Someone to Listen: A Thought Bubbles Picture Book About Finding Friends

Everybody is busy, busy, busy. They have no time to stop and listen to each other. With some hard work and patience, the children create a meal that their whole community can enjoy, finding friendship along the way.

With growing concerns around mental health, and in the wake of a period of uncertainty and change, it is more important than ever to pay attention to how young children express their emotions, and to teach them to articulate their thoughts in a healthy way. This beautifully illustrated picture book has been created to help children understand the importance of having someone to listen to you. Children are encouraged to think about how characters might be feeling at different points in the story and think about what makes the characters feel valued.

When it comes to child and adolescent mental health issues, prevention and early intervention are key. The ‘serve and return’ format of this book provides a virtual space where children can explore thoughts and feelings, teaching them that they have a place in their community.

Louise Jackson is a teacher, trainer and author who draws on her direct experience of working with children in schools to develop educational materials that are designed to promote participation, relationships and conversation. She has worked on ‘closing the gap’ projects with national charities, local authorities, schools, children’s centres and training organisations to address educational disadvantage, finding new ways to build capacity and resilience across early childhood services and local communities.

Privileged to have worked alongside many inspirational teachers, practitioners and volunteers in educational settings where vulnerable children are thriving, Louise seeks to capture in her research and writing what it is that makes the difference for young children. Working in collaboration with illustrator Katie Waller, she has created a series of books and practical tools which will help local communities, parents, practitioners and teachers understand the valuable role they can all play in cultivating resilience in early childhood.