Take this, not just as a story, but as an oath now sewn.

I did not write these words to sit on a pretty little shelf. I wrote them to walk with you, for the days when I am no longer walking beside you.

When the sky turns in the old rhythms of the ancients that knew this remembering, when light and dark were braided together in the hands of the great mother.

I am not gone, I have only gone wider. Say it with me in the night, when it grows teeth, when the sun is hidden and not lost, when the sun is hidden not lost, when the sun is hidden not lost. And neither am I.

Blood of my blood. Bone of my bone. If you forget, listen to your own pulse, it is a drum beating, a drum I once danced to, breath by breath.

It is a tide that I memorise the rhythm from. And like me, you are never separated from that rhythm. What do you wish to be done with? You and I are made; we are undone together.

When the sky breaks open in a golden glow, the sun will surely shine through, shine on me and put on a greatful show. And I will be praising all the light. 

When the clouds fold over in thick silence, I will still be here, just resting behind the veil. When dusk begins to soften the world into something sacred, spirit will transform me into something divine, that teaches me how to let go, without leaving myself.

When night wraps its dark cloak around my shoulders, that is when I hold its gaze on the other side.

My child of before and after, stitch this into your marrow like a blessing from heaven.

I will not vanish from you.

I will not vanish from you.

I will not vanish you.

I will alter my shape as all sacred things are altered, too.

You can call on me when your heart feels the need, and I will come to you the way the old ones do, not in any form but in the knowing. Bone of my bone. You won't walk alone, you will never walk alone.

Because I walk in your laughter.

Because I walk in your breaking.

Because I walk in the love you give freely.

And when you read this in years to come, when your hands are bigger, and your heart knows what it costs you to love. I hope that you will know that..

She loves me still,

She loves me still,

She loves me still,

And that will be enough.

That will steady you on your feet, and on the road it finds you on.

Blood of my blood. Bone of my bone. Body I carried before you were known, I am not behind you, and I am not ahead of you. I am the sun that walks with you forever, because forever is a promise that I have made to you, so this is my forever and always.

I love you like the sun at dawn, shimmering and untouched on the edge of a brilliant new day

I love you like the sunrise, spreading across your cheeks and warming everything. Bringing light to everyone everywhere.

I love you like the bright midday sun, streaming down at noon. Loving you constantly and unwaveringly.

I love you like the sun, even when that light is hidden. Because sometimes the clouds roll across the earth and we can't control them.

Sometimes the shadows cover the sun's rays, and a dullness falls across the earth for days and days.

But the sun continues to blaze behind the clouds, just like my love for you; nothing can get in its way.

I love you like the golden sunset, when the sky turns beautiful. The kind that stops you mid-step, and makes you stand stupidly gazing there at the magic.

I love you like the fading light, when the sky has to memorise its colours. When the birds flock together, synchronised magnificence, and the whole world fades to dusk.

I love you like all the stunning sunsets, the whole sky fading into starlight. And the atmosphere is a constellation of a thousand reassurances.

My love for you will forever sprinkle across the nighttime sky.

I love you like the midnight sun, hiding, visiting the opposite side of the world. Waiting merely a few hours away from you now, remember that the sun always shines somewhere for someone. 

I love you in the darkest void, even when the world feels like a never-ending midnight. When the planet continues to turn in its sleep, thus completing its full cycle. 

I love you when dawn light re-approaches and sunrise returns once more, because the sun was always there and will always it's way back to you. 

Like my love will forever and always.

The forest was never silent. But until that morning, Lillith thought that the rustling leaves were only the wind.

She thought the creaking trunks were just old wood. But then, she heard something, a voice as soft as sweet as watercress, and patient as stone.

“You have been walking amongst us all this time,” said the voice, but you have not yet learned to listen.”

Lillith froze; her heart was beating like a little rabbit’s.

“Who’s there?” she stuttered.

The wind whizzed through the leaves above her, as all the trees seemed to shiver together. Suddenly, the forest seemed to tilt in closer to her.

We are here,” the voices sighed softly together. We are the river and stone, We are the branch and the leaf. We are the ones who have watched you grow.” 

Lillith caught her breath. “The forest… Is awake?” 

“The forest was never asleep,” the voices answered.At first glance, she wanted to run and hide, but she didn't feel scared. Instead, Lillith decided to take one more careful step closer. Her foot sank into the soft green moss. “Teach me more about you,” she said fearlessly.

The forest answered, rustling like laughter, and rolled her an apple. “Then sit if you wish, and just breathe. Let's tell you what the world has forgotten.”

The moss tickled beneath her fingertips. The sound of the river was trickling along like a song, and then a voice rose to her ear. “I carry the memories, I remember every raindrop, every storm, and every child who cupped water to their lips. To care for me is to care for all who are thirsty.”

Lillith bent down really low to listen and listen. The water’s song slid into her heart like silver.

Then the stone began to grumble, from deep down below.  “I hold the bottom of the mountains. I am patient while rivers curve and shape me, I've kept time, that started long before clocks did.” Lillith picked up a smooth rock and held it in the palm of her hand, the wet weight. 

For a moment, she felt grounded and as steady as the earth itself.

A leaf fluttered down, and it landed on her head. Its voice sounded bright and green.

“I drink in the sun and turn its fire into food. When I grow old and finally fall, I am renewed. Then, I will feed the soil so that life may begin again.” Lillith turned the leaf over in her hands, rubbing its smooth front and back. For the first time, she truly saw the leaf. Not just as a leaf, but as a bright promise.

The breeze curled playfully around Lilith's hair. She smelt pine, and that rain was coming soon. “I am the messenger declared the wind, I scatter songs from one ear to another. I carry seeds across mountain ranges. I want to remind you that nothing ever really stands still.” The air lifted Lillith’s breath, and she laughed and laughed.

She wanted to feel this light forever.

The River. Stone. Leaf. Wind. Song.

Each voice settling down inside her. Lillith closed her eyes, and for the first time, she felt the forest breathing inside her lungs, deep into her bones, and flowing in her heart. She had never been separated from it. She was a part of it all along.The forest took a deep breath. 

Everything stilled, and then all the voices went silent. Now they waited because it was Lilith's turn to speak.

Lillith pressed her hand to the earth.

“I hear you, she expressed courageously. I will remember the word forever, as you have remembered all of ours. I take these earth songs you've shared, I will tell the others that the forest is alive and that the forest never sleeps.”

They stir once more, all together in harmony, their voices singing on the wind. “We give you our trust, Lillith, carry our story with care and great courage.” A hush fell, deep and divine as the forest blew out a long, slow breath. “Thank you.”

Lilith knew that the rain was coming soon, so she hurried back to town. When she stepped back into the streets, she felt different. She held something new inside. The river, stone, leaf and wind of the forest were still with her. When Lillith opened her mouth and spoke, now the whole forest spoke through her.

The children listened to Lillith; some leaned in close, some laughed, some just shook their heads, but Lillith kept speaking anyway. Because once you have heard the forest, you cannot un-hear it.

And if you ever walk into the woods. And sit very, very still and quiet, you might hear it speak to you too. the rustle, the song, the whispers that let you know.. that the forest never sleeps.

The earth is alive.

It whispers, remembers, breathes, sings, dances, and waits for us to listen. This Living Earth series is a set of six books that invite children back into the natural world. To be an active, not just a part of the scenery. From forests that whisper to rivers that recall, mountains that are alive. The winds that sing, the fire’s dance and the soil’s secrets. Each story reveals a different voice of our living world.

For ages 5–9, these stories remind young readers to go outside and put their feet in the grass. Children's imagination is sacred; the earth is alive; they can stretch their creativity; and every breath, ripple, spark, and root carries a story. Blending fiction and non-fiction 

By Franky Dyson

I met a new friend from outer space,

He had very different hair, hands, and face.

Different can feel weird at first because it’s new,

His skin was the colour grey, mine a pinkish hue.

He had three fingers and three toes, (We have five on each, as everyone knows!)

I asked him how he got here, and you won’t believe,

He slipped through a portal,

I thought it was make-believe!

So what does this mean for our kind and his?

And why have you arrived here, right now like this?

He smiled and said softly, “It’s not what you think, I came to learn friendship, from earthlings, black brown and pink.”

He told me his planet spins around a giant red sun,

From Earth, it just looks like a red twinkling one.

His world has no oceans, no trees that grow tall,

No laughter of children, no playgrounds at all.

He came here to see what being together could mean,

What kindness and difference might look like to me.

He doesn’t eat pizza or sleep in a bed,

He drinks starlight smoothies and sleeps on his head.

So we played on the swings, we drew shapes in the air,

He taught me his numbers, I taught him to share.

We built rocket ships out of cardboard and glue,

And I learned that being different is ok too.

Now when I see someone, who feels worlds apart,

I think of my friend and open my heart.

Whether you’re human, the colour grey, green, or blue,

The stars made us all,

They shine through me and you.

Back Cover Text:

“Different can be scary, until we learn what’s true.”

When a little boy Noah, meets a new friend from outer space, everything feels strange at first.. three fingers, gray skin, funny words, and stories of a planet with no trees. But as they learn together and laugh, they discover that friendship is not worlds apart, it only needs a wide open heart.

There’s a story inside you, tucked deep in your heart, it’s waiting, just waiting, for you.

Not someone louder, not someone taller, not someone perfect, just you.

It's there when you’re quiet, it lights up in your dreams, it wiggles, it wonders and it waits to be seen.

You might not know this, not really at first, but the story knows you, It's been waiting since birth.

What if I'm unsteady?

What if they laugh?

What if I’m not ready?

The thoughts come so fast.

But the story inside you is braver than fear, it doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be here.

I know you are brave now, to say what is true and someone else watching, might feel brave too.

Your story might start as a tale or a spark, but it could light lanterns in someone else's dark.

So write it in colours, or write it slow, shout it in chalk on the sidewalk below.

Draw it in pictures or dance it out loud, your story is ready, let yourself be proud.

So tell it, sing it, scribble it or shout it, draw it in the dirt, just don't ever doubt it.

Your story might echo, in places you’ve never been, It might even heal someone that you've never seen.

So come on little storyteller, I know you're the one, the page is wide open, your time has now begun.

Because the world is waiting, does it make you keen? For the story inside you, that waits to be seen.

Because the world is waiting for your story.

Children’s books hide the future inside them.

We have been sitting around fires, telling stories since we first formed words in our mouths.

Telling our children that the world is waiting for their story is all it takes to light a spark of creativity.

The world changes every time we imagine something different. Our children can create and build a brighter tomorrow.

The best ideas are different at first, but that's where the magic starts. We can encourage children to pick up the pen, be real and dream big.

We are all continuously changing things, even a child is capable of changing the world. They're not just the future they are writing the future into existence.

Courage isn’t just for superheroes in capes, bravery can look like a child who speaks up, expresses themselves proudly. Let their wonder be louder than their fear.

We can teach that strength can look like being the one who dares to do it. They don’t have to be the loudest, they just need to be themselves. 

Writing can be a mirror but it can also be a door. Let children know that writing books is needed in our world, and authors can live in small bodies too. 

I am passionate about encouraging people to write, this matters to me because I know that stories can change the world.

I want to leave every child with a spark of creativity, not just with a lesson at the end of a story. It's planting a seed, but also starting a whole garden.

This is my call to the next generation of writers, authors, artists and dreamers.

For they are the change makers, all it takes is one child to pick up the pen and know that the world is waiting for their story.

Book’s about self-love, grown from the inside out.

Written by Franky Dyson

The glow you drown

Ages 2-4

Before you had a name,

before you could run,

You were enough.

Enough came with you when you were born.

And it’s still here, people will say

“You’re clever!”

“You’re fast!”

“You’re strong!”

Those are nice..

But those words can float away like clouds.

Your “enough” lives here,

inside your heart. 

It’s a little glow, that you can grow.

It's yours forever and you can keep it safe.

Put your hand on your heart and say,

“Hello glow”.

Your glow likes kind words,

Your glow likes gentle breaths in and out.

Your glow, like’s it when you rest and when you are you are still.

Your glow like’s it when your loud and have fun.

Some days you feel stormy inside and that’s okay,

Because storms pass but your glow stays with you.

Your glow is still there when you get something wrong and when you try again.

Your glow grows when you tell the truth, even the wobbly kind.

Your glow grows when you are gentle with yourself.

Say..

“I was born enough”

“I am still enough”

“Because I am me”

Keep your glow growing and It will keep you glowing.

Enough lived in you from the start and it is yours,

always.

I am enough

Ages 4-8

Before you knew your name, before your feet found earth, you were already enough.

You didn’t have to try for it, enough came with you when you were born.

People will say kind things like.. “You’re clever!”

“You’re fast!”

“You’re strong!”

Those are really nice things to say, they will come and go but your enoughness is always with you.

Your “enough” is as small as a seed but it will grow and grow, I promise.

This enoughness of yours, belongs to you and is yours to grow. How do you grow it?

You listen [tap on your heart]

You can feed your self worth with breath, in one, two, three…

out one, two, three…

It grows when you rest and find stillness. You can ask, “what do I need? Kindness please.”

You can water it with words, I am worthy it, I am enough, I love me.

You can give it space to wiggle, wonder, learn and grow.

You let it dance, even when no one claps for you and sing without caring whos listening.

Some days, you’ll spill your drink

There will be days you might feel mad inside but being mad will pass and your self love stays.

When you do get mad, let your feelings move not your meanness.

Your self-worth might just need some extra care and that caring sounds like:

“I need some space”

“Im having a lot of feelings”

“Oops, I’m really sorry.”

“Can we talk, and try again?”

When you’re scared, hold your heart the way you would hold a tiny bird gentle and kind.

When you’re sad, your worthiness sits with you and It never hurrys you.

The world will try to measure you in ticks, stickers and stars But measuring isn’t knowing, your knowing is on the inside.

Your self worth is not a prize, it doesn’t need to be earned, it’s already yours.

Other people have self worth too and we can help each other to remember that.

We don’t have to be the same, we just have to shine true.

Your enough grows when you try, it grows when you get things wrong and when you try again.

Your self love grows when you are gentle with your own brave heart.

Put your hand here [on your heart] Feel that? That’s yours, always, say it with me..

“I am worthy”

“I was born enough”

“I am still enough”

“I will always be enough”

Just being me, “I will be kind to m”, from the inside to the outside.

Your self love and kindness lights up world,

Did you know?

Keep growing your self love you little gardener and it will keep you glowing.

Enough lived in you from the start, your worth is with you every day and if you love yourself,

You will hear it.

You Belong Here

Ages 8-14

Before the Beginning, before you took your first breath, there was a space in the world shaped exactly like you. No audition. No test. Just a place, waiting with your name on it.

You didn’t have to earn it, you didn’t have to be the best at anything, you just had to show up. You were born belonging, to your breath, to your body, to this sky and this earth.

Then came all the noise and the world got a bit loud. classrooms, group chats, news Feeds.

“Be louder”

”be smaller”

“be cooler”

“be “normal”

All that noise tries to rewrite you but It can’t. It doesn’t get the pen because the pen belongs to you. Put your hand to your heart. Breath In…1-2-3, out…1-2-3 slowly. Say this softly, like you’re telling the truth to a friend,

“I love you“

“My self worth isn’t up for debate”

Feel the quiet get bigger the more you slow down. This is your self love. You are enough in the loud parts and the lonely parts. You are enough when you’re winning and enough when you are loosing. Your worthy when you’re starting again because being a beginner is not a flaw, it’s a doorway.

Your life is a thread in a huge, human tapestry. No one else can sew your pattern. If you try to disappear, the cloth weakens. If you show up as you are, the whole thing holds firmly, together

Your differences are not your faws, they are the very best parts of all. The tears, the belly laughs until your knees go weak. The world slightly differently from another person and your bright ideas, that’s how new things are created in this world.

When you own all your parts, you belong to yourself and that makes room for others to do the same too. You learn to say, Hi “Sure, you can sit with us.” You're are welcome here. You can notice who’s not being included, you wave them in and practice their names until you get them right.

Belonging lives in your body, in your stretch, your dances and in your stumble. Belonging lives in your breath, your bare feet on the earth, arms wide open to the sky. Belonging lives in your heart and in the quiet space where you keep saying yes “ I belong here”

You can belong here and still say “no.” No is a way of caring for all your yes’s. Real friends can handle your boundaries. Real belonging does not ask you to shrink to fit in, it lets you expand.

There’s a light inside you, It’s yours and It’s true. Stand in that place, fill it up and speak from it. Your light belongs to you, and it belongs in this world. Look around, there are lights everywhere, people shining in their own ways. You don’t have to be like them. You just have to glow like you. Hold your place because you belong here too.

Always.

Final words from an old one..

—Hey, I see you. Not just the outside you, the hair, the shoes, the “what’s for lunch?” But you who wonders if you fit in. Spoiler, you do, and I’ve got proof!

You’re not “too much” or “not enough” You’re you-shaped. Which is exactly what this world needs. Your everyday, loving you.

Some days you’ll feel like you belong everywhere and there will be days you feel like you belong nowhere. Those “nowhere” days? That's just the world turning, you’re still exactly where you’re supposed to be.

And if you’ve ever tripped over nothing in the hallway, well, congratulations, that’s your feet trying to start a dance party before your brain catches up.

Even on the days when you don’t feel it, you still belong to the sunrise and the sunset. To the friends who like you exactly as you are and to the people who haven’t met you yet. So here’s the truth for the days you doubt it. The seat was always yours, you are part of this place and world is brighter because you’re in it.

That is the truth.

For the caregivers.

Self-love is a skill children can practice. Try a simple ritual with them, place your a hand on your heart, breathe slowly and speak kindly to yourself. Learn to ask yourself, “What do I need?” and then listen. Celebrate all their effort, honesty, rest, your repair, and care. These are the daily ways kids learn to grow their glow from the inside out. This gives children a foundation of self-love, if they grow up feeling enough then they are less likely to spend decades trying to “earn” their self-worth back. The breathing practices can be early introduction to meditation practices.

The storeies, and the one we tell outselfs is something we can teach children from age 4 but hopefully still remember at 14. Each step gently plants the idea that their worth already belongs to them and the magic comes from truly knowing it within themselves. These books have evolved over the years, within my google doc’s. When my grandchildren have asked questions or we have had new ideas, we have added them as they have grown.

Alexis is now 11, Jayde 8, Ivy 6. The conversation about self love have shifted over the years but they still ask me to read them these books. I hope your little person enjoys them too. The world can remind you that you’re enough, but the truest reminder will always come from ourselves.

This is your brain buddy, shining and bright, It helps you each morning, it protects you at night.

What brain buddy does

Your brain buddy learns, remembers, and plays.

It helps you make selections throughout your day.

Sleep

Rest is my fuel. It makes me grow strong, and a good rest keeps me glad all day long.

Food

Crunch apples and carrots, eat colours that shine, good meals build strong, sparkly brains like mine!

Movement

Run, leap, dance, whirl, wiggle and play, moving my muscles blazes up my day

Love & laughter

Kind words and laughs make me feel bright, and love makes me healthier with all of my might.

Creativity

Colour, building, write and explore, creativity unlocks the door!

Brain drains, screens

But too many screens make me heavy and slow…I need moments to rest, to learn and to grow.

Brain drains

Too much junk food makes me feel weak, unfriendly, and stressed voices?

That's not what I seek..

Future

Help me develop, to be strong, I’ll be with you for years, and I’ll carry all your memories, giggles for all your years.

Closing mantra

So feed me and shift me, relax me each day, your brain buddy adores you in every way!

Brain buddy sing-song along

Age: 0-4

I’m your brain buddy, cheerful and true,

I have lived my whole life right here with you!

What brain buddy does

I help you to learn, I allow you to decide,

I retain all your memories safely inside.

Sleep

When you shut your eyes and float away,

I grow big and healthy for the next day.

Food

Crunch, munch, colours so bright, good food makes me glow with so much light.

Movement

Hop, skip, wiggle, run, spin, every move, helps me grin.

Love & laughter

Giggles, hugs, being gentle, being kind,

That’s the best energy for your brain buddy to find.

Creativity

Colour, sing, imagine and dream, your brilliant thoughts make me beam!

Brain drains & screens

But if I gaze at screens all day, I get tired and fade away.

Brain drain,

junk food & stress

Too much sugar makes me slow, mean loud voices, hurt me so.

My future

Look after me now and I’ll look after too, when you’re eighty-five, I’ll still shine for you.

Closing mantra

Sleep me, feed me, move me and play,

I’ll be your best friend, every day!

I am your brain buddy: Ages 8–12

I am your brain buddy

I live inside your head.

I’m here for your whole life

From the day you are born,

Until the day you are spent.

Why your brain matters:

I support all your choices,

And help you solve problems.

I store all your stories,

Your songs, isn't that awesome!

Did you know?

Your brain is the size of two fists and it has more connections than stars in the abyss.

Fuel:

Brain buddy gets hungry,

it needs lots of fuel,

fresh fruit and veggies

Helping your brain

To feel brand new.

Rest:

8-10 hours of sleep

Rests your brain every day

Get up and get ready

For a brand new day.

Your brain buddy loves you

In every way.

Did you know?

When fast asleep,

I wash away all the junk

That built up during the day.

Stops you from getting into a funk

Movement

Move your body, run, dance and play.

Keeping your body moving,

Every single day each day..

Did you know?

Exercise makes your brain

Grow new connections

Music and movement

A step in the right direction

Dance is a mirror

Helps see your Reflection

Love & laughter

Kind words and laughter,

make me healthy each day.

Anger and stress?

Can make me, shrink away.

Did you know?

Vitamins and minerals

Helps to keep stress at bay.

Creativity

Drawing, Writing, Building and play

Practice helps performance

Fosters curiosity in new ways

Helping creativity develop

By using imagination every day

when learning new skills

Visualisation helps focus stay

Memory:

Doing brand new activities

Gives my brain a workout to do

Learning new challenges

Helps my brain development too

Making new connections

Sticks in my brain like glue

Did you know?

Your brain can light up,

in all different places,

painting or singing music,

Makes you even more creative.

Screens & junk

Screens aren’t all bad,

But too much makes me blue

Turning me into scrambled eggs and junk food does that too.

Did you know?

Too much technology

Takes your focus away

himdering your progress

Every day

Balance is really important

Short bursts are the way

Future brain

Take care of me now,

I'll take care of you too

I will help you remember

When your library books are due

January to December.

All your days through

Did you know?

Your brain keeps changing. Scientists call this plasticity It means you keep learning every day like a busy bee

Closing challenge

So here is the deal:

Feed me, move me.

And I will stick by you

Rest me, love me

Now you know what to do

I'll be your superpowers

For your whole life through

Did you know?

If you want to Learn skills you can break it up into sections

Trying new things

Builds more and more connections

Quizzes for the grown-ups!

Question 1.

How big is your brain?

Answer:

About the size of two fists.

A brain has more connections than there are stars in our

Galaxy!

Question 2.

What does your brain do while you sleep?

Answer:

It washes itself and clears out the junk.

Question 3.

What grows when you exercise?

Answer:

New brain cells are like planting little brain trees.

Question 4.

What happens in your brain when you laugh?

Answer:

It releases chemicals making you happy and relaxed

Question 5.

What happens when you get creative?

Answer:

Different parts of your brain light up like a fireworks show.

Question 6.

What happens to your brain with technology and too much screen time?

Answer:

The focusing part of your brain can shrink

It's ok to use it in short bursts that can help you learn.

Question 7.

Does your brain stop growing when you’re older?

Answer:

No! It never stops changing and this is called plasticity.

Question 8.

What’s the strongest way to grow your brain?

Answer:

Trying new things, because new things build brand new connections.

Why Brain Health Matters

We tend to think of our body's muscles, organs, when it comes to health. The brain is the command centre. It shapes memory, mood, decision-making, and creativity. As more people live to older ages, maintaining our brain health is becoming just as essential as heart health and bone health.

In a world of screens, 24/7 connectivity and ever‐faster pace, new challenges are arising information overload, digital distraction and stress. Thankfully, existing science is giving us precise guidance on what supports our brains, not just what harms them.

Subscribe now