Bedtime Stories for Hard Days (Scott Stuart, Bright Light)

Scott Stuart is a children’s book creator and speaker whose mission is to empower kids beyond gender stereotypes and toxic masculinity. He first became famous on social media for encouraging his son to be true to himself and supporting him in dressing up as the Disney princess Elsa. This became the inspiration for his best-selling book My Shadow Is Pink, along with other favourites such as Brain Is (Not) Always Right and How to Be a Real Man. His latest book, Bedtime Stories for Hard Days, is a collection of poems that address either a difficult emotion—sadness, fear, anxiety—or situation that children may encounter, such as ‘When You Feel Like Your Best Is Just Not Enough’. There is also more of Stuart’s trademark championing of being yourself in the poem ‘When You’re Afraid of Being Your Unique Self’. Stuart’s gentle language, simple metaphors and rhyming couplets invite young readers to feel, accept and then let go of intense emotions in order to relax into bedtime and start tomorrow afresh. His watercolour illustrations of friendly cartoon woodland animals will have the same calming effect on a child as their favourite stuffed toy. While the book is great for solo reading, stories like ‘When We’ve Been Arguing’ and ‘When You Need to Feel My Love’ are best shared, aiding communication between parent and child during the time of the day when articulating feelings might be most challenging. A salve for little souls, these stories will uplift and calm, alleviate and reassure. Perfect for children aged 2–10.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Jacqui Davies is a writer, reviewer and library officer living on the Limestone Coast in South Australia. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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