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By Kayla Perlstein — 4 years ago

Dear Sounds True Friends,

“Cranky” is a perfect word. It feels like it sounds; the way it forms in your mouth fits the emotion. It’s perfect for that place between truly sad and properly angry, for times when we ought not to get so upset about trifling things, but we can’t help it. At least, not at first.

We’re allowed to be sad when hard times come. We’re allowed to be angry in the face of real injustice. But the papercuts of life? The whacked elbows and burnt toast, the stolen parking spots and somebody-took-the-last-cookie days? Not so much.

We’re supposed to take those moments in stride. We’re supposed to maintain our equilibrium. But moods are unruly and feelings don’t like to be bossed around. “Cranky” is the perfect word for those times when we feel resentful, irritated, and annoyed, but we know our cause isn’t especially sympathetic. When Murphy’s Law strikes, and we’re not yet ready to laugh it off.

I’m supposed to be patient and mature at times like these, but I can be a great big Crankypants. Knowing I’m not supposed to feel cranky only makes me more cranky. Next thing you know, I’m spiraling. (I’m probably the only one …)

cranky right now

Kids are no different. Life in families presents us all with nuisances and irritations. No one escapes a school day or a trip to the store unscathed. Life jostles us, but for kids, whose time and choices are largely directed by others, those feelings of powerlessness, of being managed and judged by someone who just doesn’t get it—and to be fair, sometimes we don’t get it; we weren’t there; we are quick to assume—those feelings can be maddening.

I wrote Cranky Right Now to give kids, parents, families, and teachers a way to talk about cranky times. and especially, a way to laugh about them. Illustrator extraordinaire Holly Hatam’s hilarious illustrations bring the magic. I hope you’ll giggle along with the vexed heroine of Cranky. It’s actually the first step forward. It’s easier to spot the absurdity in someone else’s cranky fit than our own, but the lessons still sink in. Humor is a powerful antidote to being a Crankypants.

cranky right now 2

Sometimes simply having that perfect word, “cranky,” in our arsenal helps. When we can recognize, “Hey, I’m not actually deeply upset right now; everything’s more or less okay; I’m just cranky right now, and it will pass,” we’re already halfway home.

So get ready to giggle at the heroine of Cranky Right Now as she explores strategies for coping with crankiness. They may help the young people in your life. They may even help you. Not that you have a crankiness problem! Heavens, no. It’s those others around you. They started it …

Yours in absurdity,

Julie Berry

JULIE BERRY is the author of many books for children, including Wishes and Wellingtons, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, and Happy Right Now. Her novel Lovely War was a New York Times bestseller, and The Passion of Dolssa was a Printz Honor title. Three things that make Julie cranky are paperwork, chewed pens and pencils, and mornings that come too soon. She lives with her family in Southern California. Learn more at julieberrybooks.com.

cranky book cover

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Setting Intentions to Clear the Mind

By Kayla Perlstein — 4 years ago

Clear Your Mind

Do you ever feel like your brain might burst? Right this minute, my mind is simultaneously processing way too many thoughts:

Need to walk the dogs.

Text my friend back.

Tomorrow’s physics final.

College applications.

Need to make lunch.

What time do I have to wake up tomorrow?

It seems as though my mind is always on overload. But I’m not actually getting anything done. Why is this?

It’s because our brains aren’t meant to hold this much information. Science shows that we can only store a maximum of three or four things at once in our conscious mind, also known as our “working memory.” When we hold on to more than this, our brains become like messy rooms—cluttered and full of junk, so we can’t find anything. No wonder I feel so overwhelmed and disorganized.

clear final

I Intend

Another way we can be clear is by setting intentions each morning. Intentions are state- ments for how we would like to go about our day. Unlike a goal, an intention doesn’t require any steps to reach a certain objective. It’s simply a way to be.

Intentions work like magic. They affect our behavior, how our day goes, and even what things “happen” to us. Here’s how to get started:

Make your intentions at a set time each day, such as right after waking up. Take a deep breath. Notice how you feel. Do you have pain anywhere in your body? What is the first thought that pops into your mind? Is your brain racing with stress or worry? Pay attention to all of it.
Ask yourself, What do I want to bring into this day? Breathe and listen to your body’s answer.
Roll over, grab a pen and notebook, and write down three intentions for the day. Be sure to state them all in the affirmative. (For example, “I will practice forgiveness” rather than “I will not hold a grudge.”) Here is a sample:

I will be patient with myself.

I will listen intently to others.

I will speak out of kindness.

Read over your list. Let your intentions seep in. It might help to read them out loud. When you feel satisfied, seal the practice with another deep breath. Throughout your day, whenever you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed or stressed, think back to those statements.

This is an excerpt from the chapter “Be Clear” from Whole Girl: Live Vibrantly, Love Your Entire Self, and Make Friends with Food by Sadie Radinsky.

Sadie Radinsky is a 19-year-old blogger and recipe creator. For over six years, she has touched the lives of girls and women worldwide with her award-winning website, wholegirl.com, where she shares paleo treat recipes and advice for living an empowered life. She has published articles and recipes in national magazines and other platforms, including Paleo, Shape, Justine, mindbodygreen, and The Primal Kitchen Cookbook. She lives in the mountains of Los Angeles. For more, visit wholegirl.com.

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Raw Blueberry Cheesecake

By Kayla Perlstein — 4 years ago

Raw Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake

From the book, Whole Girl by Sadie Radinsky

Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST

1 ½ cups roasted pecan pieces
2 Tbsp monk fruit maple-flavored syrup or pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

FILLING

2 cups raw cashews or cashew pieces, soaked overnight in 4 cups of water, then rinsed
1 cup freeze-dried or fresh blueberries
½ cup coconut cream, from the top of a chilled 13 1/2-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk
2 Tbsp monk fruit maple-flavored syrup or pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 cup fresh blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS:

CRUST

Line the bottom of a 6-inch springform cake pan with a circle of parchment paper and set aside.
In a high-speed blender, blend together the crust ingredients just until it forms a dough-like consistency. It might help to use your blender’s tamper, if you have one. Do not overblend or it will turn into pecan butter!
Press the pecan crust evenly into the bottom of the cake pan and place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

FILLING

Without washing your blender, combine the filling ingredients (except for 1 cup of fresh blueberries) and blend until completely smooth.

Pour the filling onto the frozen crust and top with 1 cup fresh blueberries. Place in the freezer for approximately 5 hours, or until it’s frozen through.

Using a butter knife, gently swipe around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake. Remove the cake from the springform pan. Slice and serve. Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw for 15 minutes before serving.

blueberry cheesecake

This recipe is featured in the young adult book, Whole Girl: Live Vibrantly, Love Your Entire Self, and Make Friends with Food by Sadie Radinsky.

Sadie Radinsky is a 19-year-old blogger and recipe creator. For over six years, she has touched the lives of girls and women worldwide with her award-winning website, wholegirl.com, where she shares paleo treat recipes and advice for living an empowered life. She has published articles and recipes in national magazines and other platforms, including Paleo, Shape, Justine, mindbodygreen, and The Primal Kitchen Cookbook. She lives in the mountains of Los Angeles. For more, visit wholegirl.com.

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Tahini Chocolate Chunk Blondies

By Kayla Perlstein — 4 years ago

Tahini Chocolate Chunk Blondies

From the book, Whole Girl by Sadie Radinsky

INGREDIENTS:

1 large egg
1 cup tahini
1/4 cup coconut sugar
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350F and line the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and tahini just until combined. Whisk in the coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking soda, and sea salt. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the chopped dark chocolate.
Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake the blondies for 16 to 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and the center is just cooked through. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt, if using.
Let the blondies cool for 10 minutes. Slice them into 9 large squares or 16 smaller squares and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

blondies

This recipe is featured in the young adult book, Whole Girl: Live Vibrantly, Love Your Entire Self, and Make Friends with Food by Sadie Radinsky.

Sadie Radinsky is a 19-year-old blogger and recipe creator. For over six years, she has touched the lives of girls and women worldwide with her award-winning website, wholegirl.com, where she shares paleo treat recipes and advice for living an empowered life. She has published articles and recipes in national magazines and other platforms, including Paleo, Shape, Justine, mindbodygreen, and The Primal Kitchen Cookbook. She lives in the mountains of Los Angeles. For more, visit wholegirl.com.

whole girl book

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Meet the Author of Dinos Don’t Do Yoga

By Kayla Perlstein — 5 years ago

The Author
Catherine Bailey is the author of multiple picture books, including Harbor Bound and Mind Your Monsters. For more, please visit catherinebaileybooks.com.

Dinos Don't Do Yoga Cover The Book
Rex is a dinosaur with a rough, tough crew. But when a yoga-loving dinosaur comes to town, Rex and his fierce friends discover there’s more to strength than big muscles and bad attitudes. This fun-filled story features timely themes about kindness, friendship, and being able to see past our differences.

Has your book taken on a new meaning in the world’s current circumstances? Is there anything you would have included in your book if you were writing it now?

Dinos Don’t Do Yoga was written back during the calm and quiet of 2018. At the time, it was simply a funny story about a grumpy T. rex. Today we are living in a very different world. Things have changed dramatically in terms of how people interact with each other—from social distancing to increased activism.

So now when I read Dinos Don’t Do Yoga, the relationships between the characters are more meaningful. I hope my readers see kindness, acceptance, and connection (in addition to a funny story!). I also hope that the book inspires children to explore yoga as a physical means of dealing with the stress of these crazy times. Yoga is a beautiful way to get back to a happy mental space.

After all, if dinos can do it—so can we!

Q&A image

Send us a photo of you and your pet, and let us know if your pet had any role in helping you write your book!

Here we have a snapshot of the world’s most annoyed cat. I decided to share this particular picture because it reminded me of the Dinos Don’t Do Yoga cover. The illustrator of the book, Alex Willmore, brilliantly contrasted the highly disgruntled Rex (complete with eye twitch!) with his blithely happy costar, Sam. I laugh every time I see that artwork!

The same is true for this photograph of myself and our family cat, Chloe. This picture was taken right after her first (and probably last) bath. In my defense, I only bathed her because she had a small flea problem. She still has not forgiven me.

bailey cat

What is something about you that doesn’t make it into your author bio?

bailey 3

My author biography contains all sorts of fun tidbits, but it doesn’t mention this one cool thing about me: I am kid-sized! By which I mean I’m very short for my age. You cannot tell from (most) pictures, but even though I am an official middle-aged grown-up, I am only 4’8” tall. That is about the size of the average second grader!

So why do I mention it? What’s so great about being super small? Well, a lot of things! But best of all is that it makes me empathetic and mindful of other people’s differences. And that makes me a better writer. For example, it was easy for me to create the characters of Rex (challenged by his petite arms) and Sam (a true “outsider”) in Dinos Don’t Do Yoga. It is true what they say—great things come in small packages.

Dinos Don't Do Yoga Cover

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Meet Hello, Moon! Children’s book author Sarah J Hinder

By Kayla Perlstein — 5 years ago

The Author
Sarah Jane Hinder is a yoga and mindfulness teacher and the illustrator of several bestselling children’s picture books, including Good Night Yoga and Good Morning Yoga. She is also the author and illustrator of Hello, Sun! and the bestselling yoga board book series that includes Yoga Bug, Yoga Bear, Yoga Whale, and Yoga Bunny for children. Sarah lives in Manchester, England. For more information, visit sarahjanehinder.com.

hello moon book cover The Book
Whimsical and playful, Hello, Moon! is both a celebration of the night sky and an introduction to the joys of yoga, teaching children ages 4–8 to breathe, stretch, and relax through yoga poses to wind down at the end of the day.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Alice in Wonderland, written by Lewis Carroll and illustrated by John Tenniel, has to be my favorite book as a child. I loved how the White Rabbit was always late, the hilarious Mad Hatter’s tea party, and how Alice would grow and shrink by eating the Caterpillar’s toadstool.

I loved that Alice was brave and strong, overcoming her fears and solving problems by herself. She meets so many wonderful creatures throughout her imaginative and fantastical journey. I used to dream about meeting the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat and always wanted to save the Dormouse from the teapot. I love a story where the character grows (literally) and learns from her experiences.

Alice in Wonderland

Send us a photo of you and your pet, and let us know if your pet had any role in helping you write your book!

I have two Chihuahuas, who are my artist’s assistants, Paul and Alice. They are always by my side, in front of my face, or standing on my artwork or laptop.

paulie and alice

Paul has actually been a co-illustrator on one of my book covers, Good Night Yoga.

paulie

When my art was propped against the wall, Paul decided to put his paw in my paint palette. He then trotted over to my illustration and pawed paint over it. He likes to get involved, much to my dismay! They also both love to join me during Savasana by standing on my chest and giving me lots of kisses.

good nigh yoga painting

Has your book taken on a new meaning in the world’s current circumstances? Is there anything you would have included in your book if you were writing it now?

There has been more awareness of the importance of mental health in children since the pandemic. Social connection is very important, especially in early childhood, yet children are being isolated from one another. Avoiding each other through fear greatly increases stress in a child.

Yoga and mindfulness can help children develop connections within themselves, using their mind, body, and breath to reduce levels of stress and anxiety.

Hello, Moon! delivers a gentle sequence of yoga poses, moon salutations, to calm and soothe the body before bedtime, a time when fears can appear.

When writing Hello, Moon!, I included a Moon Meditation; however, there wasn’t enough room within the 32 pages of a picture book to include it. I will be adding this as a free resource on my website as a bedtime companion to the picture book.

hello moon book cover

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Sounds True | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Bookshop

children

“Cranky” Is a Perfect Word

Setting Intentions to Clear the Mind

Raw Blueberry Cheesecake

Tahini Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Meet the Author of Dinos Don’t Do Yoga

Meet Hello, Moon! Children’s book author Sarah J Hinder

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