A story they love. A tool they keep.
Every Kai à la Mode book is built on one social-emotional skill, taught inside the story and repeated at the end as something a child can say out loud and do.
Reading it together
- Pause at the BOOMs.
Ask what Kai is feeling and what he does first. He always does the wrong thing first, and kids spot it fast.
- Name the mode.
“What mode do you need?” works at the dinner table, in the car, at bedtime. The answer is a verb: Brave Mode, Calm Mode, Patient Mode.
- Use the tool.
A deep breath, one small step, then another. The Thunder Counter turns the next storm into a game.
The Thunder Counter
Next time your child gets scared of thunder, watch for lightning. Then count slowly until you hear the thunder. Every five seconds you count means the lightning is about one mile away. If the number gets bigger each time, the storm is moving away.
And remember, when thunder roars, go indoors. Always watch storms from somewhere safe, like inside your house.
Free coloring pages
Two scenes from Brave Mode, Kai splashing in Pebble Creek and the meadow in bloom, to print at home or in the classroom. No sign-up.
Download the PDFIn the classroom
Brave Mode fits a fifteen-minute circle time: read it, count a pretend storm together, then ask every child for one small step they could take this week. The modes give a class a shared vocabulary that lasts past the story.
Class sets and libraries
Planning a class set, a library order, or an author visit? Bowsong Studio can help. The book is distributed through Ingram, so any bookstore or library supplier can order it.