Lonely Little Cactus : A Story About Friendship, Coping, and Belonging

For effective use, this book should be purchased alongside the activity book, Conceptual PlayWorlds for Wellbeing: A Resource Book for the Lonely Little Cactus. Both books can be purchased together as a set, Building Conceptual PlayWorlds for Wellbeing: The Lonely Little Cactus Story Book and Accompanying Resource Book.

The Lonely Little Cactus is a children’s picture story book about a cactus that feels lonely living in the desert. Through a series of colourful interactions with desert dwellers, the little cactus learns strategies to cope with their feelings of loneliness.

Both entertaining and educational, the story book is aimed at children aged 4–8 years old and spreads the message that loneliness is a common emotion that is manageable and can be overcome. It teaches children an array of coping strategies and encourages them to try various approaches to managing a difficult situation to find the strategies that best work for them.

Offering a unique opportunity for children to learn about psychological strategies while being engaged in a beautiful narrative and visually captivating illustrations, this is the ideal resource for educators, support staff, practitioners and parents looking to help children understand and manage their feelings.

Kelly-Ann Allen is an associate professor, educational and developmental psychologist, and belonging researcher at Monash University. You can find Kelly-Ann on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @drkellyallen. Resources for wellbeing and belonging can be found at www.drkellyallen.com.

Madeleine Griffith is a multi-disciplinary artist and teacher with a background in sculpture, animation, miniature making, and illustration. She is passionate about applying creative approaches to build connections and space for people to explore their creativity. She teaches at R.M.I.T., is a co-creative director at the Satellite Foundation, and runs her prop and model-making company. You can find more of her work at madeleinegriffith.com.