The 411:
I read The Love Tank by Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez to my preschool class on Monday. They asked for it every day this week. Even my Assistant ask if we were reading the book again and has quoted it to our class "Is your love tank empty today?"
The award winning book talks about how we all need love to grow and how easy it to help others refill their tank which also helps fill your tank. My class learned how just like the heroes they look up to (current class it is Paw Patrol, Batman and Spiderman) they too have a super power that allows them to be aware of when their tank is getting low and how to fill it up even if they are alone.
Even as an adult I loved the reminder that even if someone else is grumpy which might make me grumpy; could mean that my own love tank is low.
The characters and art by Rite Nilson are adorable with sweet visuals to go along with our reading. The class loved noticing when the characters little pink heart love tanks were emptying.
Definitely a great book to teach empathy, awareness and self love.
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Behavioral
Scientist Shares ‘Antidote to Fear’ in Heartwarming Children’s Book
SAN DIEGO,
California — When Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez’s 3-year-old daughter found her
crying in response to news of a school shooting, the behavioral scientist
struggled to find the words to answer her question: “What’s wrong?”
Mendoza-Vasconez’s children’s book, The
Love Tank, is her answer — and she hopes it will help other parents
explain challenging concepts, too.
“Love is the
antidote to fear. Love is the antidote to so many different things, so I think
the best that we can do is teach our children to spread love,” Mendoza-Vasconez
said.
The book,
written for children ages 4-8, guides children in imagining a superpower
container inside their bodies that fills up with love. The story explains in
gentle terms what can happen when someone's love tank is full or empty and how
children can fill their love tanks and help others to fill theirs too.
Mendoza-Vasconez
recalls telling her daughter, “While there are no intrinsically ‘good’ or ‘bad’
people in this world, sometimes people do bad things and hurt others because
they don't have enough love in their own lives — their love tank is empty.” She
further explained, “I always hug you, kiss you and tell you I love you because
I want your love tank to be full so you can treat others with kindness and
compassion.”
One of the
goals of the book is to help parents explain why someone might harm others in a
way that their children can understand. Additionally, the book helps children
connect with important values such as empathy, compassion, gratitude and
authenticity in a simpler manner.
The Love
Tank, which has won
many awards, including the prestigious 2024 Nautilus Award for Small Press
Children’s Picture Books (silver), is the first in a series of three books, all
dealing with socioemotional learning concepts. The other books in the series
include The Gratitude Goggles,
which guides children as they imagine a special pair of goggles that can appear
by simply feeling gratitude; and The
Puzzle Piece, which encourages children to imagine that the world
is a gigantic puzzle, in which they are unique pieces.
Since The Love Tank was published,
Mendoza-Vasconez has heard from many parents who have used it to help their
children who have been bullied understand why. She hopes the book will continue
to help children express love by brainstorming how they can fill others’ love
tanks.
About the Author
Andrea
Mendoza-Vasconez, Ph.D., is an award-winning children's book author, a mother,
a behavioral scientist, a teacher, an advocate and a storyteller. She was born
and raised in Ecuador and moved to the United States at 18 to attend
Connecticut College. After working as a television producer and middle school
teacher, she returned to school to earn a master's degree in public health from
Claremont Graduate University and a doctoral degree in public health (Health
Behavior) from UC San Diego and San Diego State University. She completed her
postdoctoral training at Stanford University and served as an assistant
professor at the Brown University School of Public Health.
When
Mendoza-Vasconez became a mother, her love for writing led her to explore
storytelling as a way to explain difficult and important topics to her
daughter. She uses imagery to communicate concepts such as empathy, compassion,
gratitude and authenticity. Eventually, she started writing these stories down
and publishing them as picture books to share these messages with other
children around the world.
Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9SC9C66
The Love
Tank
Publisher: Wholesome Children Books LLC
ISBN-13:
979-8988022909
Paperback:
31 pages
Available
from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble
###
PRAISE FOR THE LOVE TANK:
"Creatively
encourages preschoolers to regulate their emotions and practice kindness. The
narrator's warmth and optimism are reflected in Nilson's colorful, flowing
illustrations that use a motif of swirling flowers to reinforce the cyclical
impacts of people performing acts of kindness for each other."
·
Kirkus Reviews
“At the
heart of The Love Tank lies the concept of extending kindness to fill the love
tanks of others. This notion is more than a metaphor; it is an empowering call
to action. The book gracefully reinforces the power young minds possess to
effect positive change through their interactions. This concept is poised to
cultivate a generation that understands its potential for fostering empathy and
compassion… Educators and parents alike will find this book a treasure trove to
share with young minds, nurturing the growth of love, kindness, empathy, and
compassion — the very building blocks of humanity itself.”
·
Literary Titan
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