Vasilia Graboski
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Psyched Writer

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This blog is a resource for fellow therapists, parents and teachers. I will provide suggestions and reviews of books that I have found especially therapeutic and useful for various social-emotional issues.  And...my favorite part...I will provide accompanying activities related to the book to help with teaching social-emotional skills.

​I would love for you to check it out and give me your feedback. 

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Framed Connections

3/20/2023

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A Book Review of Argo & Me

Argo & Me
Written By: Chandra Ghosh Ippen
Pictures By: Erich Ippen Jr. 
Published by: Piplo Productions, 2022

Argo & Me is the latest of the many therapeutic books by Piplo Productions and it does not disappoint! It is an incredibly useful book for parents, therapists and teachers, as it covers a lot of ground. The story addresses trauma, loss, foster care, adoption, abuse, neglect, fears, trust, and empathy. It is even a great resource for dealing with rescue dogs and canine feelings and behaviors! This book is an excellent read for kids ages 4 - 8 and their caregivers. 
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Chandra Ghosh Ippen, the author, expertly provides emotional distance of these heavy topics by focusing on the experience of caring for a rescue dog. This makes the story more palatable for the young child. She gently weaves the shared experience of the boy into the story, as follows.

      "People I lived with before had big problems and didn't always take good care of me."

The illustrations, in gray, faded colors, show the reader some of the negative experiences of the boy. This brings the reader to not only feel compassion for the dog, but for the boy also. 


​This book serves as an excellent model for compassion and understanding when dealing with a child or a dog, with a history of traumatic experiences. Child and adult readers alike, will feel their heart plunge into deep empathy when reading this book. Ms. Ippen stresses the importance of gentleness, observation, listening skills and taking time and patience to earn the trust of someone with past hurts. 

       "People had not always been kind. Some people had hurt him, and Argo didn't know
        that we were different." 

Zeze and Paul, the animal shelter staff, represent kind foster parents of Argo. In dealing with Argo's intense fear, they get down at his level and gently wait while playing soft music. This eventually lures Argo to start to trust and move toward them on his own. What great modeling of empathic caregivers!

Argo & Me provides examples of many fears, more common ones like thunderstorms, and  unique ones based on personal experiences, like boots, or in the boy's case, suitcases. Suitcases  reminded the boy of the sad goodbyes and signified to him another move. But with time and repeated positive experiences, the boy learned that suitcases were for fun trips! This illustrates the  hopefulness of being able to change and put some fears to rest when in a positive environment. 
       
Later in the story, the boy becomes angry with Argo for chewing on his stuffed animal. Argo reacts with fear and sadness. The family notices that bad moods may remind Argo of bad days in his past. The boy was able to return to Argo later and repair the situation. This scene is significant in two ways. One is the crucial concept that anger does not have to mean loss of love or connection. This is part of learning to feel safe in a secure environment. The second point is that  there is meaning behind acting out behavior. Reacting with anger is normal, although taking a deep breath and working on understanding the meaning behind it, is a kinder, more effective way to handle these situations. 

Another topic that the book addresses that I value deeply, is keeping past positive relationships as much as possible in the lives of these children. The family ran into Zeze and Paul at the dog park. Argo enjoyed sharing memories with his past family in the company of his current family. Setting up these visits can help the child feel whole by combining parts of their past lives with the present. It can also model positive loss, as shown in the following quote:  

                                  "Even when they're not with us, they live in our hearts."


If you pay close attention, you can surmise that the boy was adopted by a single dad. This is a great message of the possibilities of finding love in non-traditional families. The framed photos on the last spread of the book, displaying the boy's new life with past connections, ends the story on a beautiful note. This leaves the reader with feelings of hopefulness that, even if you had a rough start on life, you can find love and connection in your future. 

The illustrations, by Erich Ippin Jr., reflect the messages and moods of the story. The soft shades of blue add to the feelings of gentleness and compassion. The sad moments are colored in gray and dull hues, while the happy moments are reflected in bright shades. The illustrations are fun and will appeal to young children.

To purchase this book or check out other books from this author, click HERE.

An Activity Idea for Argo & Me

Materials:
-Large Craft Sticks
-Strong glue
-white paper or cardstock
-Markers
-Pencil
-Decorating options (jewels, glitter glue, buttons, small stickers, etc.)
Directions: 
1. Collect photos of the child with past relationships, as well as current ones. This can include birth family (if appropriate), foster parents (if applicable), and any other positive connection that has been built. ​If photos are not available, have child draw them. 

2. Have child  color 4 craft sticks for frame with markers in desired colors. 


​




3. Glue colored craft sticks to form a square frame as shown; Let dry







​
​4. If the child is going to draw pictures of 
relationships, set frame over white paper and 
trace the inside and outside of the frame onto the white paper; If you have photos, trace only the outside of frame. 













5. Have child draw family member(s) inside traced box; Color







6. Cut paper along outside trace marks; Set aside





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7. Have child decorate frame with various options; Let dry







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8. Glue picture to the back of frame OR glue photo onto paper and glue paper to back of frame.













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9. Repeat with as many frames needed. 

10. Discuss past and present connections and memories with child. 

11. Have parent display in common area of 
home. 


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12. Have fun!












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