A range of books are available to assist with children's well-being.
'Perfect Petunias'
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrator: Kirrili Lonergan
Perfect Petunias is a book especially for those little people who find it hard to make mistakes, designed to ’shape’ perfectionistic tendencies towards being a little more self accepting and flexible. Loppy LAC is very worried about not doing his homework well enough. He is always focusing on what he hasn’t done rather then what he has, and he becomes very frustrated. So, his friend Curly teaches him about how petunias grow — in lots of different, imperfect directions that we can’t control! Loppy learns that by trying to control whether he makes mistakes or not it’s as if he’s always trying to grow ‘perfect’ petunias. Sometimes he just needs to accept that things go a certain way and to change his definition of ‘perfect’ to mean trying his absolute best. Perfect Petunias is the third book in the ‘Lessons of a LAC’ series. This gorgeous series, by an author and illustrator who are passionate about giving children ways to think about and manage common emotional difficulties, is a valuable resource for every child to help guide their emotional development.
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrator: Kirrili Lonergan
Perfect Petunias is a book especially for those little people who find it hard to make mistakes, designed to ’shape’ perfectionistic tendencies towards being a little more self accepting and flexible. Loppy LAC is very worried about not doing his homework well enough. He is always focusing on what he hasn’t done rather then what he has, and he becomes very frustrated. So, his friend Curly teaches him about how petunias grow — in lots of different, imperfect directions that we can’t control! Loppy learns that by trying to control whether he makes mistakes or not it’s as if he’s always trying to grow ‘perfect’ petunias. Sometimes he just needs to accept that things go a certain way and to change his definition of ‘perfect’ to mean trying his absolute best. Perfect Petunias is the third book in the ‘Lessons of a LAC’ series. This gorgeous series, by an author and illustrator who are passionate about giving children ways to think about and manage common emotional difficulties, is a valuable resource for every child to help guide their emotional development.
'Ollie's Treasure' - Shortlisted for the Speech Pathology of Australia Awards 2018
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrator: Kirrili Lonergan
Ollie’s Treasure is tale of mindfulness for young, developing minds. It’s a story about how simply noticing and taking in what is on offer to our senses can lead to the Holy Grail of treasure — happiness. Ollie’s Treasure takes children on a treasure hunt. Ollie’s grandma sends him a treasure map that promises to lead him to ‘something that will make him happy always’. Of course, Ollie thinks this ‘something’ will be a toy of some sort, but he gets both a rude shock and a big surprise when his treasure turns out to be him! By following his grandmother’s treasure map, he is taken on a journey of his senses, encouraged to notice what he can see, hear, touch, smell and taste. It comes as quite a surprise to him to realise that noticing such things makes him feel happy, and that the key to happiness can be found in his own mind not in material possessions.
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrator: Kirrili Lonergan
Ollie’s Treasure is tale of mindfulness for young, developing minds. It’s a story about how simply noticing and taking in what is on offer to our senses can lead to the Holy Grail of treasure — happiness. Ollie’s Treasure takes children on a treasure hunt. Ollie’s grandma sends him a treasure map that promises to lead him to ‘something that will make him happy always’. Of course, Ollie thinks this ‘something’ will be a toy of some sort, but he gets both a rude shock and a big surprise when his treasure turns out to be him! By following his grandmother’s treasure map, he is taken on a journey of his senses, encouraged to notice what he can see, hear, touch, smell and taste. It comes as quite a surprise to him to realise that noticing such things makes him feel happy, and that the key to happiness can be found in his own mind not in material possessions.
'Brave'
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrator: Kirrili Lonergan
'Brave', the follow-up book to Lessons of a LAC provides a strategy to kids about how to face things that worry them. Although kids are blessed with imagination, it can be a source of terror (as in anxiety). However, it can also be tapped to help them to feel
calm, confident and BRAVE! In Brave, Curly teaches Loppy how to manage his worries, specifically, his worries about going to school. The technique of helping children to ‘find their brave’ when faced with a challenging situation can be applied to whatever the difficulty might be. Empower your child with the tool of finding their Brave!
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrator: Kirrili Lonergan
'Brave', the follow-up book to Lessons of a LAC provides a strategy to kids about how to face things that worry them. Although kids are blessed with imagination, it can be a source of terror (as in anxiety). However, it can also be tapped to help them to feel
calm, confident and BRAVE! In Brave, Curly teaches Loppy how to manage his worries, specifically, his worries about going to school. The technique of helping children to ‘find their brave’ when faced with a challenging situation can be applied to whatever the difficulty might be. Empower your child with the tool of finding their Brave!
'Lessons of a LAC'
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrator: Kirrili Lonergan
Lessons of a Lac is a picture book that is really a resource tool to manage childhood anxieties! Through the characters, Loppy and Curly, your child will learn a useful ‘way’ to think about their worries – the first crucial step in managing it. Looking out for what can go wrong is all Loppy the LAC (Little Anxious Creature) knows – until he meets Curly Calmster! Curly teaches Loppy that perhaps he doesn’t have to look out for worst-case scenarios all the time and, to Loppy’s surprise, life starts to look a bit different.
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrator: Kirrili Lonergan
Lessons of a Lac is a picture book that is really a resource tool to manage childhood anxieties! Through the characters, Loppy and Curly, your child will learn a useful ‘way’ to think about their worries – the first crucial step in managing it. Looking out for what can go wrong is all Loppy the LAC (Little Anxious Creature) knows – until he meets Curly Calmster! Curly teaches Loppy that perhaps he doesn’t have to look out for worst-case scenarios all the time and, to Loppy’s surprise, life starts to look a bit different.
'School Start'
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrations by Simon Goodway and Kirrili Lonergan
School Start focuses on the parts of starting school that is often missed: the social and emotional components. This great little book outlines what young children need in terms of their social and emotional development when they are in those early years of school. It also addresses parents and the feelings and reactions that go along with their children being at school. Being an ebook, School Start is very accessible and its conversational style makes it a very easy read.
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrations by Simon Goodway and Kirrili Lonergan
School Start focuses on the parts of starting school that is often missed: the social and emotional components. This great little book outlines what young children need in terms of their social and emotional development when they are in those early years of school. It also addresses parents and the feelings and reactions that go along with their children being at school. Being an ebook, School Start is very accessible and its conversational style makes it a very easy read.
'Best Start'
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrations: Simon Goodway
In Best Start, psychologist Lynn Jenkins looks at how a person’s emotional foundations are formed in babyhood and the power that these foundations have over the way in which the child develops. She begins by examining how a baby’s brain is shaped to support developing self-concepts before moving on to outline what a baby needs in order to develop a positive idea of themselves. Most importantly, she explains to parents what they can do to meet those needs, ensuring that their child experiences the best start in life.
Author: Lynn Jenkins
Illustrations: Simon Goodway
In Best Start, psychologist Lynn Jenkins looks at how a person’s emotional foundations are formed in babyhood and the power that these foundations have over the way in which the child develops. She begins by examining how a baby’s brain is shaped to support developing self-concepts before moving on to outline what a baby needs in order to develop a positive idea of themselves. Most importantly, she explains to parents what they can do to meet those needs, ensuring that their child experiences the best start in life.
Books can be purchased through our website and online at Angus and Robertson and Dymocks. In Newcastle, books are available at MacLean’s Booksellers and Harry Hartog.