… With The Power of Thought so They Can Problem Solve and Find Positive Solutions!

Last summer, while out for a walk, I called my niece, Amber Raymond on a whim. “Hi hon. How would you like to write a children’s book series with me?” Imagine hearing that question! My niece was just about to graduate with her Master of Social Work and as a life-long educator, I thought we’d make a great team. She didn’t hesitate and in no time, we were brainstorming all possibilities. Our goal from the beginning, without question, was to give children the tools they need to problem solve and find positive solutions for everyday situations in life. We both have countless professional and personal experiences which makes this such passionate work for us. Amber did a full Literature Review (posted on the webpage) and our goal was validated.

Ultimately, by developing our children’s book series titled The Power of Thought, we are offering evidence-based approaches where children will learn to understand, handle and express their emotions appropriately while building social skills, empathy, self-awareness, and self-regulation.

Enter Allysa Batin, our talented illustrator. Allysa is a recent graduate of Kennedy Collegiate and is currently attending the University of Windsor. Amber and I were immediately captivated by her creativity and imagination.

With three minds collaborating, our wondrous planet Tezra and the main characters emerged. It has been such fun seeing our vision come to life, in ways we couldn’t even imagine when Amber and I spoke on the phone almost a year ago. How do children learn to manage their emotions when they feel angry, worried, disappointed, surprised, lonely, or happy? Each book is fun, introduces emotional vocabulary, and includes a guide outlining the strategies children can use and adults can model. We’re publishing in both the French and English languages.

Meet Zirco!

Zirco and their friends Nyx, Carnuli,  Epido, and Lazu, are all children who live on the planet Tezra. Their forms are quite different from humans as they are not identifiable by gender and they hover rather than walk. What is most unique is that the children cannot hide their emotions because they haven’t learned to control them yet. As beings, when their emotions change, they glow in the colour of how they are feeling. Trine and Opal are the guiding adult figures in the book, and are mysterious themselves!

We all feel many emotions and that’s OK! We can help children to see when each character’s feelings are changing by the look on their faces, by body language, or the words they are using. Maybe children can start to tell by the colour of the glow that surrounds our characters. “I Have Choices” is the first book in our series. It introduces emotional vocabulary and includes a guide outlining the strategies children can use and adults can model. Zirco learns to make choices and turn scary thoughts into happy ones.

Do you see a common theme in the names we chose? Like you, every crystal is unique. Some look like simple rocks, and others look like they're from another planet. No matter their appearance, they all make you feel a sense of wonder when you see the way they shine. Working with crystals can help you transform into the most powerful version of yourself by guiding you to see how incredible you truly are. What crystal do you think Zirco is named after?

This series is particularly topical for parents/guardians who want to be proactive or are looking to teach their children how to cope with worry and anxiety. It is also an excellent resource for early years and primary educators who teach these skills and those who provide preventative or early intervention to children who may experience mental health challenges. Our full Literature Review is posted on my website.

Our exceptionally talented illustrator, Allysa created the caricature sketches of our team. We thought we’d make things fun and invite you to enter a draw. Allysa will do a caricature sketch of the winner and at the same time, we’ll keep you posted on when our first book, I Have Choices will be launched in the coming weeks.