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Ellie and the Sunflowers is for children to ignite imagination, build confidence, and facilitate positive experiences when situations or environments may prompt anxiety or fear, experienced as fight, freeze, or flight.
Imagination is enlivened through the story of Ellie and the metaphor of the sunflowers to help her experience a new setting. Underpinning the story is the science-neurology, biology, and psychology of emotions. It is science that informs the actions to counter unpleasant feelings of anxiety and fear, activating a calm state and confidence to initiate and to self-manage situations or environments that children may find challenging.
My vision for children all over the world is for them to engage in the story and apply what they learn to foster confidence and new experiences to enjoy. Parents, teachers, family members, care givers, counsellors, cousins, and friends can leverage the story to engage children and help them to build confidence to stand up tall, to imagine, thrive and independently self-manage anxiety or fear in a simple and effective way.
About the author
Michelle Black is a writer and editor who for many years ran a plain language consulting business. Having helped others improve their writing voice for decades, Michelle is exploring her own voice as a creative writer. A karate black belt who speaks three languages, Michelle can identify birds and garden flowers, and is passionate about music, especially the artist Prince. Michelle grew up in Toronto, where she still resides with her two teenagers. She has never rented a storage unit.
