The Adventures of Theadorable

This book was written specifically to provide children with critical information about health and safety issues, so that they have enough information and skills to make good choices regarding their personal safety and their health. The third story provides children with a way to begin thinking about the future, what kinds of work they might like to do and what kinds of knowledge and skills they will need to learn in order to pursue their dreams. These stories have proven to be powerful tools when introduced in first grade classrooms and sent home with children to read to their families. Through before and after questionnaires and feedback from teachers we saw a dramatic increase in the use of seatbelts, not only by the children, but also by their adult family members. In addition, children learned about how what they eat and drink impacts their mood, their performance in school and how they feel. As one first grade girl was overheard by her teacher saying that she wanted to have "a happy heart". When asked by her teacher what she meant, she said, "If I eat well and drink water instead of soda, I will have a happy heart." These stories give children important information that helps them to become competent in beginning to make decisions about the things in their lives that are, to some degree, in their control. Children are often wiser than we think they are. When given information that helps them to better navigate the choices in their lives, they tend to make good decisions. Theadorable is the teddy bear that coaches the readers to think and act in safe and healthy ways. Because the books rhyme and are colorfully illustrated, children learn to read the text and love sharing what they have learned with others. This book reinforces the desire in children to become better readers, because reading these stories supports their growing competence in the real world and that is one powerfully motivating goal for children.

Marlene Resnick Simons has a long history of working with children, parents, teachers and school systems with a focus on child/family/teacher relations. She has written extensively about how children learn and the magic for children of gaining competence in the real world. Her books focus on providing usable information about health and safety to children in the ways that they learn best. Her books have been introduced in classrooms and then been taken home by children to read to their families. They empower children with knowledge and skills that promote literacy, health and safety, and have proven outcomes. Marlene holds a Master’s Degree in Family Studies from Goddard College and attended the year-long Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, where she was trained in mediation, negotiation and facilitation. She has directed foster care programs and provided training to parents and teachers in Massachusetts and Florida, as well as taught in the College of Education at the University of South Florida for nearly a decade. She is a parent of adult children and lives in Sarasota, Florida with her husband. She is an avid swimmer Publications for adults include: If Only They Came with Instructions, A Guide for Parents Parent Involvement Curriculum for Early Childhood Educators