Book Review: Kika The Upside-Down Girl

Kika always seems to accomplish things differently than others and tends to get into trouble for it. She reminds us that choosing to be different is more than okay, and finding others to join in her upside down adventures makes her heart feel huge – especially when it involves somersaults, vaults, flips and kips! Join Kika, a girl who loves living upside down in a right side up world, on her unique journey to a fliptastic world! Kika reminds us that choosing to be different is more than okay, and finding others to join in her upside down adventures feels fliptastic – especially when it involves somersaults, vaults, flips and kips in the Gymnastics Emporium!

My Thoughts:

I love any book that encourages children to appreciate their differences. Let’s face it, we all live in a world where we feel the societal pressures to conform to those around us. The desire to be like everyone else is particularly prevalent in young children who feel the need to belong. We may not feel this as very small children, but as time passes and we grow into early adolescence we certainly don’t want our differences to exclude us from making friends and feeling like part of the pack. Kika is a little girl who likes to view the world upside down. Her heart feels HUGE when she stands on her hands, but at some point she’s told to act like everyone else. “Kika, can you PLEASE be more like other kids and stay right side up?” But Kika doesn’t want to view the world right-side up. She doesn’t want to act like everyone else. She wants to explore the world in her own unique way and she just knows there are other children out there that feel the same way she does. Although this book focuses on a young girl who wishes to flip, somersault and generally live her life upside-down, it can be expanded to teach children that they can always find someone out there who thinks and feels the same way they do. It’s important for children to find friends who have the same interests and passions, whether that’s gymnastics, science, reading, art or anything else they can dream of! You don’t necessarily need to conform to the pack. You just need to find a pack that thinks like you do. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author’s Bio:

Olympic gymnast turned author, motivational speaker and experiential educator Jessica Tudos (JessicaTudos.com) is on a mission to empower kids, youth and adults to develop the confidence and resiliency required to lead active, healthy and creative lives. In organizations around the world, Jessica empowers audiences through engaging stories, insights & reflections drawn from her upside down life, including her Olympic gymnastics adventures. Jessica is a sought after speaker, facilitator and professor in experiential education, physical literacy, leadership & elite sports.