Today I have read one of my favorite spiritual children’s books, “Cassandra’s Angel” written by Gina Otto, illustrated by Trudy Joost and published by Illumination Arts Publishing. Please check out Illumination Arts Publishing for they publish many wonderful spiritual books for children which can be hard to find when you want them.
Children’s self-images are strongly influenced by the attitudes and beliefs of their parents, teachers and peers. Unfortunately, these beliefs often become negative stories that can impact children for life. This powerful tale helps children to perceive these stories in a different light.
Cassandra’s Angel is about a little girl who is very precocious and creative, so much so that she doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere. People all around her in her life tell her she is not good enough in different ways. They think they are doing the best for her but truly they are hurting her mentally and emotionally. Even the best parents do this at times. Plus, our kids are bombarded by these attitudes at school by other kids, teachers, aids and principals. We cannot always control the actions of others towards our children but we can help our children to think for themselves and not take in everything that others say as truth.
As one reads the book, Cassandra’s Angel, it is an excellent reminder for us parents and caregivers about how we speak to our children and how much our words and attitudes truly do affect them. But, by reading this book with them, allowing a lot of conversation and interaction, it gives us a chance to talk openly about these issues and maybe even apologize for those times when we have done this. We can talk about what kinds of situations, stressful ones mainly, that would cause someone to say hurtful things to others. It give us a chance to help them feel good about themselves and talk openly about the “scripts” that others try to put on them.
The more you read this book with your child, I believe, the more help it will do, them and you. As I loan this book out to my clients or students with kids I continually hear what a positive influence it has been for them and their children. The book has a very happy ending with Cassandra’s guardian angel coming to talk to her. I love the poem the angel has to help Cassandra with her self-confidence. Also, the illustrations are beautiful, engaging and keep the children’s and adults interest. The faces were intriguing to me and I found myself looking back at some of them again and again to investigate their expressions. Very beautiful book in the visuals, the poetry and the moral of the story all put together.
If you are close by you may want to borrow the book from me to see if your child vibrates well with it. But, overall, this is one book I recommend having in your library to read continuously. Our children are around this kind of talk by others so often that the book and the message will need to be repeated often, both for them and for YOU as the parent.
I give this book 5 of 5 STARS!
