Welcome to
Marcene Sonnek Books
Where the magic of the books comes alive!
About the book
I'm Sorry Santa
It turns out that we've been wrong about the naughty list all this time!
In the book, I'm Sorry Santa, Picney Fairies help spread the word that the naughty list is only temporary. If you write an apology letter to Santa and put it in a special stocking called an I’m Sorry Stocking™ the Picney Fairies will take it to Santa and you will be taken off the naughty list.
Visit the Shop Page where you can purchase the book, and get your own I’m Sorry Stocking™, stationary to write your letter and other Picney Fairy items!
Join us on a journey of kindness, creativity and Christmas wonder!
About the book
I'm Feeling
Join the Picney Fairies on an adventure to meet Grand Fairy Althea and learn about magic seeds she grows like joy, kindness and goodness.
In I'm Feeling, a Picney Fairy named Jasmine came up with a plen to help children write to Grand Fairy Althea so they could share their feelings with her.
They simply place their letter in an I'm Feeling Stocking™ and they feel better.
Visit the Shop Page to purchase the I'm Feeling book that comes with an I'm Feeling Stocking™ so you can write to Althea too whenever you are holding feelings inside.
Join us on a journey of kindness, creativity and the joy of self forgiveness!
Tips To Keep Kids Communicating
Sonnek's books are written to encourage children to develop positive communication skills.
Whether it's learning to apologize or sharing our feelings, reinforcing the lessons from the books can help children become happy, healthy friends, siblings, teammates and eventually teenagers and adults. See below for additional tips provided by child psychologists on ways to help kids learn positive communication skills.
Model Emotions
Be a good role model and express out loud big emotions like frustrations. You might say, "I'm feeling frustrated that I can't find my keys."
Then you can model coping skills like saying, "I'll take three deep breaths to calm myself. Then I'll try to think of where I last had them."
According to the American Psychological Association, children learn emotional regulation primarily by observing adult behavior.
Use Visual Aides & Charts
When you ask kids how they are feeling, use feelings wheels, blank face drawing sheets, or color/picture cards (smiley or frowny faces) so children can point to an emotion when they cannot find the right words.
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Avoid Mid-Melt Down Talks
Wait until a child is fully calm before bringing up an emotional moment. It might be hours. It may even help to give them a choice. "Do you want to talk about it now or after we eat dinner?" This may help them calm down.
Ask them to rank their mood from 1 (worst) to 10 (best).
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Validate First, Fix Later
When a child shares an upset feeling, avoid immediately saying "Oh, it's not that bad" or trying to fix it.
Use mirroring phrases like, "That sounds really frustrating," or "You felt left out, and that made you mad." This builds a trusting, secure attachment that makes them feel safe opening up.