Ash Bolt
Two Geelong authors have come together to release a book to help children examine and deal with their feelings and emotions.
You Matter – Be Your Own Best Friend will be published by Wild Dog Books on March 2.
It is award-winning author Sue Lawson’s 30th children’s book, but the first she has co-written with local wellness practitioner Sue Hindle.
The friends joined forces to create You Matter after a discussing the alarming increase of anxiety and other mental health issues they’d seen in young children.
Studies by institutions such as the University of Melbourne and Deakin University heave revealed a worrying increase in mental health problems in children, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Sue and I were talking about the number of younger and younger children struggling with big emotions,’ Lawson, a former schoolteacher, said.
“We decided we wanted to create a book that supported them and offered simple techniques.”
Hindle often works with children in her practice and said the book was designed to be practical and accessible for children.
“We deliberately avoid using terms like anxiety and heightened, as these terms in themselves can create tension for children,” she said.
“As the title suggests, You Matter encourages children to be gentle with themselves – to treat themselves as they would their best friend.”
The pair combined with Melbourne-based artist Prue Pittock, whose bright illustrations add a joyous and hopeful feel to the book that helps children navigate everyday emotions as well as those sparked by the pandemic and lockdowns.
