Bella and Bird Explore Sadness centers around a little girl who learns to sit with her sadness when she is befriended by a gentle horse and playful barn swallow. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Sadness impacts all of us. It’s a heavy emotion, and often we don’t know what to do with it. Just as importantly, when someone we care about is sad, we often don’t know how to respond.

The inspiration for Bella and Bird Explore Sadness came from my own experiences navigating friendships over the years. Friendship can be wonderful, but they can also be messy. We all want to feel included, accepted, and valued, yet most of us have experienced moments of rejection, hurt, or being left out. I wanted children who have felt ignored, excluded, or lonely to know they are not alone—and that there are healthy ways to navigate those feelings.

In the story, Molly is saddened when her friends do not want to play with her. Before offering advice, Bella and Bird simply sit with her in silence. That moment is intentional. When someone is hurting, our instinct is often to fix the problem because sadness can make us uncomfortable. But sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is be present. Silence creates space for trust, understanding, and connection before words are shared.

Once Molly feels heard, Bella and Bird introduce practical tools to help her understand and navigate her sadness—tools she can use whenever sadness visits again.

I also make an important distinction in the author’s notes between sadness and grief. While they are related, they are not the same. Everyone experiences sadness from time to time, and sadness itself is a normal, healthy emotion. The goal isn’t to avoid it, but to understand it, learn from it, and move through it in healthy ways.

How did Bella and Bird first come to life as characters?

Bella is my real-life horse, and Bird is real too; although he is a bit more elusive.

Bella first came to life as a character after Hurricane Ian devastated our community in 2022. The storm was catastrophic, and in the aftermath, I found myself thinking about the children and adults who were struggling to process everything they had experienced. I wanted to create stories that would help people better understand and navigate difficult emotions that arise after challenges such as hurricanes, fires, loss, trauma, and other life experiences. But more importantly, I wanted the stories to have real tools they can take along with them.

What makes Bella’s story especially meaningful is that she arrived at the barn just one week before Hurricane Ian. In fact, she arrived early and wasn’t supposed to be there yet. I adopted her from Southern California to become my equine partner in my psychotherapy practice. During the storm, Bella demonstrated a quiet strength and resilience that deeply inspired me.

Drawing from my experiences as an educator, therapist, and equine-assisted mental health professional, I began writing shortly after the hurricane. Bella’s journey became the foundation for what would eventually grow into the Bella and Bird the Emotion Explorers series.

Bird came along because I needed a character who could bring humor and lightness to some very big topics. Bird is inspired by the barn swallow’s that nest in Bella’s stall. They often use her hair to build their nests. In many ways, Bird represents all the barn swallows that have come and gone over the years.

Emotions can be difficult to talk about, especially with children and Bird’s playful, wisecracking personality helps make emotional learning feel approachable and fun. While Bella provides gentle guidance and steady support, Bird adds curiosity, humor, and a little mischief, creating a balance that readers can connect with throughout the series.

Why do you think animal characters are often effective guides through emotional topics?

Animals have a unique way of meeting us exactly where we are without expectations or judgment. Whether it’s a beloved pet, a therapy horse, or even a character in a story, animals often create a sense of safety and connection that allows us to explore difficult emotions more openly.

For children, animal characters can make challenging topics feel less intimidating. Sometimes it is easier to talk about sadness, anger, or fear when those emotions are shared with a horse, a bird, or another animal rather than by humans.

In my work as a therapist, educator, and equine-assisted mental health professional, I have seen firsthand how animals help people feel seen, accepted, and understood. They don’t ask us to be different than we are at that moment. They simply show up for us.

That is one of the reasons Bella and Bird are such effective guides. Bella offers calm, steady support and reminds children that all emotions are welcome. Bird brings curiosity, humor, and a different perspective. Together, they help children explore emotions in a way that feels safe, engaging, and approachable.

Ultimately, I think animal characters remind us that we are not alone. They can walk beside us through difficult feelings and help us discover that emotions are not something to fear but something to understand.

What challenges come with writing about emotional health for young readers? 

One of the biggest challenges is finding the right balance between storytelling and teaching. As a therapist and educator, I could easily fill a book with information about emotions, but children don’t pick up a story because they want a lesson. Rather, they want a story that entertains and connects them with the characters.

My goal was to create stories that feel relatable and engaging while also providing practical tools that children and adults can use in everyday life. That meant translating complex emotional concepts into language and experiences that children could understand without oversimplifying them.

Another challenge was making sure the books didn’t feel overly educational. Emotions are important, but most children don’t want to sit down and read a textbook about sadness, anger, fear, or happiness. That’s where storytelling becomes important. By following a child character through a real-life problem and introducing Bella and Bird along the way, children can see the emotional tools in action rather than simply being told what to do.

Ultimately, I wanted the books to feel like stories first and lessons second; stories that children enjoy reading while naturally building emotional literacy and emotional intelligence along the way.