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A cute, gentle little tale to read to little ones whose minds are often elsewhere. It is beautifully illustrated in a fun and whimsical manner. Much thought has gone into the story, the text as well as the drawings and colours. A fun way to introduce children to the environment around them and to encourage chatting about the theme of the book.
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A friend of mine told me about this book while I was looking for a present for my nephew - it’s an absolute hit in their household. I can’t wait to read it to my own son when as he gets a bit older! Looking forward to more in the series.
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We live in KZN South Africa and have just experienced widespread violence.
This is an excellent book to help parents check-in on their little ones.
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Beautifully written, thought provoking, careful use of words. Has meaning and a life lesson every child should learn. Beautifully illustrated with loads of detail to discuss with your child. Delightful.
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Love this book! Thought provoking while taking you on beautiful garden adventure, beautifully written!
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An enchantingly illustrated story reminding us how beneficial it can be to allow ourselves to focus on one thing at a time. In today’s sometimes chaotic lifestyles we can find ourselves as ‘dipping dragonflies’ and how refreshing to be reminded to stop, breathe and enjoy the moment. A salient message for children and adults!
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A timely reminder to suggest that we reassess how we can sometimes lose track of what we are aiming for when juggling too many balls at one time. The engaging and humorous rhyming prose is beautifully matched with splendid illustrations. Children will enjoy and benefit from this book.
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I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book to my toddler and the baby in my belly. The story really catches the attention of the younger mind while encouraging understanding and a gentler pace for everyone else. This really is one of those classics you need in your book collection!
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Lanna Breetzke and Heather Larson have narrated a beautiful picture book series, The Garden Creatures of Fairfax Lane, to provide children with the tools to manage their mental health. Gorgeous and impeccable illustrations by Melissa Beachcroft compliments the story so well. This particular story allow kids to think about having patience and investing time in one game at a time to give themselves the chance of using persistence and perseverance in their day-to-day lives & decision making. It allows them to inculcate the habit of mindfulness.
I read this book to Ayaan who could be like a dipping dragonfly manyatimes, and he did agree to that. We had a discussion about why should we finish what we start before moving to the next game, as in our case most of the time it is because - " Oh I am getting so bored ". We love board games in this house, and I feel board games are a great thing to encourage mindfulness and perseverance for kids as well as grown ups. It was such a beautiful book to read. It will be read over & over again in this house.
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My two girls and I couldn’t wait to get our hands on “the dragonfly book” as we’re always dodging the dragonflies dipping over our pool. During hurricane season in the Caribbean they’re especially busy and they remind me so much of my childhood growing up in South Africa. This beautifully written and illustrated book did our beloved dragonflies justice and my kids, 2 and 5, grasped the ebb and flow of the book within the first read - always a test captivating a kiddy audience! Truly loved this special book.
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A fantastic book with great illustrations and a thoughtful message.
Our Son and family love it
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This delightful and thought provoking story (and series) is what has been missing from children’s books. It is so important to understand mental health from a young age, and this book provides that knowledge in such a fun and easy way. And for adults like myself, who didn’t have books like this growing up, there’s so much we can learn too. A must buy for everyone!
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Great book. Wonderful illustrations. I really nice message for children and adults.
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"What a lovely book it is for children! ❤
It teaches children about aiming for one thing at a time and avoiding hustle-bustle (that they are really fond of tbh).
Through rhymes and beautiful illustrations, it takes you to an interesting story of a dragonfly who loves to play and flitter till he learns something fruitful.
Absolutely splendid! "
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This is such a beautifully written and illustrated book, helping our young children navigate their way through life. There are so many difficult emotions and situations that children need to go through from a young age and this book is definitely a guiding light. We cannot wait to see what the authors have in store for us in the near future! I would strongly recommend this book to anyone with young children.
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A genius book that helps a child grow in wisdom, love & compassion towards oneself and others. Every character and every story gifts us with tools to navigate life more gracefully.
Poetic & fun, it sheds light on all aspects of our being and guides us back to a place of Peace & effortless Joy.
Thank you!
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Detailed illustrations, melodic rhyming couplets, and vivid imagery tie together beautifully in this unique tale about an energetic dragonfly who learns a valuable life lesson. A must-read and a solid fit for every child’s bookcase. I highly recommend and have read it over and over to the baby in my own belly. Thank you, Lanna, Heather, and Melissa for your creative generosity.
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A wonderful story for our little humans and equally for adults. It reminds us all of taking a moment to be mindful, taking a deep breath and to prioritise our mental health, something that no matter the age is, so important for us to remember. I cannot wait for the rest of the series and the wisdom that follows.
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What a terrific book with a fabulous life lesson. A favourite for me and a must-read, I’ve been gifting it to adults and kids alike!
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We loved reading this with our son. A great story with beautiful illustrations and an important message. Would definitely recommend for all kids. Christmas shopping sorted for my nieces and nephews now too!
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This is such a beautifully written and illustrated book, helping our young children navigate their way through life. There are so many difficult emotions and situations that children need to go through from a young age and this book is definitely a guiding light. We cannot wait to see what the authors have in store for us in the near future! I would strongly recommend this book to anyone with young children.
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I have been inspired to write a review In the style of the Dipping Dragonfly, Just as he flew… With a buzzing rhythm and elegant flow!
We are taken on a journey, straight to the heart. We go!
Meeting many creatures along the way, we learn the importance of breath to slow down, breathe and play. A book to read at every age, creative, enlightening, and stimulating. A visual treat on every page, no less written by a sage. The authors leave us wanting more. What else is behind, Mrs. Crankshaw's garden door?
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This was a lovely story I shared with my youngest daughter about Dipping Dragonfly who is always busy doing everything, but not necessarily finishing what he started. He is always moving from one thing to another.
Will dragonfly learn to pause and calm down?
This is a book that can help with conversations with children who may struggle to focus. To realise they are not alone, that it's okay to stop now and again and breathe.
Nice easy print to read and charming illustrations to accompany it.
The authors of this book want to create a series to help children with their mental health which is a wonderful thing.
I cannot wait to see what else they bring out.
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Our not so mini reviewer gives The Dipping Dragonfly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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A wonderful childrens story about a dragonfly who has so much going on. So many things to he doesn't necessarily finish them.
Then one day he meets someone who encourages him to just take a breath. Take a time out.
This is a great story for adults to share with children.
A good story and charming illustrations.
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I really loved this book! It teaches a brilliant lesson in a gentle manner, with some beautiful imagery to support it. Definitely, something to pass along to more family members as a gift!
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I absolutely love this book and so does my son. Bright and beautiful illustrations, easy flowing and sing song story, but more so the lesson behind it all - we can all learn from pausing and taking a breath! It’s such an important teaching and can’t wait to share this special book with all my momma friends!
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What a lovely little story that seems gentle and fragile but with a big punch on the message that it carries. It came at the right time as we are struggling with our daughter to finish what she starts..always. Has she learned the lesson? We might need to encourage her to read the book again...and again until she gets it ;)
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Bedtime Stories with Dessi!
This was an amazing story for all ages. The illustrations brought the story to life. The story itself is a reminder that life can be all over the place, but we still have to take time for ourselves. The Dipping Dragonfly teaches you to always finish what you started, focus on the task at hand and to take things one step at a time. I would recommend this book to everyone, it is a really great read.
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A story about a little dragonfly that teaches us a big lesson! Highly recommended for kids and adults alike!
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It is a cute little story about a Dipping Dragonfly who lives at the end of the road on Fairfax lane and is always on the move. He loves playing the whole day as it fills him with glee. In fact, the dragonfly thinks he has a gift to do more & more without ever getting tired. Since he prefers many things at the same time, he is always leaving all of his games/play ideas halfway, which leaves him to the point of feeling dizzy. He always ignores the advice of other animals, except Miss Enta Magenta, the wise sage. She suggests him to slow down and concentrate on one thing at a time, as that way you can pull twice as much play into your day. Dipping dragonfly seriously thinks over the advice, do you think it will start to play one game at a time and take breaths in between? Lanna Breetzke and Heather Larson have narrated a beautiful picture book series, The Garden Creatures of Fairfax Lane, to provide children with the tools to manage their mental health. Gorgeous and impeccable illustrations by Melissa Beachcroft compliments the story so well. This particular story allows kids to think about having patience and investing time in one game at a time to give themselves the chance of using persistence and perseverance in their day-to-day lives & decision making. It allows them to inculcate the habit of mindfulness.
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This book has a beautiful message for both the reader and the listener, with beautiful illustrations! Would highly recommend it!
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The beautiful book teaches children the importance of looking after their mental health. Highly recommend!
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My family and I love this book, the story is wonderfully written with a jaunty rhythm & beautiful illustrations that my daughter enjoys as well as depth and a beautiful moral that my partner and I appreciate and the bonus is we are all reminded daily (because it’s a bedtime favourite!) to practice self care as well as supporting one another.
Thank you all so much for sharing such a wonderful story with our family!
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Excellent gift for my grandson. Animation beautiful and the storyline wholesome.
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The Dipping Dragonfly from The Garden Creatures of Fairfax Lane series is a relatable, energetic, adorable, delightful, and educational story! This book addresses the mental health problem Burn Out. It also highlights the challenges of hyperactivity. The dipping dragonfly has one objective to play play play all day. However, once he begins a task he never finishes it. His attention is always split drawn from one thing to the next. He never stops going which eventually becomes exhausting. The dipping dragonfly begins having dizzy spells but still won't take a break despite his friend's warning. Once the wisest garden creature phrases advice so the dipping dragonfly can see the reward he listens. Taking breaks and only attempting to do one thing at a time helps him get twice as much quality play time!
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"The Dipping Dragonfly”, by Heather Larson and Lanna Breetzke, was a fun read-aloud with my 3-year-old niece. We took our story adventures to the park trying to find a dragonfly! After searching the trees, rock garden, and playground— we then used our imagination & pretended it was flying with us as we played. The dragonfly character was so memorable that she even asked to draw a dragonfly for her big brother at the end of the day. The book’s lesson aims to help us learn to focus on one thing at a time with adorable garden creatures guiding the way.
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