has a positive spin on it and adds new perspectives. Major themes in this book were inner strength/ self-empowerment and growth mindset. They way inner strength / self-empowerment was shown was by having that inner voice in us that helped them face challenges with courage and confidence. They way growth mindset was shown was by endurance and persistency. The main genre of this book was informational. Through reading this book children will learn that hard things can be about what we think, feel, see, or do, and something that’s easy for you might be hard for me and vice versa. This book was a WOW book for me because it is so powerful not only to kids but to adults because it speaks directly to them and empowers without pressure. Repetition was the first literary writing craft technique the author used, this was shown by repeating the phrase “I can do hard things” and this enhanced the book by reinforcing the central message and helping the readers internalize it. The second writing craft technique used was the language, the simple, clear, and child-friendly language enhanced the book by making it accessible and easy so children can understand the deep concepts of this book. I would consider this book to be anti-bias because it was inclusive of all races, body types, abilities, and gender expressions.

[Keiani H · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's something that’s hard for you to do in life? Even if you are older things such as apologizing can be hard to. This book is about those particular things that may be hard for you but not to another person. Overall, regardless who you are or what those things are you can overcome it and essentially you can do the hard things. The main themes in this book are courage, strength and connection. Understanding what those hard things are can be a step into overcoming the hard things and turning them into something that comes easy. The main genre of this book is informative. Children can learn to understand their feelings about something that is hard for me to do, such as apologize when they are wrong and overcome that. Also knowing that you are not alone when it comes to those hard things. This is a WOW book for me because it made me realize there are hard things I can do, because specifically I have a hard time apologizing.
A few of the writing techniques the author used to enhance this book is showing different ethnicities throughout the illustrations between the kids. This makes it, when reading to children, feel included with every point the author is trying to get across. I would consider this to be an anti-bias book because of all the type of children out there in the world they included, from disabilities, to ethnicity, to culture.

[Kelsey Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

All kids should hear affirmations to know they are capable. In this book, it is all affirmations about how we can do hard things because we are strong individuals.
The major themes in the book are self-empowerment and resilience. self-empowerment is shown through reading the book and saying these things to yourself; discovering your strength, and the resilience is portrayed through the words and illustrations that explain how it is fine to be brave and learned from your mistakes.
The main genre of this book is informational.
Children reading this book could learn how to have a positive inner voice and deal with difficult emotions by using these words and following them with actions.
This book was a WOW book for me because of how positive the messages are for anyone who reads it.

Two of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were repetition through the "I can" making the affirmations more likely to stick with the reader, and metaphors when the reader talked about the voice inside. These literary devices added to the quality of the writing in this book by making it more relatable.

I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because the phrases are neutral enough to help anybody.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things I like about this book:
1. The author, Gabi Garcia, is a LPC with 20 years public school experience
2. The illustrations feature individuals of all races and ethnic backgrounds
3. The illustrations feature individuals with different abilities
4. The vocabulary is simple and straightforward.

I was perplexed with the writing style. The book begins with sing song rhymes that just end. The affirmations throughout the book feel disjointed. Halfway through the book I started to think this book might be a total flop. But then the clincher…”You are you, and I am me. We walk through the world differently.” A second reading felt a little smoother,but this is still not stellar writing.

5. I also like the teaching guide located at the end of the book. If used for small group or individual counseling, this section could be reviewed prior to reading the book to ensure students have an understanding of what an affirmation is and the act of mindfulness.

I’m interested in viewing the additional resources located on the author’s website that extend this book.

Audience: age 6-11

[Nicole Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this poetry book because it encourages students to be confident and connect to the power they have within. This book is good for grades K-5 and teaches mindfulness and compassion. The words in this book rhyme and uses very uplifting words. The illustrations in the book are beautiful, diverse, and multicultural. The book also talks about having the courage to speak up, saying no to friends, practicing kindness, and many other issues children face in the world today and how they can respond. Some of the activities that we can do with our students include having students create a poem about themselves, focus on phonics skills using the rhyming words, have students create a summary of the book haiku style, use this book to practice fluency, and so much more.

Fun fact: I had to buy this book and just did! :) I want to share it with my two children and my future students. Such a good reminder for us all and it seems great for adults too!

[Edom Ayele]

"I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids" is a nonfiction book for ages 3-7. In my opinion, this book is really good for kids. It talks about how children can practice using mindful affirmations for support and encouragement when they need it. Children can learn a lot from this book they can learn mindful affirmations can help children tune out the streams of messages they get about how they should be in the world so they can listen to their inner voice and how they can learn to tap into their inner strength and find the encouragement they need. The message/ theme of this story is for kids to gain confidence and truly believe in themselves. This book is a WOW book because this book can help kids speak when it comes to their minds and learn that they shouldn't be scared to do so. I would say that this book would go for "Children and Adults Engaging in Actions for Change" because when I saw what it meant I thought of this book.

[Haley Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This piece of informational text, shares a story of how all of us can try and do different things. It doesn't follow a particular character, but rather has a different face on each page. This shows how the main idea relates to everyone. The author uses rhyme scheme to pull the reader in to the idea. It allows a younger audience to understand the concepts of the courage of trying new things. It is also in short phrases so that same younger audience can keep those phrases to themselves and apply them to their day to day lives. The book shows no bias as each children in the illustration has different ethnic appearances and the writing doesn't point to any specific type of child. Children can learn valuable lessons from this book that show them that even when they haven't accomplished something, it shouldn't stop them from trying.

[Hannah McMullin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children represented through different cultures and ages, remind the reader of mindful affirmations. Each page is an affirmation how it is okay to set boundaries, and be who we want to be.
This book and its illustrations help build the idea of individualization further. Each page features children of different ethnic identities and religious affiliations. It allows children to find themselves within the book and identify and connect with the characters.
I give this book a 5 star rating because of how encouraging it will be to kids. Kids will be able to read this book and identify with the characters as well as be able to build boundaries around themselves. They will begin to know that they can express their own feelings or hobbies.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What we tell ourselves matters! This is just as true for kids as it is for adults.

Help your child tap into their inner strength and find the encouragement they need to navigate their daily environments.

Mindful affirmations can help your child tune out the streams of messages they get about how they should be in the world.

I can choose kindness.

I can practice peace.

I can share my gifts with the world.

I Can Do Hard Things is a perfect addition to your home or school library. Parents and educators can find free resources to accompany this book at http://bit.ly/gabigarciabooks.

[Kally Conto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can Do Hard Things, in my opinion is a great book for many reasons, from the diversity inclusion, to the illustrations. The overall message of this message is for young people to have the understanding of " I matter" and to have voice. My favorite quote from this book is " I can Choose Kindness", this stood out to me so much because I feel that the world today needs for kindness and acceptance of all people, include ourselves. One thing that I wish that was included was more creative ways of adding the text into the book, I felt as if there was beautiful pictures and the text was put where ever it fit.

[Eleanor Wint · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful writing
I gave this 5 stars for many reasons. Gabi Garcia seems to have a knack for finding the everyday situations that children find themselves in. She uses this in her books and uses the concept of mindfulness effectively. Children can read this book and relate to the times they have felt 'wobbly' or 'peaceful' or 'that they can be themselves."
The book captures the nuances of the different cultures and the illustrations show a wonderful sense of humor.
I hope she continues writing.
Only thing, I still have a problem with the size of her text in her book.

[Alexandria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about reassuring you with the right to use your voice even in uncomfortable situations. It motivates the reader to recognize their own capabilities and establish boundaries. I believe this text to be a Window Text, because of its ability to showcase people handling different situations. A window text is defined as book that gives us the opportunity to witness people, cultures, and experiences that may or may not match our own. #OURNEARPOD. this was able execute this by demonstrating different people in different scenarios. Additionally, this book did not have a main character

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another great social/emotional book full of affirmations that relate to kids. The illustrations are bright and lively, depicting kids making hard choices, like listening "for that quiet voice inside" and being "a friend to myself". The book is written by a school counselor who clearly understands the point of view of children as well as their ups and downs. This is a great selection for one-on-one therapy, classroom interventions, and perfect for families.

[Jerri Jerreat · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book full of thought provoking lines. If only I had had this myself, to read over each September, or to share with my kids as they went through difficult times!
I read this with my grade 4/5 students, and they each chose a line or two that spoke to them to write down and mull over. You could read one per day or week with a class.
I found the lines comforting, encouraging, myself. Read about the author too, for your enjoyment.

[Andrés · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers a variety of situations that any child can face. The accompanying illustrations of diverse children match the hard things: being a friend to one's self, feel all my feelings, ask for help, etc. The rhyming did drop off, and this book was a collection of different ways to be, but I think that's the point, and the guide at the end helps parents or kids learn what to take with them from the book.