Your Inside Shape

Christine Sarno-Doyle is an inspirational writer who's published a number of motivational articles. She describes her writing purpose as a means to empower others, specifically in their quest to discover and focus on their individuality. "I'm all about personal growth and empowerment, and my hope is that what I offer will inspire others. For children learning to value one's self can never come too early." Widowed at nineteen after losing her own mother at fifteen, Christine says that she struggled with her own sense of self early on and since that, "It's always been important to me to reach out and help others with their sense of belonging and self esteem." Her articles can be found at ChristineSarnoDoyle.com. Before becoming a full-time writer, Christine's career included development, marketing communications, and public relations. At the age of 45 she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor's of Science in Criminal Justice, followed by a first year of law studies at Massachusetts School of Law at Andover. Health issues cut short her legal career and brought about a reassessment of her goals. Christine decided it was time to return to her first love and to recognize her inside shape: a writer with a dream of becoming a published author.

"A motivational picture book by author Sarno-Doyle designed to teach kids about exploring their own abilities and hobbies. Using the metaphor of an "inside shape" for the inner being, Sarno-Doyle aims to teach kids to weigh inner values over outer appearances. Written for very young children, the book is bright and full of lively images.... The author explains the difference between "outside shape" (hair, clothes, ethnicity, etc.) and "inside shape," the inner interests that children need to develop to become full-fledged, happy individuals. Many of the possible interests here are professional and educational-science, animal welfare, books, mathematics. The book also offers inspiration for kids to develop extracurricular activities, including sports and fishing. There are several open-ended prompts at the beginning of the book to get readers started: "I like to..." or "I don't like to...." These questions are designed to help children explore their strengths and the skills they want to learn.... Charmingly illustrated ... with old-fashioned images of children at play, the text will appeal to parents looking for inspiring books for their young children. Fans of the Free To Be You And Me style of children's literature will appreciate the inspiring message about developing children's passions. -Kirkus Book Reviews "Your Inside Shape" is a children's book that offers readers a lesson in individuality, and helps young minds realize their own unique potential to the world. With easy-to-follow poetic verse and guided illustrations, "Your Inside Shape" joins Orion and his friends as they learn that what is on the inside is more important than what is on the outside. Children will enjoy learning how to discover their own passions, interests, and talents, and how these inside shapes will be carried with them their entire lives. This original picture book explains in simple terms how to discover those inner qualities, how to appreciate them and to respect the qualities of others."A beautifully illustrated book that any child will cherish for a long time. From the opening page, which is a letter to the child receiving the book, to the last this is a book that teaches children about being unique through clever verse and rhyme. The characters are ones that children can easily identify with as well as their unique characteristics. A book to be read aloud by mom, dad, grandparents or older siblings invites further conversation about likes and dislikes and what it means to be yourself. A heart-warming book that will now be on our "gift list" to our favorite friends and children."
-Mom-Spot.com
To read the full review, please click this link: Your Inside Shape Review
"Your Inside Shape delivers an important message to children about how special we all are. It's a great book and perfect to read with my classes. Older children will enjoy it too. A picture book may be geared toward younger children, but the message in this book is one that children of all ages will benefit from."
-Andrea Couvee, Elementary School Teacher, 25 Years