Gaia’s Gifts: A-Z 26 Life Lessons from Mother Earth (A Journal of Self-Reflection, Empowerment, and Healing for Children of All Ages) is one part imaginative personification and one part guided reflection to help grown-ups and kids have meaningful conversations about the emotions we experience through the example of nature.

Each spread is dedicated to a letter of the alphabet and a corresponding metaphor from nature’s wisdom, such as the dandelion “weed” that feels unworthy, a bird’s nest symbolizing safety and warmth, and the volcano that erupts with anger and frustration. Kids have big feelings, and this book creates an open invitation to discuss varied and sometimes unconsciously expressed feelings in a healthy, non-shaming way.

Every anecdote concludes with questions or prompts that grown-ups and kids can work through together: What is unique and special about you? Who in your life do you trust and open up your heart to? List five things you love about yourself.

While constructed in simple sentences for age-appropriate comprehension, Gaia’s Gifts provides expanded vocabulary and earth science learning opportunities throughout its pages, such as the kangaroo’s leaping “momentum,” the “constricted” hermit crab’s departure from its shell, and the “intricate design” of a spiderweb.

Gaia’s Gifts is a must-have for the bedtime routine of preschoolers and kindergartners, as well as for carpet time in early education classrooms. For school-aged children, the book facilitates reflective writing exercises, creating an opportunity for kids to share aloud or in small groups. For example, each day (or week), can be dedicated to a new letter’s topic for a two-fold chance to learn about nature and an emotion, while deep breathing exercises bookend the lesson.

Numerous research studies over decades have shown that talking and writing about one’s feelings “increases resilience and decreases depressive symptoms.” In short, “expressive writing can heal us.” (Deborah Siegel-Acevedo.  “Writing can help us heal trauma.”  Harvard Business Review. 01 July 2021.)

The well-thought-out vision of the book is no mistake, as author Kristen Finnerty (Kainrath) has been an educator for 30 years, bringing her vast experience with children and their curiosities to print. She hosts worldwide wellness retreats for women and regular creative writing workshops for kids. She also is the author of a journal prompt book for adults called Root to Rise: A Loving Guide to Reconnect with Your Infinite Light.

Gaia’s Gifts presents endless opportunities for grown-ups and kids to explore our human emotions alongside the beauty of the world in which we live. Children will get to know themselves and nature better, and grown-ups will have a tangible resource for bringing more meaningful experiences to storytime.