Children’s books & Early Education Action Research
Cultivating Resilience in Early Childhood
Thoughtbubbles - A series of books focused on young children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Comprising of four colourfully and beautifully illustrated picture books, this set is the perfect tool for early years practitioners to help support the development of mental health competencies in young children.
When it comes to child and adolescent mental health issues, prevention and early intervention is key. These picture books can be used to initiate nurturing conversations, which will help teachers and practitioners assess the child’s mental health competencies, whilst offering practical strategies to help develop resilience. Written as a response to the author’s extensive research, outlined in the guidebook, each story explores a key point for practical action that can be easily implemented when setting up an enabling and nurturing environment, whilst the ‘serve and return’ format allows the key themes to be taken forward in conversation and play.
This set includes:
Cultivating Resilience in Early Childhood: A practitioner guidebook outlining the research behind the stories and created to facilitate the effective use of the storybooks
A Place of My Own: Four children find magic wellington boots that transport them to exciting places. Where will they take you? An exciting story that will help children imagine a place where they can feel happy and secure
A Voice of My Own: All of the characters in this picture book are communicating something important. Can you work out what they are trying to tell you? Children learn about the importance of ‘voice’, both finding their own and listening to others
Someone to Listen: The children create a vegetable garden, working together and building friendships. A heartwarming story that encourages children to think about their role in the community
Memories of Change: The children tackle challenges and solve problems to create an apple crumble machine. A story about resilience, collaborating and embracing change in order to achieve results.
A Place of my Own
Johan, Hana, Ratheena and Sami have found some magical wellington boots. When they put them on, they are transported to wonderful and comforting places, and even through time. Where will they take you?
With growing concerns around mental health, and in the wake of a period of uncertainty and change, it is more important than ever to pay attention to how young children express their emotions and to teach them to articulate their thoughts in a healthy way. This beautifully illustrated picture book has been created to inspire conversations about safe spaces, helping practitioners assess a child’s mental health competency and helping the child visualise a place to which they can escape when they feel anxious and upset.
When it comes to child and adolescent mental health issues, prevention and early intervention are key. The ‘serve and return’ format of this book provides a virtual space where children can explore thoughts and feelings and teaches them a coping mechanism that can be used in the future to escape negative thoughts.
Someone to Listen
Everybody is busy, busy, busy. They have no time to stop and listen to each other. With some hard work and patience, the children create a meal that their whole community can enjoy, finding friendship along the way.
With growing concerns around mental health, and in the wake of a period of uncertainty and change, it is more important than ever to pay attention to how young children express their emotions, and to teach them to articulate their thoughts in a healthy way. This beautifully illustrated picture book has been created to help children understand the importance of having someone to listen to you. Children are encouraged to think about how characters might be feeling at different points in the story and think about what makes the characters feel valued.
When it comes to child and adolescent mental health issues, prevention and early intervention are key. The ‘serve and return’ format of this book provides a virtual space where children can explore thoughts and feelings, teaching them that they have a place in their community.
A Voice of My own
The characters in this book communicate in different ways. Can you work out what they mean through their voices, gestures and expressions?
With growing concerns around mental health, and in the wake of a period of uncertainty and change, it is more important than ever to pay attention to how young children express their emotions, and to teach them to articulate their thoughts in a healthy way. This beautifully illustrated picture book has been created to teach children about the importance of communication, both in finding their own ‘voice’ and listening to others, however they communicate. By demonstrating how easy it can be to interpret a non-verbal communication system, it encourages children to notice and talk about non-verbal cues, giving them the opportunity to actively listen and reassuring them that they will be listened to.
When it comes to child and adolescent mental health issues, prevention and early intervention are key. The ‘serve and return’ format of this book provides a virtual space where children can explore thoughts and feelings, teaching them that they can feel safe and heard.
Memories of Change
It’s the Queen’s birthday, and the children must work together to create the most amazing machine – a machine that can create 100 apple crumbles by the afternoon tea party.
With growing concerns around mental health, and in the wake of a period of uncertainty and change, it is more important than ever to pay attention to how young children express their emotions, and to teach them to articulate their thoughts in a healthy way. This beautifully illustrated picture book helps children understand the ‘journey’ in thinking, exploring the ways in which collaborating, experimenting and changing ideas can open new possibilities. By learning to reframe their memories, children learn that change and transition don’t have to be bad things.
When it comes to child and adolescent mental health issues, prevention and early intervention are key. The ‘serve and return’ format of this book provides a virtual space where children can explore thoughts and feelings, teaching them to be resilient in the face of change.