Customer Reviews

Rules Are Rules

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4 star:		(2)
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Julie Scandora's first children's book, Rules Are Rules, tells the touching story of a young girl's path to resolving a problem she must face. For Maya, the young child in this story, the rules must be kept with precision. Of course, Maya is angry and upset about this because there's one rule in particular that she just can't stand.

The story begins when Maya is angry and upset in her hiding place in the forest; she's so unpleasant that even the forest animals avoid her. Eventually the peaceful qualities of the forest sooth Maya; and when her mood lightens the forest animals come back and enjoy their lives. However, Maya is still grappling with a problem.

Maya meets her old friend, Mrs. Morales, as Maya is walking in the forest. Maya knows that this elderly woman is both kind and wise; so Maya decides to tell Mrs. Morales what is troubling her. It seems there is a rule that Maya must always kiss and hug her Auth Trudy when Trudy comes to visit. Maya hates that because she doesn't like smelling like Aunt Trudy's perfume and besides Aunt Trudy holds her too tight. Mrs. Morales gives Maya space and nonjudgmental acceptance as she listens gently to Maya's dilemma. Maya begins to think that there may be a way out of this dilemma.

That night Maya gets up the courage to tell her parents she doesn't like to be touched by Aunt Trudy; and after some discussion Maya and her parents work out an arrangement. Instead of having to hug and kiss Aunt Trudy; Maya will make her a card and merely give it to Aunt Trudy. That way Maya's Aunt Trudy feels good vibes from her niece at the same time that Maya is spared the uncomfortable feelings of being around Aunt Trudy.

This book does a marvelous job of encouraging children to find creative solutions to problems that hurt no one at all. This is a powerful lesson for children of many ages. This book is a great experience if you read it along with your children, too; they may have questions about their own problems and dilemmas that can be discussed as you both go through this book.

In addition, the watercolor illustrations are outstanding; they make for a beautiful book especially with those very attractive front and back covers.

Julie Scandora's first children's book is a must-have for children learning about coping skills. This book shows children how to deal with their own feelings and those of others as they find new or creative solutions to their problems. I highly recommend this children's book.

I have to say, as I read this story I definitely could relate to Maya, as I'm sure many children and adults will too. This little girl has a problem, one she desperately needs help with. She is told to follow a rule, but what happens when a rule makes you feel uncomfortable? Should you still have to follow it?

Maya sits quietly in her forest and ponders what to do. She finds wisdom and is able to talk freely with a kindly woman friend and Maya musters up the courage to talk with her mom about this rule, and give her idea of a possible solution.

"Rules Are Rules" is a very good book. The author blends the calmness that nature can bring into the child's life, the understanding that it is a good idea to talk with someone, and the realization they can come up with a possible solution. The watercolor illustrations add depth to the read and definitely help bring the story to life.

"Rules are Rules" is an absolutely delightful children's picture book. The water-color illustrations by the author are beautiful and detailed and exactly fit Julie Scandora's tale of young Maya, who wants to respect her parent's wishes, but doesn't want to kiss her Aunt Trudy, who squeezes Maya "like a tube of toothpaste being squeezed empty" and "wears this smelly perfume".

The story begins with Maya communing with nature, listening to the noise of the forest creatures and understanding their communication. Scandora broadens that metaphor as Maya meets her older friend Mrs. Morales, who guides Maya through her dilemma so wisely that Maya comes to a better understanding and her own logical solution to the dilemma of kissing Aunt Trudy.

We see that Maya finds her own answer to her problem, and along the way gains new respect from her parents.

Rules are Rules is a pleasure from beginning to end. Highly recommended for people like Maya, who are young, but deserving of respect.

I liked this book very much. It was very professionally done. The paper quality was excellent. The watercolor illustrations were nice. And they definitely complemented the well thought out text that traversed the 32 pages in the book.

As I read the book I could imagine a woman reading it to her 4 or 5 year old son or daughter and sharing the pictures with the child as she read. I could imagine the child having questions about what was being said. Basically I visualized a parent child "session" that would benefit the child greatly, and further build a bond between parent and child. Just lovely.

The story is about a little girl who doesn't particularly like her aunt who she doesn't know all that well. And her mother wants her to treat her aunt as though she really likes her. So what was the little girl to do? In 32 pages the author covers this material so delicately and with empathy.

There were a couple of instances where the text included poor grammar or word choice. And maybe some different illustrations could have made the book a little more perky? But this is a good book and I highly recommend it. 5 stars!

Maya is a girl with a problem that every child faces. There are certain relatives that they have to hug and kiss and they don't want to. They do not dislike the relative; it is just that they feel uncomfortable in demonstrating that type of affection. In this case, Maya's problem is with Aunt Trudy. She doesn't like Trudy's perfume and she thinks that Trudy squeezes her too hard.

In an attempt to cope, Maya retreats into the forest and listens to the birds chirping out their songs. She believes that the birds are telling her, "Chuck the RULES-rules-RULES." Eventually she finds her way to the home of kindly Mrs. Morales, who talks over the problem with her. After a bit of thought, Maya goes home and tells her parents the problem. There is some discussion and it is agreed that Maya will make Aunt Trudy a welcoming card rather than engage in displays of physical affection. This makes everyone happy and the problem is solved.

This book is a demonstration of two things that are very important to children. The first is that they need to talk to their parents about their problems rather than let them fester and expand. The second is that sometimes a solution can be found if you talk about it with someone else and think about alternatives. In nearly all cases there is a simple alternative, as is demonstrated so well in this book.

This is a lovely book. But it's more than that. It's a book that gives children the tools to be safe when mom and dad can't be nearby. In this day and age, tools like this are priceless.

It's written in story form. So kids are getting instructions in a manner that they feel is just being told what to do. They get a lovely story and pictures but it all helps them to know how to stay safe from harm.

Highly recommended.

-Susanna K. Hutcheson

Did you ever have to kiss your aunt or your grandmother when you were a kid? Did you cringe every time you thought of doing so?

Aunt Trudy is coming for a visit and Maya is upset because she has to kiss her aunt. That's one of the rules. She doesn't like kissing Aunt Trudy because she really doesn't like Aunt Trudy. But, she knows she's supposed to kiss her and she's trying to figure out a way to get out of it without hurting her aunt's feelings or making her mother upset.

Maya enjoys sitting in the forest, watching and listening to the animals and the birds, especially the Chickadee. Doing so makes her feel calm and relaxed. She contemplates her dilemma while sitting at the foot of her favorite tree. Even though she is unable to come up with a solution, she leaves the forest feeling soothed and refreshed.

But, once she has left the forest, her problems weigh heavy on her mind again. She is so caught up in her thoughts she nearly walks right into Mrs. Morales. They walk to Mrs. Morales's house where the two sit and chat. Mrs. Morales helps Maya sort out the rules and the reasons for the rules. Mrs. Morales encourages Maya to come up with a way to make Aunt Trudy feel welcome without having to kiss her. That way, both her Aunt Trudy and her mother will be happy.

Maya thinks and thinks. She finally comes up with a way to satisfy everyone's needs. I won't tell you the solution; you'll have to read the book to find out.

The author explains, in the end of the book, that she is passionate about three things: watercolors, nature, and children. The writing and illustrating of the story are her way of bringing all three passions together in one medium. She has Maya sitting in the forest and listening to nature to educate readers about becoming aware of their surroundings.

This is a simple story with a good message. But, I have a couple of issues with it that I feel I must mention. First, the relationship between Maya and Mrs. Morales is never explained. Is Mrs. Morales simply a neighbor? Is she a close friend of the family's? It's not a big deal; I just think something should have been said about who Mrs. Morales is. Second, the author indulges in the passive verbs "was" and "were" on too many occasions. A story is so much stronger when told with an active voice. Also, the watercolor illustrations incorporate some nice pastel colors and the nature scenes are well done (especially the ones with pictures of the Chickadee). But, the illustrations of the people, especially the one of Aunt Trudy, leave something to be desired. 4 stars.

Maya has a problem. There's a rule about hugging and kissing Aunt Trudy when she comes to visit - Aunt Trudy, who wears horrible, stinky perfume and squeezes Maya so tight she feels like a tube of toothpaste.

Maya doesn't like this rule. She dislikes it so much that she's went off into the forest, disturbing all of the creatures around her with her loud, angry singing and stomping feet.

When Maya runs into (almost literally!) Mrs. Morales, the kind older lady helps Maya to see that sometimes rules can be changed, but in ways that won't hurt other people's feelings.

When Maya comes up with a different way to welcome Aunt Trudy to her home, her Mama and Papa both come to understand that their hugging and kissing rule might not be a good one, after all.

RULES ARE RULES is a good story to teach children that some rules can be bent when they're ones that you just can't deal with.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Rules Are Rules is a joyful children's picture book for helping young people remain safe. It arose from the author's shocking discovery that one of her relatives is a pedophile, now in prison. "I couldn't undo what had been done," says Scandora, "but I could do something now to help children so they'd never be a victim of such a person." The book isn't about sex or predators but is about being safe. "I want children to know how to deal with a troubling situation," adds Scandora. "There are dangers in this world, but it is also a friendly place with caring adults to help those who ask."

Maya is a little girl who is supposed to kiss her Aunt Trudy but doesn't feel comfortable doing so. The book opens with Maya at her special place in the forest, having stamped angrily away from her home. Hearing the song of the chickadee and watching the play of the squirrels soothes her. As she returns home, she meets her kindly neighbor, Mrs. Morales, who helps her sort through her situation, figure out why her mom imposed such a rule, and even see the wisdom behind it. Then, with Mrs. Morales's encouragement, Maya is able to "think outside the box" and solve her problem while still respecting her parents' wishes. But what will her parents say? Will they be satisfied?

This is a lovely book, both in story and in picture with 14 double-page and 3 single-page water-color illustrations. I especially liked the gentle forest scenes. It encourages children to find comfort in nature, listen to their own intuition, and share their problems with a trusted adult. It also teaches us that children deserve respect. The author wrote, "Parents want their children to be safe, and Rules Are Rules gives children tools to be exactly that." It was a pleasure to read, and I highly recommend it.

REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker

Rules are Rules is a children's picturebook about a young girl who is frustrated by rules - such as the family rule that she has to give her Aunt Trudy a kiss, when Aunt Trudy smells of a horribly strong perfume. She sits in the wilderness under a cedar tree to think about the problem; refreshed after spending quiet time in her sit-spot, tells Mrs. Morales how she feels. Mrs. Morales helps her consider the situation from another point of view. "Come on, Maya. Think. Why would your mom want you to do this? She wouldn't just make up a rule to make life hard for you. I'm sure she has a reason. What do you think it could be?" After thinking carefully about the problem, Maya is ready to talk to her Mama and Papa about an alternative - creating a special handmade card to show her love to Aunt Trudy, instead of a kiss. Rules are Rules has slightly more complicated text than a typical children's picturebook, and is suitable for young people who are grown up enough to learn how to think about problems, consider the other person's point of view, and come up with alternative solutions. Highly recommended.