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Children's Fiction Daily Activities

Raj's Rule (For the Bathroom at School)

by (author) Lana Button

illustrated by Hatem Aly

Publisher
Owlkids Books Inc.
Initial publish date
Aug 2020
Category
Daily Activities, Emotions & Feelings, Humorous Stories
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781771473408
    Publish Date
    Aug 2020
    List Price
    $19.95

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Where to buy it

Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 3 to 7
  • Grade: p to 3

Description

Raj has one rule: he never uses the bathroom at school. It’s just not the same as the one at home. All day, he avoids bathroom trips. Easy enough, since he lives by these tips: Don’t linger at the sink. Stay away from anyone who makes you laugh. Watch out for distractions, especially schoolwork. And sit still: no running, jumping, cartwheels, or sneezing. Until one day—achoo!—Raj has to break his own rule.

After he faces his fear and uses the bathroom at school, Raj feels different. He doesn’t have to rush! He can try new things, laugh, explore … even enjoy his work. He can stay awhile and play. Raj discovers things are better if you just go when you need to.

Told in speech bubbles with bright, lively art showing a diverse group of kids, this is a riotous rhyming read-aloud with an empathetic take on facing a common fear.

About the authors

LANA BUTTON a grandi dans la petite ville frontalière de St. Stephen, au Nouveau-Brunswick. Elle a une formation d’actrice et d’éducatrice de la petite enfance. Ses albums illustrés ont été en nomination pour plusieurs récompenses, dont les prix Blue Spruce, Shining Willow, le Jean Throop IODE Award et le Rainforest of Reading. Elle est bénévole pour les organisations littéraires IBBY Canada, First Book et One World Schoolhouse. Lana et son mari ont trois filles adultes et vivent à Burlington, en Ontario.

 

LANA BUTTON grew up in the tiny border town of St. Stephen, New Brunswick. She has a background in acting and early childhood education. She writes for young children, and her picture books have been shortlisted for numerous awards. She enjoys reading books out loud whenever she gets the chance.

Lana Button's profile page

Hatem Aly is an Egyptian-born illustrator who currently lives in beautiful New Brunswick, Canada, with his wife, son, and more pets than people. He has illustrated many books for young people that earned multiple starred reviews and positions on the New York Times bestseller list including The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S. K. Ali, In My Mosque by M. O. Yuksel, the Newbery Honor winner The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz, The Unicorn Rescue Society series also by Adam Gidwitz with several amazing coauthors, Meet Yasmin by Saadia Faruqi, Raj’s Rule (for the Bathroom at School) with Lana Button, How to Feed Your Parents by Ryan Miller, and Ethan and the Strays by John Sullivan. He has more upcoming books and projects in the works. You can find him online @MetaHatem or MetaHatem.com.

Hatem Aly's profile page

Awards

  • Commended, Best Books for Kids and Teens
  • Winner, Ontario Library Association Best Bets List Honourable Mention

Editorial Reviews

"Raj’s Rule (For the Bathroom at School) has arrived just in time to help all of those who will be new to school and navigating the bathroom for the first time."

Storytime With Stephanie

"Lana Button's gentle text doesn't poke fun at Raj and his predilection. She offers a compassionate, even rational, perspective and allows Raj the opportunity to problem solve his own solutions."

CanLit for Little Canadians

"Told in rhyming couplets, this book will be great for young readers who have anxiety about using unknown restrooms, but most kids will relate to “holding it”... Not only is this a celebration of independent potty usage, this book is a terrific talking piece for overcoming personal fear."

Booklist

"The rhyming verses are conversational, and written in first person voice. Expressive artwork allows those who hear this story to see and acknowledge the emotions felt by the young boy."

Sal's Fiction Addiction

"This book addresses a fairly common childhood anxiety and so can be of a lot of use to many families. However, Raj’s experience can easily be applied to trying anything new that feels intimidating at first."

Youth Services Book Review

"Button subtly and effectively conveys how actions related to anxiety might disrupt a child’s academic and social performance, but this readaloud will resonate with any reader who has faced a fear."

Publishers Weekly

"Raj’s Rule (For the Bathroom at School) will be enjoyed by many young children and will also be helpful for children who, like Raj, are struggling with bathroom issues at new locations."

Canadian Review of Materials

"What a great conversation starter! A wonderful melding of bouncy illustrations with a rhyming text that works well for a read-aloud."

Kiss the Book

"A sympathetic treatment of a common but rarely depicted childhood anxiety."

Kirkus Reviews

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