Doubt

Doubt is a universal but authentic and relatable look at facing insecurity for little ones who struggle with worry and self-doubt. As a toddler the world is your oyster, but when you enter preschool and start to receive constructive criticism from teachers and not-so-constructive teasing from peers, doubt begins to bloom. For those sensitive souls, doubt can be consuming and make their world feel very small. In this narrative, the playful illustrations combine with the simplicity of the text to help children recognize these insecurities from their own point of view and encourage them to cope with how to process the thought. What will I wear? How long will I have to wait? Did I do it right? With subtle humor and a little bit of irony, each spread illustrates these common self-doubts through quirky animals, each asking a simple question and creating a comfortable atmosphere for the reader. In a world where we are pressured to be perfect, it is a healthy lesson for children to understand it is okay to be wrong, to change your mind, and to stop and question. The ending allows the dialogue to continue, with the narrator stating, "I always have so many doubts... Don't you?" Ideal for social and emotional learning curriculums, teaching children how to manage doubts and how to choose, learn, and grow as they decide what paths to take in life. AGES: 4 to 8 AUTHOR: Pia Valentinis has illustrated children's books with national and international publishing houses and has been published in Italy, Korea, Switzerland, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Greece, and now North America. Doubt is her first book as a complete author, and she has cowritten and illustrated several others. Pia has exhibited her works in numerous collective and personal exhibitions and was the recipient of the XXI edition of the Andersen Prize in Genoa, the highest Italian award dedicated to children's books, in the Best Illustrator category. Since 2008 she has been teaching editorial illustration at the Ars in Fabula Master of Macerata, where she conducts visual-art workshops for children. Pia lives in Cagliari, Italy. SELLING POINTS: . Children face doubt in every part of their lives, and this gentle walk through these unknowns is presented in a way that is designed to reassure the reader . Young readers will identify with the animals and their little insecurities and see there are different ways of dealing and coping with them . The ending reaffirms the message of the book: "I always have so many doubts... Don't you?," allowing parents and teachers to encourage children to ask questions