Customer Reviews

The Secret of Saying Thanks

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Douglas Wood is a breath a fresh air in our consumeristic world. He offers children a view of life that treasures the simple pleasures, and appreicate each moment life has to offer. A real find for children - AND adults.
The core message of this book has become MY daily reflection for the year. His books resonate deeply in me and my children LOVE them.

This book is filled with beautiful, richly colored pictures, and descriptive language that paints a picture of its own. I read this story aloud before our Thanksgiving dinner and it added such meaning to the day. Children and adults alike will treasure this book. It is something that will be a new tradition in our home.

I seldom write product reviews, but this one merits the time. I borrowed the book from my local library to read to my 4 year old, and was thoroughly touched. Most of us are rushing through our daily lives, with little time to reflect on anything. Reading the story to my son gave me the time to reflect on my own life, and time to say "Thanks". I'm purchasing it with the hope that, as my son grows, he will find time for reflection, and that this book touches him as it did me.

Here it is!! This is the book I wish that I wrote. The secret to a happy life- presented in an easy to digest way. The art makes this book a "peak experience". A lovely book for all ages.

After I had taken my first Yoga Calm class, I wanted to find a book to help students find their own inner calm and have positive thinking. Somehow I stumbled upon The Secret of Saying Thanks and I'm so glad I bumped into it. As a school counselor, I am always looking for great books that help kids with gratitude and can also be used as a tool in the world of yoga.

Read this little excerpt from the book:
"The heart that gives thanks is a happy one,
for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.
The more we say thanks, the more we find to be thankful for.
And the more we find to be thankful for, the happier we become."


Wow! Aren't those the types of words and thoughts we want filling our kids minds throughout the school day!?! It is so APPARENT to me when their minds are filled with goodness you see the results during their day. I see more smiles, cooperation, and kindness.

I sort of winged an activity and asked students to find a comfortable resting spot. I used the Hoberman Sphere to help students find their breathing. Introducing the concept of gratitude before I read also helped kids focus their thoughts on being thankful. I just knew if I had everyone in front of me sitting "criss cross apple sauce", I would lose them. When we re-gathered to talk about gratitude - there was a really good calm energy in the air. Words revolved around who and what they were thankful for. And they weren't thankful for material stuff, their gratitude was aimed at what really matters in life, each other. If you are looking for a book to help kids meditate, relax, and have positive thinking - try this one. I absolutely love The Secret of Saying Thanks.

Touches the heartstrings with good morality and social grace lessons. Reminds us we are all humanity. Written for the guidance of children, but also useful (and enjoyable) for adults to read and remember.

Douglas Wood is gifted in so many ways. His books are a must-read for all ages, in my opinion. So glad I discovered his work.

This is a great read aloud for the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season or any other time of year. An engaging alternative to more conventional seasonal titles. It is also good to use for a writing prompt.

This book could work as a bedtime story because it has a very calming feel. PLUS it sends the message that you should give thanks for everything that you see!

I thought the beginning dragged a bit, and it seemed more poetic in the middle than trying to get kids to be thankful. Pretty much every page was about being thankful for something, like the stillness of rocks, etc. So if your kid has a short attention span, this would work because the message is on every page, so you don't need to get through the whole thing to send the message.

The message was clearer in the end when it says you shouldn't give thanks because you're happy - you will get happy if you are thankful. Great message. I gave it a four because I think it could have been done slightly better, but I've been searching for books like this for a while and this one seems great. The illustrations were "eh" in my opinion, but they had a calming presence.

The illustrations are beautiful and combined with the message of gratitude this book is very thought provoking. This large hardbound book would make a nice gift for anyone who appreciates beautiful artwork in a children's book.