The Sunshine Books
CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS AS A SERIES, especially written for the highly sensitive family:
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The Sunshine Book series is about a young girl named Sunshine who is an old soul with a big heart.
She learns about her world and emotional intelligence through the gift of being a highly sensitive person.
Come along with her on many heart-warming adventures as she shares stories with themes like the power of words, healing foods, separation anxiety, social anxiety, extra sensory gifts, changing perceptions, the many types of mothers, environmental awareness, respecting personal space, and cherishing generations of love.
book #1
Completed and for sale on Amazon
book #2
Currently at the Illustrator
Enjoy the complete series...
1. Sunshine and The Power of Words (Completed, and now for sale) This is a full sensory story showing how to deal with the emotional pain of hurtful words, and that they often can last longer than physical pain. Presenting the awareness that we have a choice of what words that we let get metabolized into our bodies or that we can let them bounce off of us. This story demonstrates why it’s helpful to allow a child to process their feelings as they bubble up, which helps the child to feel heard. This simple, loving act can help the child let go of that pain rather than create “emotion clouds” that can affect others. A lesson in compassion and the value of talking things through.
2. Sunshine and Uncle Moody’s Cafe (Full story draft on password protected webpage, currently being illustrated) Great conversations about how kids can be self empowered to shift moods with specific examples of ways food can also shift moods. Explains that foods with their vitamins and nutrients can be the exact puzzle piece your bodies building blocks (cells) need. It introduces the work of Medical Medium to a younger generation while demonstrating how wonderful it feels to be heard. Another full sensory story also addressing the sensitivity of a child to her surroundings.
3. Sunshine and The Forever Hugs Brings awareness of separation anxiety and introduces self-soothing techniques. Offers reassurance to the child and helps parents understand the child's fears. Explains that love is always there even if the person isn’t and what to do with the feelings they have. Offers concepts of never ending hugs that can be felt long after they are over. Introduction to hand mudras (hand positions that have energy) that can be comforting and healing. Weighted blanket or stuffed animal can offer surrogate comfort.
4. Sunshine and The Turtle Introduces social anxiety by using the analogy of feeling like a turtle wanting to retreat into your own shell, and sometimes sticking your neck out. Validates all feelings and gives reassurance that it is ok to tell the truth about how you feel instead of saying you are “ok” so others will feel better. Explains that all people/animals are different and those differences are a good thing to make the world feel more round(ed). Confirms for children and reminds adults that it is ok to want time to yourself to create and reflect.
5. Sunshine and The Lady Bug Validates the enhanced sensory experience that a highly sensitive child feels. A very descriptive beach story focusing on all of life's sensory input, and how overwhelming it can be when experienced all at once. Demonstrates some soothing strategies to help families understand and value the extra sensitive child, especially when transitioning from one activity to another.
6. Sunshine and The Magic Glasses Introducing the concept of an individual’s perception of life through the lens of their experience. Using colored sunglasses to show examples such as red=anger, yellow=joy, blue=calm, purple=truth. Showing the same scene with very different views. Validating the need we have for hiding behind the color we feel, and how that can change what we see with our eyes vs what we “see” with our hearts. Acceptance of others who need to wear glasses to see more clearly will be emphasized. Sunshine will also learn about the gift of seeing so many of life’s details along with the value and importance of tears (The Emotions And Reactions Surfacing).
7. Sunshine and Mother Earth Validating all types of “mothering”, whether from a female, male, birth parent, surrogate, foster, adoptive or grand parents, and mothers in nature. Underlying theme of being wanted no matter how you got here. Examples of animals that raise other species babies. We refer to Earth as "mother Earth” but still need to take great care of it - sometimes mothers need help. Introduces the reality that “It takes a village” to raise a child. Explains more of why Sunshine’s grandmother is raising her.
8. Sunshine and Me Too, Goodnight Written in a symbolic tone not directly referencing the “Me Too” movement - during a nightly tucking in, a conversation emphasizing body privacy and respect. Subtle examples of when secrets are ok to tell, and if something uncomfortable happens to keep telling until someone believes you. Ending with the grandmother saying that she wishes for Sunshine to always have body respect and privacy because she deserves it. And Sunshine says, “Me Too” confirming a woman’s right to her body. Discusses self soothing and the comfort of a favorite book, blanket or lullaby and the importance of a space of your own.
9. Sunshine and Pennies From Heaven Introducing the concept that “the end” symbolically doesn’t mean it’s over. Sometimes you can reread the book, watch the movie over again, or feel a persons love even when they are gone. Confirming that death is only the body and that love lives on. Sunshine had been collecting pennies to do a project with her aunt but now that Aunt Penelope is gone she keeps finding pennies everywhere. She sees them as gifts and encouragement from her aunt to finish the project they started together - a “weighted blanket” made out of copper pennies to help Sunshine feel grounded, sleep better and feel like her aunt is hugging her. Written in a loving way to help families deal with grief.