A Big Change for Daisy – A book review

Daisy the bulldog’s life is perfect. She is the queen of her castle and everything is as it should be until one day, a new pet arrives and Daisy’s idyllic world is interrupted. This new pet looks nothing like Daisy and doesn’t play the same way that Daisy does but boldly professes that she is Lilly Rosa, Daisy’s new little sister. This sudden change fills Daisy with anxiety – what if this new sister steals all her toys and makes everything different? Instead of giving in to her anxiety and fear, Daisy the bulldog employs calming techniques and seeks out information about her new sister situation. At first, it is uncomfortable but soon, Daisy learns a valuable lesson about change and her new role as a big sister.

I read this book with my children and as always, I allowed them to lead the discussion on our new book. At 4 and 3, they have already dealt with their share of change. Suddenly their world and routines have been turned on its side. They can no longer go to school, see their friends or enjoy the simple freedoms they once had so A Big Change for Daisy was not only a timely read but a necessary one. It turns out, Daisy the bulldog was not so different from them.

 Our discussions focused on how they felt about the changes in their lives, did they feel anxious like Daisy or were they calm about it? We talked about how instead of getting upset, Daisy used deep breathing and calmed herself, just like we were already practicing at home. And even though she was a little anxious, Daisy was brave and approach her new sister to learn as much as she could about her, surprising herself along the way. A Big Change for Daisy may have been written for children but it holds an important lesson for all of us. We have all experienced change and the initial anxiety that it brings, yet Keri challenges us all to take a moment and breathe, to refocus our energy away from all that can go wrong and embrace the beauty that change can bring.

Keri T Collins’ second book ‘A Big Change for Daisy’ takes an honest and proactive view on dealing with change. Beautifully illustrated by Cynthia Baker-Gusman and published by Purple Butterfly Press, it launches today! Using her own English bulldog and Chihuahua as inspiration for the story Keri follows up her book with some great tips on dealing with change and even choosing the best dog for your family, making this book both entertaining and educational.

http://facebook.com/KeriTCollinsTakeAction
http://facebook.com/purplebutterflypress

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *