'PERFECT PETUNIAS' BOOK

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.

KEY POINTS:

• This book is a must for children, both at home and at school, especially those ones who are prone to worry. Early intervention is the KEY. BUT everyone worries — big or little worries can all be managed the Loppy and Curly way!

• Non-gender specific, appeals to both a national and international market.

• Anxiety and social emotional well-being are very big and topical always. 

• The author is an experienced and practicing clinical psychologist and has a clear understanding of the type of issues affecting children.

• It is part of a series that is used to run anxiety management workshops in schools.

• Simple characters that externalise anxiety chatter (Loppy) and it’s management (Curly). They are easy for children to relate to. Simple strategy to manage worries, cognitive flexibility, dealing with mistakes and perfectionistic tendencies.

WRITING STYLE: Conversational and educational in the realm of mental well-being.

Lynn Jenkins

Lynn is an author as well as a practising clinical psychologist and mum, Lynn is very passionate about assisting children with social and emotional issues via the platform of picture books and their coinciding school visits. She wrote Lessons of a LAC, Brave and Perfect Petunias — which are the first, second and third books in a five-book series — to give children a way to think about and manage worry and anxiety.

Kirrili Lonergan

Kirrili Lonergan is a picture book illustrator, art therapist and a former paediatric nurse who relates warmly to the needs of children. She is the illustrator for the Lessons of a LAC picture book series and the co-creator of the Lessons of a LAC anxiety management package. She has numerous other titles including the Healthy Harold preschool books for Life Ed Early Years Learning Program, supporting health, safety and emotional well-being in children. She was shortlisted for the Speech Pathology of Australia Awards in 2018 for 'Ollie's Treasure' and 2022 for 'But I'm NOT Hungry for my Dinner.'

Together, Lynn and Kirrili visit schools to present the Lessons of a LAC Workshops. These workshops extend the lessons in the picture books and leave children with a clear understanding of what anxiety is and a tool-belt of skills to manage it. They believe that EARLY INTERVENTION is the key.