• Does your child beg for "more, more, more" of everything — junk food, snacks, toys, computer time and TV?

• When you ask your child what did they do today, do they respond in a monosyllabic fashion, or say "I did nothing today," or "My day was fine"?

• Are you surprised when your child says that a fun activity was boring, and would you like to understand what it really means?

• Does your child have frequent mood or behavioral changes that seem to arise out of nowhere?

Ava Parnass gives you new techniques and answers to these important questions in her 2 books, "My Feelings Are Hungry", and "Listen to Me Please"

In her new book "My Feelings are Hungry" Ms Parnass created a Feeling Town Map where streets are named after emotions. Parents and children can look at the colorful map together and figure out what feeling is hiding underneath that has them asking for more, more , more of everything they see.

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• Discover what it really means when your kids beg for "more, more, more" of everything — toys, snacks, TV and computer time.

• Learn new techniques that provide the missing link in the junk food and obesity epidemics.

• Understand what your child is communicating with their silences and behavioral mishaps, and how they can translate it into words instead.

• Learn why teaching your children about feelings will improve their behavior and help them feel good about themselves.

Ava Parnass MSN CS, a Child and Family psychotherapist, has developed a series of fun, interactive projects for children that also encourage emotional health. The series, "Adventures in Feeling Town, With Mushy the Magic Book" presents a unique solution to many urgent issues: the obesity epidemic and childhood behavior problems, and it does so in an entertaining yet educational interactive format.

How Can My Feelings Are Hungry Help Solve Common Childhood Issues?

Ms. Parnass's new book, My Feelings Are Hungry, has created a compelling imaginary world in which children can discover for themselves the underlying feelings that are causing them to misbehave or crave junk food. The superhero Mushy the Magic Book pops out of the computer when a child having trouble in school or at home. She freezes time and transports the characters to Feeling Town where they engage in a series of fun adventures.

The rhyming text, colorful illustrations and emphasis on feelings captivate children and parents alike. The streets in Feeling Town are named after emotions, such as Lonely Lane and Hungry Hollow. Mushy and the children explore The Happy Café and Imagination Palace, where real kids drop in to visit.

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Reading My Feelings Are Hungry with your child can bring families closer, encouraging cooperation, sharing and joy. The tools and techniques introduced in the book are skillfully woven into the story, teaching children that discovering hidden feelings is the key to many behavior problems, including overeating.

The story's characters learn to uncover, name and express feelings using a variety of fun methods, and young readers are simlutaneously taught how to incorporate these techniques into their own lives. They find out how to trace an upset back to its source, which is often an unexpressed emotion.

After completing the book, children are encouraged to use email to relate their own stories to Mushy, and to a copy of the Feeling Town Map to point out their own emotions. The book mentions this website where kids can download Mushy's song, "Gotta Find Out," which further reinforces the lessons learned in the book.

"My Feelings are Hungry" helps children talk about feelings verbally in a positive manner (Time-in, not Time-Out).

With Time-in, not Time-Out Ms Parnass encourages parents to remove phrases like "Don't do that," "Stop it," "You never listen," or "You hit, you sit!" from their vocabulary. Instead phrases such as "Okay, if you don't want to share that special toy, which toy can you share?" Or "You get what you get and you handle your upset." Instead of ("You get what you get and you don't get upset.")

In addition to the main theme of learning about feelings , parents can also help innoculate the family against the obesity epidemic by including the following ideas :

1. Exercise, dance, swim, bike, walk and eat together as a healthy family.

2 . Children are more open to talking about things during a shared activity.

3. Making healthier food choices, watching portion sizes and joining a supportive program.

4. Remember most importantly the missing link in the obesity epidemic: is discovering the feelings that one is unaware of that are causing overeating or behavior problems.