Are Your Words Sweet and Kind or Mean and Sour?
Bonnie Clark’s new book teaches
children
what it means to Taste Your Words
Our words have power and make an impact on the people around us. Some
words are nice and kind while others are mean and hurtful. Parents can teach
kids about the power of words and the importance of kindness with Taste Your Words (WorthyKids/April 7, 2020/ISBN:
9781546015178/ $17.99), a charming
picture book by Bonnie Clark that cleverly illustrates why we should
think before we speak.
Clark tells the story of young Amera who is having a
bad day. Amera’s best friend, Maddie, ruined her cupcake by accident, and they
both say mean things. When Amera brings her bad mood home with her, her mom
tells her to “taste her words.” Amera’s mean words taste like rotten eggs, spoiled
milk, and lemons! As she realizes that her mean words make her feel bad and
others feel worse, she starts saying the kindest, sweetest words she can find.
When Amera notices the difference in the words she
uses, her attitude changes, and the whole day starts to turn around. The next
day, she greets Maddie with sweet tasting words and an apology. By sharing
kind, yummy words everywhere she goes, Amera’s day goes much better than the
one before. “I’m sorry.” “I’ll help.” “I love you.” The words taste better and
better, like cherries, bananas, ice cream and chocolate.
The idea for Taste Your Words originated when Clark’s
three children were small and learning how to use their words to communicate. Clark was inspired by
Proverbs 16:24 (NLT) which reads, “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul
and healthy for the body.” She explains,
“I would tell them to taste their words before they let them out of their
mouth. The idea that we could taste our words was fun, and I was surprised at
how quickly they understood the concept. There are few things that kids really
understand, and one is food, especially sweet treats. It became a game in our
home to politely encourage each other to taste our words. The whole family
needs reminding! I thought that if my kids can get it, then other kids might
also like the idea of tasting your words and choosing sweet kind ones.”
Illustrated by Disney animator Todd Bright, this
picture book is an excellent resource for parents who want to teach their kids
to think before they speak. It can also be used in classroom and library
settings. With humorous text and lively illustrations, Clark and Bright make it
easy for even the youngest children to understand the power of their words.
Written for five-to-eight-year-olds, the concept of bad flavors being tied to
unkind words and good flavors being tied to kind words is something that even
toddlers can understand very quickly.
However,
Clark also felt it was important to include a mention of adults tasting their
words too. There is a moment when Amera’s mom is reminded she needs to taste
her words. “While Taste Your Words is a children’s book, the message has
never been more relevant for adults as well, especially when it comes to social
media. No matter your position or politics, choose your words carefully.
Nothing is either/or. People are fearful about different things, and we should
all be respectful. Listen and respond with love.”
Readers can go to Clark’s website, bonnieclarkbooks.com, to sign-up for her newsletter to stay up-to-date on book news and events. Parents
and teachers can also download coloring pages and activities that go along with
Taste Your Words under the “Fun
Stuff” tab. There are discussion questions about the book, a kindness activity,
and even a Mad Lib game. She also created a
YouTube channel for her readings of Taste Your Words, including the
American Sign Language version and the #TasteYourWordsChallenge which is sure
to get families laughing together and serves as a great reminder to taste your
words. (Go to YouTube and search for Bonnie Clark Books.)
“We
can never have too much discussion about being kind to each other, starting
with our words,” reminds Clark. “We may not be able to control our
circumstances or what others say to us, but we can always choose to be kind and
considerate.”
About
the Author
Bonnie Clark loves books that make her laugh, cry, or think for a
long time. She has always enjoyed words and writing, but she has a special
affection for picture books. Weekly trips to the library with her kids is one
of her favorite things to do, and even though her older two are on to chapter
books, they still enjoy listening to mom read a picture book.
When Clark isn’t writing and raising her kids, she does
yoga, reads books, and drinks lots of coffee. Her favorite place in the world
is ANY beach. She lives in Canton, Georgia, with her husband and their three
children.
Learn more at bonnieclarkbooks.com or follow her on Facebook (Bonnie Clark Author), Twitter (@bonclark), Instagram (@bonnieclarkbooks), and YouTube (Bonnie Clark
Books).
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