4 out of 4 stars
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The Barnyard Buddies STOP for Peace is a children’s book that focuses on conflict resolution. It portrays the STOP method of resolving conflict through a story based on animal characters, who are friends and live in a Barnyard. On that day it rains and the friends have nowhere to take shelter. They all get soaking wet and angry because one of the animals- King, has taken up all the space there is to take shelter. The animals complain among themselves but that gives them no solution. Their wise Friend Mrs. McCloud, an owl, comes to their aid and tells them about the STOP conflict resolution method.
S- Stop and breathe
T- Tell how you feel
O- Open your mind
P- Plan a deal
The Barnyard Buddies STOP for Peace is an illustrated children’s book; it focuses on mentoring its audience on ways in which they can and should manage their anger and emotions, before addressing the situation that makes them feel that way. I think this is very helpful information to children; the way the book is illustrated is attractive and very likely to grasp children’s attention easily, and influence their future decisions. It’s an excellent choice for a read-out-loud book for parents who want a book to read with their children, that has a moral lesson in it.
I love the idea of oh-so-wise Mrs. McCloud intervening in this situation. I think it conveys a message to the children that it’s a good thing to seek advice, from someone who is wiser and older than them. This is one of the most educating children’s books I’ve come across; it was so much fun to read and I appreciate that. The illustrations are very well drawn; I loved them. I think Jorry Keith, the Illustrator, did an impeccable job with them and drew them in just the right way.
My favorite thing about this book is that I learned some lessons from it too. I think the STOP method would not only be helpful to children but also to people of all age groups. The book also has a lesson that we shouldn’t just assume things about people or read their minds, because this can lead to misunderstandings. This lesson is learned through the animals’ assumptions about King without asking first. It’s always best to ask.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it is an enjoyable read, and the perfect book for children. I love the illustrations and I think the author couldn’t have chosen a better story, or a better way to tell it to deliver the STOP lesson to children. Anyone who reads this book would have a lot to gain from it, but the way the story is written and illustrated is better suited for parents and kids. I love the fact that a simple book has become a whole mentoring program for children. I found nothing to dislike about this amazing book. I therefore recommend this book to children and their parents to read out loud together. I’m sure they’ll have even more fun reading it together.
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The Barnyard Buddies STOP for Peace
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