We need to talk about ANGER!

The truth is, anger is an emotion that all of us experience and, personally, I don’t think it does children any good to pretend anger doesn’t exist, or to only show well-behaved children in books. Children will feel anger whether we want them to or not. By only showing well-behaved, good-tempered children in books, all we are doing is teaching kids to be ashamed of their anger, to be scared of it, to push it down and hide it — and that doesn’t help anyone.

The story of a story: the surprising power of ‘just giving things a go’

This is the story of a story. More specifically, it is the story of my children’s book, The Winter Garden. I thought I would share this story, partly because it is nearly Christmas and this little book is full of wintry, magical Christmas cheer … and partly because of what this book represents. This book is proof that all of us are capable of things we never thought possible. It is a reminder that we should never listen to those people in our lives who tell us we are not good enough or not capable or not talented enough.

The power of words –1: Why are all bears boys?

Have you ever noticed that almost all the bears in books are boys?! As are most of the animals, monsters, aliens, and other non-human creatures. And don’t even get me started (again) on how many picture books have a male protagonist!

The English language is inherently sexist. It works on the assumption that males are the norm and females are ‘other’ than that. It’s time to change this.

How a simple shift in attitude could have a huge impact on the future health of our kids

Health is not about what you look like and it is not about pushing your body to the point of failure every day. True health is about how you feel – mentally as well as physically. It is about whether you feel strong enough, energised enough, and nourished enough to live your life to the fullest. I believe that if we want our children to grow up truly healthy and comfortable in their bodies, we first need to be honest with ourselves about the true meaning of health.

How my children make me more creative

I created my first picture book, Lilly Mae on a car journey with my oldest daughter, who was about two or three at the time. She was bored and getting fidgety so I thought up this funny little character, Lilly Mae, whose mood swings changed the weather down on Earth. Last night, Lilly Mae came to my rescue again!