Janey Just In Case Book Tour
Cover Blurb
Tomorrow is Janey's first day of school and worries are falling heavily on her shoulders.....
Waking early, she packs her back pack adding a few extras ....just in case!
After all, you never know what you might need for your first day of school.
Follow Janey as she grows in confidence, and self-belief and discovers the beauty of friendship.
Other Titles By the Author
Mandy Woolf
Author Bio
Mandy Woolf is an award-winning author, who has a passion for writing children’s books and is inspired by her own children and the children that she teaches. Her stories promote self-belief, confidence, friendship, kindness, and above all, hope. With enchanting characters and amazing illustrations, Mandy hopes that her stories will encourage children to communicate with each other, solve problems, believe in themselves, imagine, and dream.
Her books include – The Janey Series, including, Janey Just in Case, winner of the Clara. J Johns Literary Awards, and Just Janey’s Way, winner of the Literary Titan Gold book award, which also received a Readers Views Five-Star Award and a Readers Favourite Five-Star Award. She also writes the Toy Library Series, which includes Bertie the Bouncy Beachball and coming soon, Bertie’s Christmas Adventure. All her titles have remarkable characters, such as Janey, Mai, Sam, Ben, Sophie, Bertie, Rosie, Esther, and Grandpa Nathan, that children will grow to love and remember forever!
Mandy was born and raised in London where she lives with her family and two dogs that she adores. She is a Montessori teacher with over 25 years of experience. Her favourite things to do (when she’s not writing) are family time, cooking, looking after her dogs, and reading amazing books.
The Book Tour
Day 1 - Favourite Quotes
Day 2 - Character Summaries
Janey: I loved the character because I think we can all identify with the fear she is facing; we all dreaded our first day at school. In fact, I believe it is something we carry into all unknown territory in our adulthood. (Anne Rucroft)
Janey: Janey is the main character in this delightful children’s story. She is a character which I believe many children will resonate with, as she begins her first day of school. Throughout the story you can see her flourish. She is very kind and helpful towards her peers. She shows great strategic methods to cope with her anxiety and stress and she helps to show the author’s intended audience that these feelings are more than normal! (Bronwyn McKay)
Janey: What an adorable young girl she is! Sensitive, sweet, and kind, my heart went out to her from the opening line of the book. She obviously suffers from anxiety, hence her wanting to do things “just in case”. Her difficulties turn into positives however, when her careful preparation allows her to help out other children on multiple occasions. (Michelle Marshall)
Janey: Janey is the main character of this delightful little story about a little girl’s first day at school. Because it’s a picture book, we don’t need a lot of physical description, but we do need to get to know her emotionally. Author Mandy shows us this by describing Janey’s nervousness about starting school. As readers, we empathise with Janey as she over prepares herself for any and every eventuality she can think of, including extras that a little girl really won’t need. However, at the end of the day, we find out just how much of those little extras … just in case … Janey needed, and how having these extras helped Janey successfully navigate her first day at school. I loved this little book, and Janey’s character is totally believable. Just like millions of shy little girls starting out on a new adventure. School! (Phoebe Wilby)
Janey: I enjoyed the character of Janey. Her anxiety about her first day of school is certainly relatable, but she uses that anxiety to prepare, and when she has the opportunity to show generosity, she does so. She learns a lesson about herself and uses what could be a negative reaction to create more opportunities to help others. (Tim Marshall)
Janey: Janey is such a sweet and thoughtful little girl. She has worries about starting school, which is a common worry amongst children and by showing her great journey through the first day, this is a great book for every school-bound child. Janey is very relatable and likeable instantly. The illustrations are superb, and perfectly compliment the story. I like that it is shown that her family helps her through her nerves and the walk to school with her very heavy bag full of just in case goodies. (Yvonne Marrs)
Janey is a sweet and caring character which every child will relate to and want to emulate. She sets a positive and powerful message to children in learning to face and overcome their fears, with ideas of how they can do this through a little forethought, planning and preparation to ease some of the anxiety of the unknown. (Kirsty McKay)
Day 3 - Favourite Excerpts
I particularly enjoyed the part when Janey meets a new friend. When she managed to utter the word that breaks all ice: “Hello.” It’s when all barriers are overcome. (Anne Rucroft)
Her tummy felt fluttery, her hands were sticky, her head was spinning. (Mandy describes Janey experiencing anxiety so well. I think this is such an important subject to feature in a children’s book, to help them understand that this is a common experience and one that can be shared with others. Michelle Marshall)
A girl sat next to Janey; her backpack full. She held her delicate hand out and offered Janey a banana and some chopped carrots. “I’m Ella, shall we swap? I brought lots of extras…” “Just in case?” smiled Janey. (Phoebe Wilby)
Janey looked at her breakfast and… Her tummy felt fluttery, her hands were sticky, her head was spinning. She couldn’t eat anything! “Let’s pack your snack instead,” whispered Daddy. (Tim Marshall)
"Janey felt calm, her words flowed with ease and her tummy was hungry!" (Such a description applies to many youngsters who suffer from anxiety at school or home. With "her words flowed with ease", you know that she has had a good day. Something every parent wishes for every child! Yvonne Marrs)
That night Daddy made his favourite macaroni cheese for dinner. Janey felt calm, her words flowed with ease and her tummy was HUNGRY! She asked for a GREAT BIG SLICE! (Kirsty McKay)
Day 4 - Video Interview
Day 5 - Reviews
Overall rating: 5 stars. A delightful children’s story that all children young and old will be able to relate to. The horror of that first day at school is a feeling that most people will have experienced at some point and the author captures this emotion wonderfully. (Anne Rucroft)
Overall rating: 5 stars. Janey Just in Case’ is a wonderful children’s story that shows a very charming young girl who is about to embark on an exciting yet nerve-wracking journey, her first day of school! This title is filled with warmth and sensitivity and young readers are taken on an emotional ride as they join Janey in navigating the anxieties and preparations that come with an important milestone, like starting school. The author captures the mixture of excitement and nervousness that often accompanies these life events, which makes Janey a character of which children of all backgrounds can truly resonate with. The underlying message of embracing change and being prepared for new experiences shines through. (Bronwyn McKay)
Overall rating: 5 stars. absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Everything about it works perfectly for me. The main character is appealing and relatable, the author expresses an important issue without ever preaching and the illustrations that accompany the story are beautifully orchestrated. I would recommend this book to parents and children to help them understand issues of childhood anxiety and that whilst this can be challenging, it also can be a trait related to sensitivity, which has its upsides too. (Michelle Marshall)
Overall rating: 5 stars. Woolf’s delightful story, “Janey Just in Case”, perfectly captures the essence of a little girl’s anticipation, excitement and even fear about her first day at school. Janey’s interaction with her parents and her new classmates is believable and cute, and shows young children how it can be done, without dismissing their very real fears of facing the unknown. Elmira Georgieva’s colourfully eye-catching illustrations complement the story and will capture the imagination of the young child. This book should be in every home to help parents prepare their children for that transition from home life to school life. I only wish this had been around when my own children and grandchildren were starting out at school. (Phoebe Wilby)
Overall rating: 5 stars. Just in Case is a sweet story about a young girl who struggles with anxiety about her first day of school and her decisions on how to cope with the feelings that it causes for her. In the end, she learns to work with her unique approach to not only gain confidence for herself, but also to help others. A great story and an opportunity to discuss mental health with early readers in relatable terms. (Tim Marshall)
Overall rating: 5 stars. illustrations for Janey's first day at school are superb - colourful, clear and bright. The storyline is very important for every child of Janey's age, and well written. I'd say this is a book which is a must read for any parent with a child starting school soon. I hope there are more books by this author and illustrator! (Yvonne Marrs)
Overall rating: 5 stars. A beautifully illustrated and well written children's story with a character that children will resonate with and learn from. This book is a must have to add to your child's collection of favourite stories and one that will help prepare children for their first experience of school. (Kirsty McKay)
Book Tour Reviewers
