How and why schools have been implementing these simple stories...
'‘I think 'You’re so amazing’ and ‘You’re so strong’ address an important area in children’s literature by focussing on building positive thinking and confidence. As we face continued uncertainty in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, supporting children’s health and well-being is more important than ever and these resources offer welcome support and sanctuary."
– Dr Caroline Sarojini Hart, University Lecturer in Education, UK
"Both of these books are perfect for supporting our school mission statement and ethos. As a school we work hard to recognise the worth and dignity of each individual pupil through our gospel values of faith, hope and love and these beautiful books help us to do just that! We encourage the children to have a growth mindset and we also practise mindfulness on a daily basis, all of which is promoted through reading these texts. All children should be reminded of these positive affirmations daily."
– Mrs A Ardill, Assistant Headteacher
"These books have been published at just the right time! As a teacher, I was looking for something to share with the children about self-esteem. These are delightful stories and the suggested activities for the classroom are thought-provoking. I would highly recommend for any primary school teacher to use as part of the Wellbeing curriculum."
– Mrs D Anderson, KS1 Teacher
Animations to inspire creativity
Along with the videos that can be utilised in schools from our Welcome page, we've collaborated with spoken-word artist, kimba, to create a short poem based on the 7 simple steps listed at the back of each book and posted a few more short videos that share messages about the steps on our Inspiration page too.
7 Steps: Spoken-word poem
Additional inspirational ideas
We've also created a collection of simple, inspirational ideas and posters to help the concepts from our books come to life in your classroom, to complement wellbeing resources you may already have in place. A wonderful opportunity to share the books, animations and this resource may arise during a week when the children are learning about nature or even having Forest School. The simple downloadable PDF, available free below, is aimed at children aged 5–8, however we plan to evolve these resources for older children and to include more information, so please stay connected!
Click on the images below to see a snapshot of our Creative Arts Week project inspired by the stories and some amazing children!
Workshops
"I would like to thank you for the amazing work you did with the children in Year 6 during our Creative Arts Week. The inspiration for the project came after reviewing ‘You're so amazing’ and ‘You're so strong’ which are beautiful books – both in the message they convey and the illustrations. Children have so much to contend with from peer pressure and social media that these books provide a starting point from which to rebuild damaged self-esteem.
The illustrations in the books and short animated videos brought the stories to life and as our children were writing about their memories of school and reflecting on the things they had learned we wanted to capture and present their ideas in a similar beautiful way.
You came into school in their final weeks of year 6 – a challenging time – and completely mesmerised our children. Every child created a piece of work they were proud of. When children reflected on the week they described your project as ‘the best part of Creative Arts Week’ and one child remarked how much they had enjoyed, ‘discovering they could draw.’
We have been left with two books full of beautiful memories and art, alongside a permanent display as a mural in our library. What a wonderful week!
I have no reservations in recommending this workshop to other schools that would like a magical experience for their children to inspire them to draw so beautifully and have pride in their creations."
– Florence Rostron, Headteacher
For more information about workshops please contact us.
A few more testimonials...
"The books are so beautifully illustrated and written. They are accessible to both adults and children and allow the children to explore their own ideas of wellbeing within the safe and secure setting of school. The resources to be used alongside the books are adaptable to different ages and allow for children to explore their own feelings and thoughts in an imaginative and thought-provoking way at their own level. I will happily continue to use these throughout the year to support wellbeing in my classroom!"
– Mrs K Haskins, Reception and KS1 Teacher
"I read 'You're so amazing' to my Year 2 children today and they absolutely loved it. The messages inside this book are both heartwarming and empowering and taught the children so many important lessons. We have been learning about celebrating differences and this is one of the many themes that this book has taught them.
This book is the perfect tool to teach children about the strength and beauty inside themselves as well as the strength and beauty that surrounds us every day."
– Mrs Frances Buck, KS2 Teacher
