My Very Own Space by Pippa Goodhart | Book Review

I received this book for free from Flying Eye Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

My Very Own Space by Pippa Goodhart, Rebecca Crane
Published by Flying Eye Books on April 2017
Source: Flying Eye Books
Add to: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes&Noble

A little rabbit is trying to read his book in peace, but there's so much going on around him! Maybe he needs some space just for himself. . .
With minimal text accompanying beautiful and sweet illustrations, this charming picture book explores ideas of personal space and sharing in a way that even very young children can enjoy.
Pippa Goodhart is an award winning bestselling author, known for the Winne the Witch series and her collaborations with Nick Sharratt. Among her inspirations are folktales from Scandinavia and the Scottish and Irish coastlines.

My Very Own Space by Pippa Goodhart is a very cute book perfect for preschoolers. It’s main focus is to teach children about the importance of boundaries and how to create and find personal spaces. As an educator in the early childhood field, I know first hand how important it is to teach about healthy boundaries and creating and maintaining safe, personal spaces.

My Very Own Space is a great book to have in the classroom. It’s beautifully illustrated, and simple to read and comprehend. The story is about a little rabbit who just wants to read his book, but can’t concentrate as their is just so much going on around him. Frustrated at this, he creates a space that’s just his. He maintains that it is his space, and it isn’t for anyone else. Once he is ready to interact with others, he allows others into his space, but leaves a little area closed just for him.

In my classroom, we have two spaces that are dedicated personal spaces. Our cozy area has pillows, tinker toys, sensory bottles, and books. It is open to just one friend at a time, and children may come and go as they please. The second area is up in the loft. It features a giant pillow to sit on, and a bookshelf full of books. The loft area is strictly for books, and is only accessible to one child at a time.

By creating these spaces, it gives children the opportunity to calm down, and just be by themselves. For young children, providing the opportunity for alone time is very important as the world can be very overwhelming, which tends to lead to behavioral issues.

This book does a great job pointing out that it’s okay to need personal space and that it’s also okay to share space with others.