Author: Laurie Wright
Illustrator: Ana Santos
Age: 4-9 years

I Can Handle It is the first in the Mindful Mantras series. It focuses on a little boy who has relatable questions about if he can handle certain situations, and how he might work through those scenarios.

I Can Handle It by Laurie Wright inner page
I Can Handle It by Laurie Wright inner page

The graphics are simple but well done. The hedgehog is pretty cute and it’s an unusual animal to have in a book.

I like that the issues he faces are things that could happen in real life. It makes the suggestions more realistic to what kids can actually do by themselves without needing to involve an adult. Some of the suggestions are silly and not reasonable but that fits with the general theme of being a child (that could be a talking point with your kids, to get their opinions on what is silly and what is serious).

Kids will like I Can Handle It because of the cute hedgehog but also because they can relate to the emotions the boy goes through. Adults will like this book because the suggestions are things that kids can practice and become familiar with these calming behaviors.