There are some dreams that quietly stay in your heart for years.
For me, writing a children’s book was one of them.
As someone who has worked in education for more than 25 years with students from Pre-K through 12th grade, I’ve had the privilege of watching children grow, learn, struggle, succeed, and navigate every emotion imaginable. On any given day, children experience excitement, sadness, frustration, anxiety, happiness, fear, disappointment, and joy — sometimes all within the same hour.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is this:
Children need to know that feelings are okay.
It’s okay to feel angry.
It’s okay to feel overwhelmed.
It’s okay to feel sad, nervous, excited, or frustrated.
But it’s also important that children learn how to work through those feelings in healthy ways and how to support one another through them.
That is the heart behind Lulabelle and Friends: Big Feelings, Kind Friends.
I wanted to create a book that helps children understand emotions earlier in life — not years later when they’re struggling to process things on their own. I wanted to create characters children could relate to and stories that open the door for important conversations between children and the adults who love them.
My hope is that this book helps children:
• feel safe expressing emotions,
• learn empathy and kindness,
• support their friends,
• and understand that they are never alone in what they feel.
As a mom, this became even more personal for me.
Like many parents, I’ve walked beside my own child through different emotions and challenges while trying to help him understand what he was feeling and how to navigate those emotions in healthy ways. I realized how important those conversations are at an early age — not only for emotional well-being, but for building trust, communication, and closeness between parents and children.
That’s also why this book includes activities and conversation starters. I didn’t want the learning to stop when the story ended. I wanted families, teachers, counselors, and caregivers to continue those conversations together.
And honestly… I don’t know if I would have finally written this book had life not completely changed for me eight months ago.
Eight months ago, I underwent open-heart surgery after my heart valve unexpectedly detached. It was not a heart attack or blockage, but I was in heart failure and didn’t know it. The symptoms seemed easy to dismiss at first — exhaustion and shortness of breath — especially as a busy working mom. But eventually, I realized something wasn’t right.
Going through something life-altering changes you.
It makes you stop and reflect on what truly matters and what dreams you’ve continued putting off.
For me, one of those dreams was finally writing this book.
I am incredibly grateful to be here today, and this project became part of my healing journey. Throughout the process, my son has been beside me watching me write, create, dream, and explain why helping others matters so much to me. I hope he’s learned from this experience too.
Writing this book has truly been a labor of love.
And this is only the beginning.
We are officially taking pre-orders now for Lulabelle and Friends: Big Feelings, Kind Friends, and I’m also preparing for story times and book events in communities across Georgia and beyond.
Soon, we’ll also be adding fun items inspired by the book to the website — including journals, backpacks, and other meaningful products connected to the characters and themes of emotional wellness and self-expression.
Thank you for supporting this dream, this mission, and this journey.
It truly means more to me than you know.
With gratitude,
Jenny Leigh
