Catching Thoughts

Posted on by Monica Acker
CATCHING THOUGHTS by Bonnie Clark and Summer Macon

CATCHING THOUGHTS, by Bonnie Clark and Summer Macon, is for everyone who has ever had that negative thought they can’t shake. The simple text and child-friendly illustrations help the reader take control of their thoughts by suggesting a shift in focus from the negative thought to the things that bring us joy. This method has helped my youngest get to sleep after a scary thought grabbed her before bed. It helped my older girls find the good in their very different summer. And it helped me feel less weighed down by life in 2020. We are making it a practice to find the joy, catch it, and hold on.

To win a copy of CATCHING THOUGHTS for your home or classroom comment below with your thoughts of joy and be sure to check out the craft below, inspired by this wonderful book.

Today’s craft is perfect for a bulletin board, at school or home, to give children a visual to go along with the thoughts of JOY or CALM or EXCITEMENT we are encouraging them to grab a hold of.

What you need:

  • Construction Paper
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • String
  • Pen, pencil, marker, or crayon
  • A printed photo of the child reaching up

From colored construction paper, have the child cut a few balloon shapes. On each balloon ask the child to write or draw something that brings them feelings of joy, or calm, or excitement. We flipped through the pages of CATCHING THOUGHTS to remind ourselves of all of the different positive feelings we could choose from. Then, have the child pose for a picture reaching up and print on photo paper or card stock. If you are unable to print a photo, the child can draw a picture of themselves reaching up. I cut each photo so no background was visible, attached our balloons of joy to the picture with string and tape, and hung up on our wall a visual reminder of the thoughts we are holding onto.

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Author:

Monica Acker is an author and educator located in Massachusetts. She is the author of Brave Like Mom (illustrated by Paran Kim) and The Legend of Leo the Dandelion (2026, illustrated by Mikel Valverde). When not writing, Monica spends her time as the mom taxi to her three children and dreaming up vacations with her husband.

14 thoughts on “Catching Thoughts”

  1. Reading brings me so much joy. It’s a way to escape from everything else going on in the world. You can go anywhere when you read. Can’t wait to read this book!

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  2. Bonnie Clark is amazing, and you are, too, Monica! I love this extension activity with CATCHING THOUGHTS and plan to do this as a lesson with my students. One of the classrooms I work with did a very similar bulletin board of them with their pets, so I think we can just continue the idea and add happy thoughts. My happy thoughts today center around the writing community and how wonderfully supportive it is! 🙂

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  3. This book has been on my list to read for awhile now! A moment of joy I had today was seeing the relieved face of a mom as she dropped off her kids at my house so she could have a couple hours to herself to recharge. Life lately has been super stressful for everyone, so it made my heart full knowing I could help out a friend when she needed it.

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  4. Hi Monica! I love that you highlighted Catching Thoughts and brought in a wonderful activity/craft.

    The thing that brings me the most joy is seeing my children use imaginary play together. It’s great seeing their wheels turn, hearing their laughter and seeing cooperation. Thanks fir this post that helps us remember and focus on joy.

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