Shape It, Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It

In Kindle format the text is very small. There is a typo and I'm not fond of the part where the kid dives into 3 ft of water. That seems like something the author should have flagged. The info about the brain is great but it should be formatted to showcase the illustrations.

I found that both children and adults learned a lot about themselves and they were pleasantly surprised by the ease in which they made this discovery, due to reading ,_" Your Fantastic Elastic Brain".

I love the explanations without dumbing anything down. A bit tedious for a read aloud, but definitely great information. I used it in my classroom to teach growth mindset and have really seen a huge difference in attitude, effort, and vocabulary.

I love this book and so does my toddler daughter. The illustrations are captivating while the information is interesting and in most cases new. The idea that the brain is stretched and grows by making mistakes is one that kids need to hear. As a teacher I see a lot of kids who are afraid of being wrong or afraid to try something new because they are worried they might not know how to do it, which I think is sad. Kids are learning and will make mistakes it's an essential part of life and if they can learn that is good to try new things and make mistakes life will be a whole lot easier for them. My two year old loves pronouncing the different parts of the brain and I think it's adorable. A great book. I recently bought a copy for my classroom and for my nephew.

My students loved this book! They appreciated that it talked about the different areas of the brain, and this book can be used to talk about a growth mindset. I love that it talks about stretching your brain, which is what I tell my students when I give challenging work.

Carol Dweck's research on fixed vs. growth mindsets is essential reading for every educator and parent. JoAnn Deak's accessible, colorful, and detailed book is as important for all learners -- adults and children -- to read. This book is one which appeals to a five and eighty five year old...as we all need reminders that mistakes are a part of learning, that our strengths matter, and that our weaknesses can be improved upon with dedicated, consistent work.

At The Walker School in Marietta, GA, we are using Deak's book to help all of our students in the Lower School understand how their brain works and how they can grow and stretch their brains...both now and into the future. As we seek to educate children (and adults) with a focus on growth mindsets, this book is an incredible tool to help with such an important pursuit. Plus, it's a fun book to read aloud or to yourself! Your Fantastic Elastic Brain is both an excellent and essential addition to any classroom, school, or family library!

This is a very nice interactive book to read with kids- except, and this is my reason for 3 stars instead of 4 or 5, in the text it says, "Your brain grows very fast during the first ten years of your life. This is the magic decade when you can help your brain grow faster..." which basically limits this book to the 10 and below crowd, when I find the illustrations and content to be workable for kids of all ages- especially into adolescence for kids with cognitive impairments or immature social emotional development. Not to mention not at all aligned with what we know about brain development.

bummed - bought it on-line, had trouble reading on-line. But, I just don't have the time to figure out what is wrong with on-line reading. Book was not as simple as I wanted and will look to get a printed copy next time.

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain is the first children's book published by the esteemed educator and psychologist, Dr. JoAnn Deak. It is a delight to read, and to read aloud to your children or grandchildren. In the company of a tiny owl and a tiny mouse, (think Goldbug in the Richard Scarry books!) the child in your life will not even realize they are learning so much about the human brain.

Within these pages, (printed by Little Pickle Press, on an environmentally sound product called TerraSkin, a new paper made from stone,) you will find clever analogies, pronunciation guides, definitions and illustrated details on the brain and its parts.

Not sure how to spell or pronounce amygdala? Or what it does? No problem, the words and pictures in this clever book will make it easy for adults and children alike to see, say and understand our amygdala... and our cerebrum, cerebellum, hippocampus and more.

The book explains to our children, in easily understood language, pictures and concepts, what the brain is all about, so that an 8-year-old boy could learn much about his skills, his abilities and his potential. And a 6-year-old girl could learn, and appreciate, that she is not the only one who makes mistakes when she tries to learn something new because "making mistakes is one of the best ways your brain learns and grows."

For the younger crowd, four to six year olds, this is the perfect reading time book for parents and grandparents to share. For the early readers, this book will be delightful in the new words and concepts the child can absorb AND understand while reading to themselves. This reviewer even found a somewhat sneaky way to get a ten-year-old to read the book--I encouraged him to read it to his five-year-old cousin!

Reading something good for their self-esteem, teaching appreciation and perception of what goes on between their ears is a terrific way to encourage children to learn and grow. After all, isn't that what our "job" as parents and grandparents encompasses? Helping children become the best "me" they can be! Kudos also goes to the publisher, Little Pickle Press, for taking a strong environmental stand in producing beautiful, lasting children's books. Publishing books with recycled paper, soy inks and green packaging, they are putting their dollars where it counts.

by Laura Strathman Hulka
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

bummed - bought it on-line, had trouble reading on-line. But, I just don't have the time to figure out what is wrong with on-line reading. Book was not as simple as I wanted and will look to get a printed copy next time.

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain is the first children's book published by the esteemed educator and psychologist, Dr. JoAnn Deak. It is a delight to read, and to read aloud to your children or grandchildren. In the company of a tiny owl and a tiny mouse, (think Goldbug in the Richard Scarry books!) the child in your life will not even realize they are learning so much about the human brain.

Within these pages, (printed by Little Pickle Press, on an environmentally sound product called TerraSkin, a new paper made from stone,) you will find clever analogies, pronunciation guides, definitions and illustrated details on the brain and its parts.

Not sure how to spell or pronounce amygdala? Or what it does? No problem, the words and pictures in this clever book will make it easy for adults and children alike to see, say and understand our amygdala... and our cerebrum, cerebellum, hippocampus and more.

The book explains to our children, in easily understood language, pictures and concepts, what the brain is all about, so that an 8-year-old boy could learn much about his skills, his abilities and his potential. And a 6-year-old girl could learn, and appreciate, that she is not the only one who makes mistakes when she tries to learn something new because "making mistakes is one of the best ways your brain learns and grows."

For the younger crowd, four to six year olds, this is the perfect reading time book for parents and grandparents to share. For the early readers, this book will be delightful in the new words and concepts the child can absorb AND understand while reading to themselves. This reviewer even found a somewhat sneaky way to get a ten-year-old to read the book--I encouraged him to read it to his five-year-old cousin!

Reading something good for their self-esteem, teaching appreciation and perception of what goes on between their ears is a terrific way to encourage children to learn and grow. After all, isn't that what our "job" as parents and grandparents encompasses? Helping children become the best "me" they can be! Kudos also goes to the publisher, Little Pickle Press, for taking a strong environmental stand in producing beautiful, lasting children's books. Publishing books with recycled paper, soy inks and green packaging, they are putting their dollars where it counts.

by Laura Strathman Hulka
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Great, fun book for learning about the brain. Even my preschooler loves the pictures and seems to understand some of it when I simplify. And most the concepts are so useful--encouraging your child to take on challenges to make their brain "grow," overcoming difficulties, how thoughts influence feelings etc.

This book has a great message about trying new things, practicing and making mistakes. Cute illustrations. The reading fluency is a bit awkward at times - surprisingly so. With that said, I'm still happy with it. It's the only thing of it's kind geared towards my 5-year-old. She does enjoy this book and it inspires some good conversation between us each time we read it.

This book's full name is Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It. It's written by JoAnn Deak, Ph.D., and illustrated by Sarah Ackerley.

First off, the illustrations are wonderful. Children of all color are included, as are a little mouse and owl who help guide us along on the journey into the brain. The colors and illustrations are gorgeous, including the ones of the brain. And for parents who read the book to their kids, the big words are sounded out, for example: Cerebellum (SAIR-uh-bel-uhm) - great for those of us who may have forgotten.

Second off (is there such a thing as "second off"?), the writer knows the subject. Jo Ann Deak, Ph.D., is an educator and preventive psychologist. She takes the reader through important information about the brain: Is it an organ or a muscle? What are the different parts of the brain? What does each part do? How can you improve your brain? Is there a point at which you can no longer improve your brain?

Speaking for myself (certainly not any of you whom I'm sure remember all of your science and biology classes), this is a book for adults, as well as kids.

To top off the great points about Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, this book was printed on TerraSkin®, "a revolutionary new paper made from stone, infinitely recyclable and degradable, it requires no water, no bleach, and uses 50% less energy and 20-30%less ink than traditional paper..." Not only can you teach your child, grandchild, nephew or niece, about the brain, you can teach them about taking care of the environment.

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by preventive psychologist, Dr. JoAnn Deak, is a neat explanation of the human brain, with great visual examples of how each part directs who we are. Sarah Ackerley's illustrations are sometimes laugh-outloud funny, and I especially like the owl and mouse characters with their background comments like, "wow, that pink stuff is busy!" Kids and parents will also appreciate the concept that making mistakes is a good thing, because it helps your brain grow bigger and stronger. Gee, now there's a concept we can all take away! This book is a must for elementary school teachers.

Dr. Deak has made a difficult subject understandable for children and adults! A great motivational tool for one's self as well as teachers and parents. Illustrations are wonderful as well. This book should be in every school library and parent's home.