A New Day
By Emmaline Carroll Southwell & Heather Dryden
Reviewed by Mia Macrossan
This book aims to guide young readers when they are feeling challenged by whatever is happening or about to happen in their day. Emmaline, a television personality, says that A New Day was ‘initially created for one of her children who had been having a tough time at school’. She suggests five ways that children can learn to cope: breathing to calm body and mind; look for the good; listen to your gut; show kindness and respect; and finally family connection.
Heather has illustrated and extended these concepts with vibrant colour, using many different family combinations and situations. She shows the children, each from a different background, interacting and demonstrating the five tips. There is no dialogue. The text has an adult voice, although written in the first person.
Parents and carers may find this a useful way to talk about basic life skills with young children.
