CARMICHAEL, Calif. — A Carmichael author is using literature to help children deal with strong emotions.
Joanna Roland, of Carmichael, is a worldwide best selling children’s book author. She uses her writing to help children cope with loss and trauma. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages, which means her writing helps children worldwide.
Her new book "Big Bear Was Not The Same" addresses the feelings of fear, anxiety and anger that come following a traumatic event.
"You don't always know, as an author, how your books will touch people," Roland said, adding her had many people reach out to her following the release of her last book, "The Memory Book" which deals with the loss of a loved one.
"One of my favorite memories, I got to see in person, was at a school I used to teach at. One of my partner teachers had a student that a parent passed away. And the child was five years old and never mentioned the loss of his mom. Halfway into the school year, the counselor used my book and he [the student] made a memory box at school and then he took it to his class to share and he started talking about his mom," Roland said. "To know my books can help open up, that's my goal."
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