Reading Makes You Feel Good [Paperback]

Todd Parr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009 | Grade Level: P and up

Reading makes you feel good because...
You can imagine you are a scary dinosaur,
You can make someone feel better when they are sick,
And you can do it anywhere!

Reading Makes You Feel Good will inspire and encourage young children to delight in the joyful, rewarding experience of reading. With Todd Parr's trademark bright, bold pictures and silly scenes, kids will learn that reading isn't something that just happens at school or at home-it can happen anywhere! Todd shows us all the fun ways we can read- from in the library and in bed to in the bathtub and on the road. Targeted to those first beginning to read, this book invites children to read the main text as well as all the funny signs, labels, and messages hidden in the pictures.

Along with the four other bestselling Todd Parr picture books debuting in paperback this season, Reading Makes You Feel Good is designed to encourage early literacy, enhance emotional development, celebrate multiculturalism, and promote character growth.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–Parr highlights some of the advantages of reading, such as learning how to make a pizza or finding your favorite animal at the zoo. The cartoon illustrations are bold and cheerful. Once again, the artist embraces a wild palette with pink rabbits, a purple elephant, and green- , yellow- , and blue-faced people. The art includes many fun details, such as labels, signs, and an odd assortment of objects sitting in the freezer next to the TV dinner. Such details encourage children and adults to move beyond the text and discuss the pictures together. A few of the pages are less successful than others. For example, the accompanying illustration for you can imagine you are a brave princess… shows a traditional damsel in distress, yelling for help from her tower. This predictability is later offset by a spread showing a father and baby together in the park, each reading a book. This title was written to support the work of Reach Out and Read, and as a message book, it is similar to Rosemary Wells's Read to Your Bunny (Scholastic, 1998). The strong contrast in artistic styles, however, ensures that the books will appeal to different audiences. Children will enjoy Parr's bright, zany pictures and come away with the important lesson: reading both teaches and entertains, and is fun to do with someone special.–Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

PreS-K. Parr captions illustrations that resemble Byron Barton's in their rich colors and neatly drawn, thick-lined simplicity with an earnest catalog of some of reading's special benefits--from making it possible to "find your favorite animal at the zoo" to learning about "cool places and people." He also points out that reading can be a shared experience or a solitary activity, and that it can be done almost anywhere. Pre-readers will probably respond more strongly to the multihued parade of smiling animals and people than to the brief text, but the worthy message isn't laid on too thickly to smother its appeal. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316043486
• ISBN-13: 978-0316043489
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Reference & Nonfiction > School & Education
  • #39 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Reference & Nonfiction > Language Arts > General
  • #42 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( P )

More About the Author

I like the fog
I like sea lions
I like to paint
My favorite color is Blue
My favorite food is macaroni and cheese


I spent my childhood in a small town in Wyoming. It was a great place to grow up but I knew the world was out there waiting for me.

In high school, art was a passion of mine, but I failed art class. Because of that failure, I lacked the self-confidence to pursue it further. But it wasn't all my teachers fault.

I worked at many things before finally coming back to my original dream of painting, but again I faced rejection. Despite the rejection, I continued on with my work because I knew being an artist was what I wanted to do with my life.

After not having success with galleries, I was able to show my work at one of Wolfgang Puck's restaurants, Postrio, in San Francisco, where I have lived for the past 13 years. With a little luck and persistence, this exhibit led to many other things, like creating merchandise for Macys, and then on to my own line of clothing for kids.

I first got into children's publishing in 1998. I was able to take the messages that are part of my art and put them in a simple reading about acceptance, differences and empowerment for kids to feel better about themselves in a simple, fun way.

I have a lot of fun creating my books and I'm proud to know they are helping someone feel better about themselves in a silly, fun way.

Here are some of the fun, cool things that have happened to me and my books:

My work was displayed in the windows of FAO Schwarz in NYC and San Francisco, with interior displays of some of my product, including my first four books.

Todd Parr Shops within Toys R Us Japan were launched at all 101 stores with products exclusively available in Japan.

My Books have won several awards and have been featured on The Rosie O'Donnell show. Currently I have written and illustrated 28 books with two more for 2007 and 2008.

In 2004, I appeared in a Panasonic commercial and print ad.

I have partnered with Target, Reach Out and Read, People Magazine and several other organizations to promote reading.

In November 2005, my children's preschool show, ToddWorld premiered on TLC and Discovery Kids. The show has since been nominated for an Emmy and has won several other awards including the iParenting Media Award and the 2005 Humanitas Award for the episode entitled "Who's Your Best Friend"?. The Bronze medal in the New York Film Festival and an award for "Pizza on Earth" in the Chicago International Children's Film Festival. ToddWorld is now airing in almost every country around the world with a second season is in the works.

With the support of my family, especially my Dad and Grandma, I have been very successful but I do have another passion. I'd like to own my own restaurant!

As my Grandma used to say:
"You're a little lost now but I know you'll find your way".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I want more copies of this book, January 26, 2006

By 

S. Alford (Wilson, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reading Makes You Feel Good (Hardcover)

I want more copies of this book (because mine is always being borrowed)! I am a Reading teacher in an elementary school and the children love Todd Parr's pictures and easy way of telling stories. They relate well because the phrases are short and realistic, and they beg to read it over and over again. My first Todd Parr book was "Things that make you feel good, things that make you feel bad" and I bought several as gifts for adults as well as children. The kids will want to hear (or read) his stories over and over again!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful for children of all ages, August 8, 2005

By 

T. B. Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reading Makes You Feel Good (Hardcover)

Todd Parr has a way with encouraging children to do things (reading) without being 'preachy' and by being FUN. My 3 children, ages 15 mos, 15 mos, and 5 years love all of his books. We just bought this one today and have already read it 3 times - it is still afternoon. My young toddlers are attracted to the illustrations, my 5 year old is attracted to the easy to read text and "funny looking characters". She often identifies her family or pets in all of the pictures.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Many Ways to Love a Book!, May 28, 2005

By 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson "Author 'This is the P... (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Reading Makes You Feel Good (Hardcover)

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This is the Place, Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered and The Frugal Book Promoter.

This is a book that cares. Todd Parr and his publisher, the Little Brown for Young Readers division of LB Company, have introduced a book that supports the work of a wonderful literacy organization, Reach Out and Read. They've done it with Reading Makes You Feel Good, an imaginative book that explores how reading can empower a child--can empower anyone, for that matter.

The illustrations are in Crayola colors and remind me of the bright little cut-out puzzles from Europe made with wood. You know, good Danish or Swedish design. Each picture-page includes not only the story narrative but pictures of things with words in them. That association between words and how they can label objects is a subtle message for toddlers and beginning readers.

The only advantage for reading that Parr misses in this simple but well-written story is that reading prepares one for writing better, for writing other books like Parr's that will help children learn, writing reviews like this that will help parents pick the very best of books for their children!
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(Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first literary novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards and Harkening, a collection of stories, has won three. She is also the author of The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't, the winner of USA Book News' "Best Professional Book 2004." )