Daisy's Dragons: A story about feelings

Description

Warning! Contains dragons. Nobody but Daisy can see her dragons. And usually, they all get along in their own wonderful chaotic way, but Daisy's dragons aren't like ordinary dragons; Daisy's dragons are her feelings. So when Daisy has a very tricky day, suddenly, all is not harmonious amongst the dragons. Sad keeps growing and growing, and Angry is breathing fire at everyone and everything he sees while Scared's screaming is driving everybody to distraction. Suddenly, some of Daisy's dragons feel bad. And Daisy doesn't want bad dragons. But Daisy soon discovers that without Angry, Sad and Scared, her other dragons are nowhere to be seen either. Could it be that to feel truly happy, calm and brave, Daisy needs all of her dragons together? Daisy's Dragons is a mindful metaphor that helps children understand the importance of all their emotions - even the negative ones. It addresses the necessity of difficult feelings and celebrates their capacity for self-preservation, self-esteem and reflection. After all, you can't be brave if you're not frightened first.

Frances is a former primary school teacher who first realised her love for writing with the poem, My Dad's Milkfloat when she was six. She is a trained children's literacy specialist and winner of the Bloomsbury and National literacy trust short story prize 2017. Her debut books, Love you Always and What will you Dream of Tonight? were published by Nosy Crow in Autumn, 2019. She lives with her family and a big-eared dog in Nottinghamshire. And when she is not writing, you'll find her in the forest playing dragons with her daughters. Nothing makes Annabel happier than a big pile of paper and a seriously sharp pencil. She loves drawing for picture books and creating characters. She uses her experience as a surface pattern designer to bring lots of colour, texture and patterns into her work. She has illustrated everything from Children's books and maps to greeting cards and packaging. Annabel lives in the beautiful Somerset countryside with her husband and a house full of huge muddy boys, a small bonkers dog and a cat that thinks he is a dog. Like a magpie she finds anything shiny almost irresistible. She doesn't like second class stamps or brushing her hair, but she loves a list and a second-hand book shop.

This is a fantastic book to illustrate the value of all feelings. It is important for children to know that each and every one of their feelings are valid, whether these are positive or negative, sometimes they cannot be helped and in face, they can even be healthy. This book supports children in understanding that it's ok to be sad, angry or scared, everyone has these feelings, and it is healthy to not push these feelings away, but rather work with them. The rhyming scheme of this book gives it a fun and energetic vibe, as well as allowing children to retain words more easily and begin to identify patterns and sounds. Daisy's Dragons supports children in acknowledging accepting and getting to know their own feelings, and having understanding, control and ownership of them. The book skilfully demonstrates how each feeling affects us, and how our feelings interact with each other. This book has several deep meanings, it will even provoke adults to step back and reflect! * Early Years Educator *