In “Honu Helps Kiyaya”, we follow Honu as she works to help her friend Kiyaya who is not feeling like himself. Honu’s character shines and shows what it means to be truly supportive. Honu offers Kiyaya to listen to his inner voice to find what he needs, in order to get past that overwhelmed feeling. Both characters show authentic weaknesses and brainstorm together on techniques to overcome grumpiness. The dialogue is short but to the point, and empathetic. The plot and pacing are just right, and one ends the book with a feeling of satisfaction as the problem is resolved with compassion. The educational worksheets in the end, inspired by children’s real experiences and tips for themselves is a bonus. This book will definitely encourage children and adults to talk about ways to tackle feeling grumpy and overwhelmed.
I award this book 5 stars!
By Sophie Jupillat Posey
