Gracie's First Day is a fun, rhyming book for ages 3-7 that children will be excited to read over and over. The story follows Gracie through her first day of school where she navigates emotional responses throughout her day. The book deals with common situations children may encounter throughout their time in school. It encourages children to think about how they respond when things don't go quite as expected.
So many books teach adults how to adjust our mindset to have a better life. Through Gracie we are bringing those concepts to our youth. Children do not often get to choose what activity comes next in their school day, but they can absolutely choose how they respond to the situations that arise.
The premise is described by success writer Napoleon Hill:
"Within every adversity is an equal or greater benefit.
Within every problem is an opportunity.
Even in the knocks of life, we can find great gifts."
Our hope is that the next generation will learn to overcome adversity without having to unlearn detrimental habits as we adults often have to do. Our book teaches that there is always a different way to look at any given situation. We can focus on what we might be missing out on, or we can focus on the opportunity in front of us. We can focus on the problem, or we can focus on the possible solutions. We always have a choice.
Gracie allows herself to feel disappointment and sadness in the moment. All of her feelings are ok. And in the next moment she recognizes the opportunity in front of her. She realizes that she gets to choose. When her seat is taken at lunchtime, she isn't sure what to do. She could become upset and try to get her chair back or she could use the opportunity to meet someone new. She shifts her focus and has a great conversation with a new friend.
"Gracie's First Day is a generous tool for parents and educators to demonstrate the power of emotional awareness and decision making. The rhyming cadence and beautiful illustrations will entertain children while providing a thoroughly relatable role model who navigates challenges children face on a daily basis."
--Michael Gurian, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Minds of Girls, and Founder of The Gurian Institute
Gracie's First Day:
- Teaches resilience in the face of adversity.
- Guides children to recognize their emotions and overcome initial negative thoughts.
- Shows that positive reactions can lead to unexpected benefits like new friendships.
- Emphasizes the benefits of meeting new people.
- Demonstrates how stepping outside our comfort zone often leads to the most positive outcomes.
- Shows how thoughts and focus are powerful tools in our daily lives.
No matter what happens, our mindset is our choice.