A Mimico resident has written a children’s book that is getting great reviews in Canada and in the U.S.

Shal Chirkut has been writing for many years and has a keen interest in covering topics that have a positive impact on the lives of young people.

Chirkut’s work highlights the importance of confidence and self-esteem in a young person’s life. His new book Mommy, What is Confidence? is published by Indigo River Publishing, based in Pensacola, Florida.

“He believes confidence can be developed through challenging oneself,” according to a release from the publisher. “He hopes children will learn to challenge themselves to accomplish great things early on. It sets the foundation for productive, goal-oriented, and successful futures.”

Chrikut created Mommy Series to communicate abstract topics that are difficult to explain to kids. “It is a way for parents, kids, mentors, and educators to explore important issues in a simplified, visual, well-written and easy-to-comprehend way,” the author explained. “Teaching confidence can lead to great achievements in childhood to adulthood.”

He believes self-confidence greatly affects the way children develop and get along with others. “Introducing confidence, self-improvement, and positive change to children allows them to feel good about themselves and maximize their potential,” Chirkut wrote.

The interactive book, which includes a confidence building activity called the Confidence Cup, has been receiving excellent reviews and hailed as “the perfect book to help kids build confidence’ by The South Etobicoke News.

“The use of simple dialogues, straightforward approaches, and motivating activity is surely a fun way to make kids fire up to challenge themselves to be more confident,” wrote Rabilatul Adawiyah Z.

Brianna V. said the theme behind the book is important. “It is something I don’t think I’ve seen in any picture book,” Brianna wrote in a review. “I would love to read this book with my niece and complete the lovely activity with her.”

“Mommy, What is Confidence?  is simple enough for a beginner reader, yet long enough a parent can read it as a bed-time story.”

Chirkut enjoys challenging himself in life, which has seen him mentoring students, skydiving, climbing mountains in Iceland, and proposing to his wife on the Eiffel Tower.

The avid tennis player has earned an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and lives in the area with his wife and children. Along with being an author, he also works in the project management field. Visit mommyseries.com to learn more about Chirkut.

Mommy, What is Confidence? can be found on Amazon, Chapters Indigo, and Barnes & Noble.

Copies of the e-book retail for $10.99 and the paperback for $18.52.