Pause Power
by Jennifer Law; illustrated by Brian Martin.
Boys Town Press
Pause Power is a book for children aged about 5-10 years old. I was really excited about this book because I have young boys who often bother each other and the skill to pause and not react is a skill I want them to learn.
The book follows a young boy named Gabe around as he learns about the “buttons” that he has which the other children “push.” It starts with Gabe blaming others for “pushing his buttons,” and finished with Gave realizing that he can control how many buttons he exposes.
The key for Gabe is to use his “pause power” when he is upset. By pausing and thinking through his next choice, Gabe is able to make better choices. Basically, the book teaches children to pause before acting out on anger and to take deep breaths or count. It falls short of teaching children to trust God and to avoid sin for the sake of righteousness, so it won’t be sufficient for a Christian home, but the ideas presented are not bad, especially the tips for parents to help you teach your child to stay calm.
My five-year-old son had trouble understanding what the buttons were, exactly. I think this book would be better understood by kids in the 6-9 range. If you are looking for a book with techniques to help a child who gets angry or loses self-control, I think Pause Power can be a helpful supplement. But ultimately it falls in the category of gospel-less help for good living so discerning parents will want to be sure they are also teaching their children to turn to Christ for forgiveness for their sin, and the power to live a righteous life.
I read a digital copy, so I cannot comment on the quality of the actual production of the book.
You can purchase it here: https://www.boystownpress.org/pause-power/
