health and wellbeing, and having my son — to whom I felt an enormous obligation and commitment to arm him with skills to help him navigate his way through the emotional rollercoaster that is ‘being human’, and prepare him for inevitable life experiences. Also, I am extremely fortunate to feel able to combine two things that I am most passionate about — mental health / wellbeing and creating quality children’s picture books for the international market. What or who inspires your work in the area of feelings and emotions in children’s literature? The main inspiration for my work comes from my own desire for explanations or information relating to understanding human behaviour (the good, the bad, and the ugly!) and academic research and study . . . where it has become blatantly obvious that the more I learn — the more I realise how much I don’t know! That being said, I have recently discovered (and feel inspired by) Research Professor and author Brené Brown and her extensive research work into the experiences that makes us who we are. What skills or attributes do you think are the most important for young children? Hmmmm, this is a tricky one. As parents, we tend to form our opinions on the attributes we value most based on our own experiences throughout our lifetime, and therefore may look through biased lenses. However, taking this into account, I believe the most important attributes we can help grow within our children are resilience, selfesteem, empathy, and kindness . . . oh, and a sense of humour! I am incredibly proud to say that my son possesses these qualities in truckloads! Why do you think your previous series have been so popular world-wide? I believe it is because of the delicate balance and harmony created between the text (including the careful choice of words), the design, the agender main character, the character choice (a fluffy, warm, gentle bunny), and the illustrations (a visual extension of the text). The work is relatable and resonates with most people around the globe, regardless of culture or ethnicity. What are some strategies educators can use to engage young children as they read these books together? Simply just reading these books with your child creates engagement — and an opportunity (or ice-breaker) to talk about subjects that can be extremely difficult for both the parent/teacher and the child to broach. Some other simple strategies include: running your finger along words as you read; encourage your child to point out words, or things in the illustrations and name them (ie. dog, boat, storm, hug, etc); have your child turn the pages; talk about what the words mean; talk about the illustrations and how they relate to the words; encourage your child to ask questions — and answer them (yep, sometimes their questions will make your toes curl, but keep your answers simple, truthful, and age-appropriate. They may ask the same question repeatedly, but this is their way of working things out.); ask your child questions; discuss how your child understands the content of the book; have your child imagine they are the main bunny character, and ask them how they would react to different experiences (ie. bullying, grief, anxiety, etc) and/or ask them what they would do to help and support a friend experiencing these things. I could rattle on . . . but a limited amount of space! What are your five top strategies that may support educators when working to support children navigate and self-regulate their feelings? In the ‘Notes to parents and caregivers’ section at the back of each book of my new series, detailed strategies specific to the subject matter are shared. March 2022 { 31 }
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