They are here! The last two books of my Cultivating Compassion in Children Series 
are available as of this weekend on Amazon. One is called, What’s Wrong With Grandpa. The other is called BaBa-Balu Belongs, Too. Order your books through Amazon today and get them for Christmas using these links: https://bit.ly/IsGrandpaOK and https://bit.ly/BaBaBelongs
BaBa-Balu Belongs, Too: 
Has your child ever felt left out, or that they just did not belong or fit in. You may not even be aware they are having such feelings. Human beings need the feeling of self-worth to grow and develop into a healthy contributing part of society. Often our relationships and connections to others can enhance or destroy that feeling. BaBa-Balu Belongs, Too, is a story of a monarch caterpillar who doesn’t fit in. He feels uncomfortable in his own skin which he grows out of 5 times. The other bugs don’t play with him or include him. This causes him to be sad, mad, and even bad. One day he is so sad he creeps away from his home on the milkweed. He hangs upside down and grows out of his skin again! But this time he falls into a deep sleep. In his sleep he dreams about how the other bugs include him, eat with him, play with him, and invite him to a party! He feels like he belongs. This feeling overwhelms him with happiness. He wakes up feeling included and loved which causes him to spread his wings and become who he is really meant to be, a beautiful, happy butterfly. This story also follows the metamorphosis cycle which is often covered in 1st grade curriculum and includes several of the scientific terms related to it. It was prompted by the occurrence of several childhood suicides close to home. This story of becoming can relate to any situation where the feeling of not belonging can hinder healthy growth, development, and self-worth.
What’s Wrong With Grandpa: This is a story about understanding aging, disabilities, acceptance, and compassion. It is about a little boy, Joey, who goes on the first hike of the season in the Colorado mountains with his grandpa. His grandpa has changed over the winter. He talks real loud in his noisy truck, he is using walking sticks on the hike, he can’t keep up with his grandson like he had last year, he trips on a rock and looks funny when he reads a pocket bird book, and he can’t spot things in the woods like he used to last year. What’s wrong with Grandpa? He’s not the same. This makes 7-year-old Joey sad and upset. Grandpa and Joey sit down discuss what’s happening, the changes that Grandpa is experiencing. Joey thought his grandpa would stay the same forever and didn’t understand that his grandpa was going through the natural process of aging. This beautifully illustrated book that takes place in a breathtaking mountain setting with nature all around is a great story to help explain the impacts of aging and how it doesn’t change the love a grandparent or aging person has for a child. There are thought provoking questions at the end of the story to clarify and reinforce the concepts of the story. This is a wonderful story for grandparents to share with their grandchildren.
Sonja Wendt
Enhancing children’s sensitivity in human interactions one story at a time.
Author and Speaker
Cultivating Compassion in Children Books Series
