Little Brains, Big World · Book 3 · Ages 3–6
“Just ONE More Minute!” A Rhyming Story That Makes Transitions Easier
When it’s time to leave the fun, Zuli the Octopus gets stuck, until Finn the Fish shares a simple trick: build a bridge in your mind, stand in the middle, take a breath, and cross. A gentle read-aloud for ages 3 to 6, with a short guide for parents at the back.
Paid links: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Formats
- Paperback · Kindle
- Ages
- 3–6
- Print length
- 33 pages
- Published
- January 2, 2026
- Series
- Little Brains, Big World · Book 3
Why Leaving the Fun Feels So Hard
The park, the game, the show: stopping something good can feel like losing it. Young children aren’t being defiant when they dig in their heels. Shifting from one activity to the next takes brain skills that are still developing, and “Time to go!” can land like a jump across a gap.
That’s exactly where Zuli is at the start of the story. The reef is full of friends and games, home-time arrives, and every tentacle freezes. “Just ONE more minute!”
Build a Bridge, Take a Breath, Cross
Finn the Fish doesn’t tell Zuli to hurry up. He offers a picture instead: a small bridge in your mind that connects where you are to where you’re going. In the middle you can stop, breathe, look back to say thank you, and look forward to what’s waiting.
Zuli tries it, and the stuck feeling starts to lift. The rhyming refrain gives your child words to carry into real life: “When it’s time to switch, here’s what I do: I build a bridge to carry me through.”
The book ends with a note for grown-ups on why transitions are hard, plus conversation starters and simple bridge-building activities to try at home.
Look inside Switch & Settle
A few watercolour pages from the story. Tap any page to see it larger.
What Your Child Takes Away
Switch & Settle gives children a tool they can picture and use, and gives grown-ups a shared phrase for the hard moments: leaving the playground, ending screen time, bedtime and busy mornings.
Understand the Stuck Feeling
Zuli’s big feelings are named and shown, so children learn that finding it hard to switch is normal, not naughty.
A Tool They Can Picture
The bridge turns an abrupt jump into a short walk with a pause in the middle.
One Calming Breath
On the bridge, Zuli takes one slow breath in and out before crossing: a habit you can practise together.
Both Places Can Be Good
Saying thank you to the fun and looking forward to what’s next helps children see that switching isn’t losing.
From the author
Why I Wrote Switch & Settle
I’m Ujjwal Ganesh, father of two daughters. Like most parents, I have negotiated “five more minutes” more times than I can count. I wrote Switch & Settle after seeing how much easier transitions became when my girls had a picture to hold on to instead of an instruction.
It’s Book 3 in Little Brains, Big World, a series of rhyming picture books in which Zuli the Octopus learns one everyday thinking skill per book.
Paid links: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
