
Some days are all bad . . . or are they?
In The Best Good Thing, nothing is going well. The young narrator sharing about her day is feeling sad and mad. Smad! She knows there are no good things about the day. Her mother listens, sympathizes, and suggests intentionally looking for positives. The story becomes a relatable search for good things, which are all around. A flower, a kind neighbor, yummy bread. Ultimately, she discovers the best good thing of all: love.
Written by a child mental health clinician and grounded in child development, this book:
This engaging and beautifully illustrated story, told by a main character with a strong voice, will make a real difference in the lives of children and their caregivers.
Anna Housley Juster, PhD, LICSW, is an award-winning author, child mental health clinician, education consultant, and mom. She began her career as a Head Start teacher, served as director of content for Sesame Street, and has over twenty-five years of experience supporting children and families. Anna currently treats children managing anxiety, ADHD, and behavior challenges with expertise in cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, trauma therapy, and parent guidance. Her first picture book, How to Train Your Amygdala, is an NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite and has been translated into French, licensed for translation, print, and distribution by the Ministry of Education for Indonesia, and was published as an English-Spanish bilingual edition, How to Train Your Amygdala/Cómo entrenar tu amígdala. Her second picture book The Best Good Thing follows a young girl who discovers joy on a very bad, smad day. Anna grew up exploring in mud, sand, and snow, surrounded by stories, and is a firm believer in the power of play. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and one very soft dog near Boston, MA.
Andrea Onishi is a Brazilian from São Paulo. She received her university degree in Social Communications in the 90s, but during the pandemic, she decided to revisit her longtime love of drawing and started to work as a freelance illustrator. Her favorite themes are children, animals, scenes from everyday life, and nature. Andrea likes to experiment with digital collage and colored pencils. She enjoys talking to her dog, watching cooking shows, trips with her family, and swimming. She currently lives with her partner, daughter, and a mixed-breed dog.