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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Crystal Brehant

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek

There are not a lot of books that deal with the tough subject of foster care. This is a great one with beautiful illustrations for children! Loris has been through a lot in his short life. He has completely shut down because of it. He moves in with a foster family and just refuses to participate in anything. Find out how he opens up in this beautiful and heartwarming story. There is a lot of emotions dealt with in this book. From anger, to frustration, pain and loneliness. You will see courage and standing up to a bully.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Terri Jo McAllister

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an emotional book about a young boy, Loris, who is in foster care and the struggles he faces as he learns to accept his new family. This would be an excellent resource for children going into a fostering family, as well as for the fostering families and their own children as they accept a new member to the family.

Review by Terri Jo McAllister
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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Melissa Fink

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https://www.amazon.com/review/R10P3AYM7YN7D4/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For KidsLoris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loris Opens Up His Heart starts out sad, but it has a happy ending! The pictures were beautiful. I love the message the story had. My 10 year old enjoyed this book. If you havent read a Lois Wickstrom book to your kids, I recommend this one.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Brandy Vaughn

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a nice illustrated book about a tough subject. I like how Loris was able to share with his new foster family his feelings. The tale was tough but ended in a happily ever after for all the characters!

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Karole Petty

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Mealtime at the Zoo: PB&J CaféMealtime at the Zoo: PB&J Café by James Williamson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I am always looking for new storybooks for my grandchildren, this one hit all the must haves for a good childrens book. The illustrations are beautiful and the story moved right along. Liked the interesting facts about animals eating habits! Will be passing this book around to parents and grandparents that are looking for a good wholesome read.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Julie Johnson

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a very emotional read! This is a book that I would STRONGLY recommend reading with your youngster, at least the first time they read it. It’s a story that really needs to be told but is highly emotional as previously mentioned.

Loris is in foster care and this books focuses on the emotions that he goes through with each move he has to make. It takes a lot of courage to be Loris but there are so many of them out there! It’s important to have conversations with kids reading this story to explore their emotions and feelings after hearing Loris’s plight.

The illustrations in this story are very colorful and really add to the story more. To see Loris’s transformation is pretty cool.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Dawn Daughenbaugh

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Stars
Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek

Loris Opens Up His Heart is part of the Courage Tales Series. This is a heartwarming children’s book about courage and compassion. It’s about the heartache of feeling not wanted and being shuffled from foster home to foster home. My brother and sister in law are foster parents and they’ve had several children who came into their home broken. A little love and showing compassion goes a long way. My son and I loved reading this book and we definitely had strong emotions for Loris and all he’s been through. I highly recommend reading this book. This is a newer author to us but they’ve definitely gotten new fans with us.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Tausha Treadway

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Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For KidsLoris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek . This is a great children’s book that includes information about something a little deeper than most children’s books. It’s a story that teaches kids its ok to have feelings and its ok to deal with them. It’s the story of Loris who has been sent to a new foster home and the kids there are super excited, Loris is not as excited and is very quiet and not opening up to them. Inaya & Cam are his foster siblings and when Cam begins to get bullied, Loris stands up for him. After Loris stands up to the bully he tells his foster siblings his story and why he is so withdrawn and not open. It teaches kids that when before you judge someone you should find out more about them so you know what they have been thru. Loris learns that after he opens up to his siblings he can be more open in other relationships too. I feel like this is a very important book for kids to read in this day and age!

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Elizabeth Sanchez

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Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids (Courage Tales)Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loris Opens Up His Heart is a picture book for children, to give a gentle, but emotional, introduction to Foster Care- as well as sensitive situations surrounding it. I read it to my 8 year old and he didn’t have any negative reactions. He did first interpret Loris’s attitude and behavior as many others might- as “mean” or “grumpy.” But, by the end, he understood, which I think is the purpose of this book. It helps kids understand that emotions and behaviors might have an underlying cause. You don’t know what someone has been through, so you shouldn’t judge them based off first impressions. Loris is placed with a new family, and is quiet and reserved. His new “siblings” continue to be by his side and offer their help, repeatedly. Eventually, Loris warms up to them and shares a bit about his past. Once he gets that off his chest, and is not judged harshly, he opens up to the family. I love the discussion this book sparked between my son and I after completion.

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Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy

Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Santana Hicks

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Inaya and Cam are excited to be getting a new foster brother named Loris. Unfortunately Loris wants nothing to do with them. Being used to the foster system, they realize he may just need time to adjust.

As time goes on, Loris still isn’t opening up to them. That is until Cam gets bullied and Loris stands up to the bully. After that Loris tells his foster siblings his story. He realizes that fear was standing in his way of forming new relationships and it’s time to let those fears go.

This story packed a punch. The illustrations are very nicely done and the story itself is quite powerful. It teaches kids about kindness and emotions. There are little to no kids books about abuse and/or foster care which makes this book a gem.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Trish Ann

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a nice children’s book that I could see kids that I teach reading. There is a good message and the illustrations are appealing. It made a difficult topic digestible and understandable for the age target. The description says ages 5-10 but this is something that would be best read together not as an independent read if you are using it as a tool for support. I did appreciate the topic since more and more children are experiencing situations where they are in the care of someone other than their parents.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Katie Matthews

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really lovely read and one that really did open up my thinking about how children must feel when they are moved around the care system. I really felt for Loris, he was so shut down when he went to his new foster home but thankfully with the help of his new foster brother and sister he was able to see that he was safe now and could finally be himself and help to open his heart to other people around him.
There was so much in this story that would be great to talk to the children reading about it – it will definitely help children to empathise with children like Loris.
A really good book and one I would recommend.

@katiem
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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a really good book about a foster family gaining a new family member. A pair of foster siblings, at the beginning, are trying to get ready for a race that will help their foster sister who has heart issues. When they came home from passing out flyers, their foster mom introduced them to a new foster sibling, Loris. Loris is mysterious and doesn’t speak to anyone. The story talks about how he is always scared and that stems from his stepfather. He struggles with being shy, fear, anger, and confusion about why his parents had to leave him. However, he helps his siblings by standing up to a bully that was bothering them. His siblings are grateful and try to help him in return by teaching him that there are positive things that he could look toward instead of always being scared and angry. They start to build a bond that helps Loris break out of his shell and ends up being able to help his sick sister by being the hero of the race. This book seemed to address some issues that children may have, especially foster children. There was discussion of normalizing some of the negative feelings these children might have, but then also talking about the positive aspects that can occur too. I think the book does a good job of showing that a foster care situation doesn’t always have to be scary or negative.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Tanya Wall, April 2024

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Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids (Courage Tales)Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loris Open Up His Heart is a book in the Courage Tales series. The illustrations are colorful and fun. While it’s aimed at kids aged 5 to 10, its lessons are timeless and can be appreciated by everyone.

The story centers on Loris, a foster child who’s been through a lot, leading him to close off his heart. But when he finds himself in a loving home with Cam and Inaya, he learns to open up again. Along the way, they tackle tough topics like bullying, friendship, and what it means to be a family.

Through their journey to prepare for a charity race, we see acts of bravery and kindness that touch the heart. The way the story is told is engaging and full of empathy, making it a great read for both kids and adults alike.

Loris Open Up His Heart isn’t just a kids’ book; it’s a story about resilience and the power of love. With its relatable characters and meaningful message, it’s sure to warm the hearts of readers of all ages

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Robin Rankin

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids (Courage Tales)

My husband and I have our 4 yr old grandson over as much as possible. Thankfully he has been asking me to read more books to him, when I sae this I knew I had to check it out for him.

While the book is written for an age group just a touch younger he is, he liked it, was engaged and made comments at the appropriate time.

Courage is something kids his age really need, hope with enough repetition he will understand the message. On top of the story the illustrations are so good and match up perfectly.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Michelle Troyer

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Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids (Courage Tales)Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loris is a foster child in a new home. He is sad and angry of what has happened in his past. Cam and Inaya try to make him feel welcome. When Cam gets hurt, Loris steps up to the plate and helps out and ends up having fun. He is finding out what it means to have someone care about him. Good book.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Stephanie Robb

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Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids (Courage Tales)Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved the way the story was laid out with the illustrations and speech bubble style. It is a great story for children to learn about speaking your truth and opening up to others. It is perfect for primary age children to learn these important values.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Ashley Lape

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This touching children’s book is a great read. It’s a great book for beginner readers. The journey in this book follows three young children Loris, Cam, and Inaya as they train for a race to raise money for a fellow student. Loris is a new foster child in the house so he tries to keep to himself but when Cam needs help at the race Loris is there to save the race! It is a great story of courage, hope, selflessness, and resilience.

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reviewed by @alape

Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a great story about how some kids in foster care struggle with their trauma and are afraid to open up. Loris is hesitant to open his heart and tell his story. He doesn’t want to get comfortable in another temporary place. But his new siblings do not give up on him and show him that he is brave and amazing.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Kerry Baker

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is such a wonderful, emotional and heartwarming story. It is one that we all, as a family, loved reading together. They characters are brilliant and engaging and lovely to read about. This is also a book that I enjoyed personally reading, even though it is not aimed at me as an audience. It was so nice to see a book after a foster child and I think the author handled the sensitive topic which such ease.
This was an unexpectedly fantastic story and for once it is one that even I am looking forward to reading multiple times. I loved how it taught my kids something more than they usually get from these kind of books. We will definitely be looking into more books from this author.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series Book #1) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Dagmara Sitek

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

 

Loris Open Up His Heart is the first book in the Courage Tales series by Dagmara Sitek who has lovingly crafted a wonderfully meaningful children’s story (with lovely colourful illustrations that help to bring the story to life by Lau Frank).
The story is aimed at children aged 5 to 10 years-old — but I feel there is value to the story that will ensure that the book can be enjoyed and appreciated by all ages.
This is not only a cute tale but teaches valuable life lessons along the way. Loris hasn’t had an easy life and as a result has ‘closed-off his heart’. When he is placed with a loving, supportive family, he learns to ‘open up his heart’ again. Along the way he, along with his foster family, teach us about emotional intelligence and how to deal with strong emotions such as anger, frustration, loneliness, and hurt. It also shows how opening yourself up to ‘new’ and scary experiences can have wonderful results. The story touches on topics such as bullying, making friends, the meaning of family (and that family doesn’t always mean you have to be ‘blood’ related), having compassion/empathy, being kind/generous, being helpful, being brave/resilient/patient/tenacious, and finding purpose in life. I really felt for Loris and what he had been through. I was so happy that he found a family that made him feel like he was safe enough to open up his heart again. I really wanted to give him the biggest, squishiest hugs.
This was such a lovely, heartwarming story that left me with all the ‘feel-good’ vibes of a meaningful story.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series…

Thank you, Dagmara Sitek!

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Kristin Boutelle

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Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids (Courage Tales)Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is not what I expected in a good way. It does get the reader to get a better understanding of how a young child feels when in a difficult situation. It also gives one a sense of how people can be helpful in dealing with emotions and let them know that they are not alone. The book is very colorful and gets the reader into what’s going on in the story.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Carrie Reed

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beautiful artwork and a beautiful story. Cam and Inaya welcome Loris into their home, they just want to involve him in everything they do, but he wants nothing to do with anyone. My heart broke when he said he’s been scared his whole life, but the siblings counter all his points with promises of their own, they will be there for him. Loris learns to open up and to trust his new family and understand he belongs.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Jaimie Salmon-Colburn

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Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids (Courage Tales)Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just loved this book!! You don’t read a lot about foster care and over coming many issues that can come with being put through the system. Especially a children’s book! This book had wonderful illustrations, but also a wonderful storyline. It really puts you in the shoes of a little boy who has been through a lot and must overcome a lot at the same time. In this book, Cam and Inaya are training for a charity run. The charity run is to raise money for a friend of theirs’s who is in the hospital needing open heart surgery. As you go along you see these two practice running, handing out fliers, and getting ready for the big run. One day after a run the two go home and meet their new foster brother. Loris keeps to himself. He doesn’t say much, he doesn’t play with the others, and he keeps to himself quite a bit. Cam and Inaya try over and over to get him to join them in stuff but he always says no. One day at school Loris stands up to a bully in their school. All the kids are scared of him, but Loris has been scared of worse. The foster siblings start to bond over things and Loris lets his guard down some. Race day comes and Cam hurts himself during the run. Loris takes over for him and helps with the rest of the race. The event is a huge success and the children bond even more. Such a wonderful book. Teaching great values while learning about courage, kindness, and overcoming many fears that pop up in different ways. I would defiantly recommend this book for children 10 and under, but it’s also a good book to show teens to encourage understanding and help stop bullying in my opinion. I can’t wait to read it with my girls.

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@jaimie0459

Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Natalia Gonzales Castrejon

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the adventure that Loris took me on! He became such a strong and powerful character at the end and I really enjoyed this read. I most definitely recommend this book for kids who struggle or have struggled with the foster system. This book definitely had some good insights on how kids in foster homes might feel going into a new place and issues they combat at previous foster homes!

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Jennifer Crain

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Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids (Courage Tales)Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids” is a touching and powerful book that teaches children about resilience, courage, and kindness. The story of Loris, a boy in foster care who overcomes challenges, will inspire children to be honest with themselves and face their own struggles with courage.

The book is beautifully written and will captivate young readers with its message of compassion and care. It is a great resource for parents and teachers looking to help children navigate difficult emotions and situations.

Overall, “Loris Opens Up His Heart” is a valuable addition to any child’s library, and will leave a lasting impact on readers of all ages.

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@bookworm1909

Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Lorralei Hoerner

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Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids (Courage Tales)Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Loris Opens Up His Heart is a emotional read that is aimed at children from 5-10 years of age, but I believe that this is a must read for anyone. The story of Loris really brings out emotions of being afraid, angry and feeling alone and abandoned but also educational teaching of love, acceptance, patience and kindness.

Loris is being juggled around to many foster families until he is with a family that include Cam and Inaya whom want to make Loris feel welcomed. When Cam and Inaya are getting ready for a charity run for Susie, they want to include Loris…who has no interest at first. When Loris finally opens up about his feelings and heart…he soon learns that he is loved and accepted.

This is truly a must read for the young and young at heart. The story is heartfelt and the illustrations are beautiful and engaging and bring the story to life. We can all learn a lesson how to open up our hearts…There is someone who always cares….

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Jenni Bishop

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loris Opens Up His Heart is another educational tale in the Courage Tales series that is heartfelt and full of lots of rollercoaster emotions as we travel along with a little boy in foster care. This one is going to hit you in all the feels.
The story is aimed at children aged 5 – 10 years of age but we could all learn from it. This compelling tale helps tackle dealing with emotions, like when feeling alone, angry, frustrated, being scared and more.
This beautiful tale is a raw and will teach children about compassion, about kindness, about courage, and about overcoming fears. I just wanted to scoop him and the others up and wrap them in love and hugs. Loris Opens Up His Heart is a must. The illustrations by Lau Frank are beautifully done.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Cindy Mayberry

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Being a new kid in any situation is hard, but being a new kid in foster care is even harder. Loris is the new kid, he is scared, withdrawn and angry. Even though Cam and Inaya try to befriend him he is having a hard time adapting. Will the kids give up on Loris? Will Loris come around? This author opened the eyes of many with this story. The emotion put into this story is spot on. Cam and Inaya are the best siblings and have opened their hearts to Loris, they understand what he is going through. I really enjoyed this story! The courage, love, and helping others, made this book a must have to all libraries.

Review@cinful

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Megan Rea

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Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids (Courage Tales)Loris Opens Up His Heart: An Emotional Story For Kids by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful children’s book about Loris who struggles to open up to his new foster home. This is a fantastic book that could be used to teach compassion, kindness, courage, overcoming fears, and so much more. I really love the empathy we feel from Cam and Inaya and the vulnerability we eventually get from Loris. This is a fantastic teaching tool for kids and the illustrations are phenomenal.
Reviewed by @meggs1717

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