Becoming Better Grownups: Rediscovering What Matters and Remembering How to Fly Hardcover – Illustrated, March 31, 2020

This beautiful book.The beauty of this book is it’s a book for adults that speaks to and for the child in all of us.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀In “Becoming Better Grownups,” Brad reminded me of profound truths that I can live out in simple, everyday ways.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I laughed—oh how I laughed reading the things kids said—and I cried—beauty can’t help but bring tears to my eyes.And if I’m honest, the beauty of this book is the Gospel. Though Jesus wasn’t explicitly mentioned in this book, His heart was.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀To become a better grownup means to become like a child again, just as Jesus exhorts us in Matthew 18. And this book is a good reminder of what that means.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Here are a few things this book taught me of what it means to have the heart of a child:•Live from pure passion, pure heart. As an adult, I’ve fallen into defining myself by my titles and accomplishments. To be like a child, to be a better grownup, means to focus on what I *love* about what I do, to remember my passion, instead of looking for the applause.•To always be curious. As we get older, we start believing things like, “I’m a failure.” To be like a child is to implement what children do when they’re learning to walk: we fall, then we get back up again. We learn from our mistakes. We can’t fail if we continue to learn.•Always growing and being open to growth.•Seeing my neighbor as someone to learn from and help me grow, instead of seeing my neighbor as competition.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Though I wholeheartedly believe Mister Rogers is timeless—just as I believe love is timeless—I experience Brad as our modern day Fred Rogers. If you know Brad’s work, you know what I mean.

There are few people in their early thirties with as much insight, talent, and humor as Brad Montague, although he would likely blush and blow off the compliment. He is hilarious and creative yet humble and kind. And who knew that such a talented person (he's the brains / writer / producer / brother extraordinaire / man behind the "Kid President" video phenomenon) could struggle with knowing how to be a good grownup? But he's honest about that, while also passionate and patient, as he fleshes out that process. His quest to find out what it takes to be a good grownup meant talking - well, actually, listening - to hundreds of kids and older folks (aka kids at heart) and gaining insight along the way. The end result of his fact-finding mission is this funny, beautifully packaged, wonderfully illustrated book, one that you MUST buy for your favorite human who's trying to be not only a good grownup, but a great one. Reading this book will provide the inspiration they need to, ultimately, help others fly.

It must have been providence that brought this book into my home right as we realized the world had gone upside-down with the pandemic. Too much of the world amplifies conflict, seriousness, and fear – and yes there are big issues that have to be addressed – those things are temporary, but how we treat each other is permanent.The writing is open, engaging and overflowing with kindness – the illustrations engage the heart as the message of how to ‘be a better grownup’ melts your heart a bit.The message is wonderfully uplifting and challenging – don’t let the whimsey fool you, it’s not “how to be a child”. Brad challenges us to be the type of grownup we needed (or appreciated) when we were children – mature, confident, worthy, and infused with a child-like sense of joy, kindness and wonder.

I’m 3/4 of the way finished with Brad’s book and the only thing negative I can say about it is that it has an ending! I absolutely do not want this book to end! I’m attempting to teach play based preschool over the internet because we are currently in a global pandemic...this book is my ray of sunshine right now! In all seriousness, Brad shares a piece of himself on every page with a refreshing authenticity and honesty that I admire. If more people were this authentic and shared their vulnerabilities so candidly I wholeheartedly believe that the impact on emotional health and spiritual wellness of our communities would be astounding. I found the passages both relatable in their simplicity and revelatory in their magnitude. How can his messages be so simple and obvious but so so big and insightful at the same time? Magic-Poetry-Art-and Heart wrapped in a hard cover binding! Disregard any perceptions you might have about a book written for adults that includes cartoon-like doodles (which are fantastic by the way) because every adult,” soon to be” adult, “should act more like” an adult, and everyone in between should read this book....even though it ends.

Brad is one of the best, most humble, yet fantastic writers in our world today. He takes huge, big messy things and simplifies them using clever prose and awesome hand-drawn art. I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of this book and immediately loved the messages, lessons, and of course, humor. As an elementary school teacher, Brad is who I only hope my students become—difference makers who try everything they can to make the world a better place. The stories, the clever & witty poems, the awesome recounts of ordinary students in classrooms across the US all combine to create a magical book that I hope every grown-up (or grown-up in disguise) will read. Brad’s insight gives hope to this world. I have since bought three other friends this awesome book! You will delight in the joy it brings!