Tarryn Roberts, of Bothasig, has spent years writing poetry and fictional stories but it wasn’t until her daughter was born that she was inspired to start writing children’s books.
Ms Roberts has self-published nine children’s picture books.
Her series of Emily’s Adventures books for toddlers includes short stories with a “find the hidden picture” activity in the back of each book; her Lottie and Scottie books help toddlers navigate toilet training; and Fatty Cat, is a short story about a cat who thinks he owns his human’s home.
Her latest work, Stressy Jessie and Friends, to be released next month, offers a way for adults to speak to children about mental illness.
“My daughter was a victim of bullying at her creche, and we could see how it had made her anxious. The book was brought about after I had to find ways to explain to her what she was experiencing at the time. I found it challenging to explain it to her, and I know it would have been hard for other parents to explain too, so I started to write the book” says Ms Roberts.
The book explains that Jessie is stressed out and living with anxiety, just like most of her friends mentioned in the book, including Addy, who always finds it challenging to concentrate because of her attention-deficit disorder (ADD).
The aim is to have children understand that even if they are faced with mental health challenges, they are not the only ones, says Ms Roberts.
Ms Roberts says she hopes that all of her books will highlight the importance of reading and reading for meaning to parents and children.
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