Email Rainey | Invite Rainey to Speak | Note to Parents/Teachers

A Note to Parents and Teachers

The DreamDog series is about child empowerment, children learning that they have the power to solve many of their own problems while building self-confidence and happiness...with a little help from a magic dog and her rainbow tail! In the series, Jazz guides children to find the answers within themselves.

Each of the DreamDog books explores a different life lesson -- valuable lessons for any age. The first book, Monsters in Your Bed...Monsters in Your Head, deals with fear. Fear is often a natural consequence of growing up, of children learning about themselves, others, and their world. As parents and teachers, we can help children by providing a safe environment where their fears can be discussed. Sometimes, if these feelings of anxiety can’t be expressed in real-life terms, they may surface in many ways, such as fear of the dark, or perhaps imaginary creatures. This book creates an opportunity for children to voice those fears.

The DreamDog Experience

The DreamDog series encourages children to feel secure so they will be able to share their feelings -- even the ones they perceive as being negative. By truly listening, Jazz communicates that what Angie says is of value, and that her feelings have worth. The fact that Angie sees monsters in her bed while Jazz knows they’re just in her head isn’t important. What matters is that Jazz "sees" Angie’s reality. As parents, we can instill confidence and self-esteem by listening to our children and acknowledging their reality. Hopefully, the book will encourage you and your children to talk about and find solutions for their fears.

Open a Dialogue with Your Children

Using this book, you can open a dialogue with your children, and together you can think of your own creative solutions to help them deal with their fears. Jazz offers Angie the idea of saying "good-bye" to her fears... releasing them, letting go. We can support our children in saying "good-bye" just by being with them and listening. When Angie says good-bye to all her fears at once, nothing happens. Jazz explains that she has to address them by name -- face her fears one at a time, then she can truly let go. When Angie takes action and finds her own solution, we see an empowered, happy child -- peacefully sleeping now that she has put her fears to bed. That’s the DreamDog difference... enabling children to see how strong they are, all on their own.

Explore Educational Activities

DreamDog books will appeal to children of all ages, targeting different lessons for them to learn. The youngest readers/listeners can use the book to learn colors and numbers. It’s easy to teach colors using the "monsters of purple and blue... the yellow bats with spots of green... the caterpillars of orange and red," and all the rest of the cast of colorful characters. Or, children can learn or practice their numbers by counting the characters on each page, then adding and subtracting as they come and go. Older children will understand the importance of the life lessons offered in the book and can use those ideas as stepping stones to create their own solutions. They can even make up stories about the magical characters and what happens to them in their new homes. These are just a few of the many ways you and your children/students can enjoy this book.

Find the Heart

Finally, there’s a fun to-do activity...find the heart! On each two page spread, there is a hidden heart. Jazz teaches that when we take care of ourselves and others, our hearts are full. This may be a good opportunity to explain the plight of homelessness to your children and that by buying this book they have made a contribution to organizations that help homeless children. You can start the conversation by talking about how the monsters used Angie’s room as their "temporary shelter" until she was able to help them each find a home of their own. Jazz the DreamDog will encourage your children to try to understand others... she’ll help them find the heart!