Life has its difficulties. It can be challenging to find the bright side when things go wrong, especially for kids. “Sometimes dark thoughts can overwhelm a child,” says Dennis Gillan, Executive Director of Half a Sorrow Foundation. “But a kind word from another can really go a long way toward chasing off those negative thoughts.”
In Nice Shoes! Derek is having a really bad day. Nothing is going right at home or at school, and nobody is noticing his awesome new shoes. His day is turning out so rough that he just wants this day—and all his days—to end. Then a random compliment from a popular kid changes everything.
A new children’s book about how dark thoughts can be thwarted with a kind word.
This positive and inspirational story was based on Pihl’s own experience at school. “In writing this book for kids, I want to show how easy it is to help others and how important doing so can be in someone’s life.”
The perfect book to help parents, teachers, and caregivers open a dialog with children about having a bad day and dark thoughts, and about how they can brighten the day of someone else who might really need it.
Dennis Gillan is a national thought leader and accomplished speaker on the topic of suicide prevention and has dedicated his life to mental health advocacy. Dennis did a TEDx talk on loneliness and is the executive director of the Half A Sorrow Foundation, whose mission is to improve mental health for individuals and organizations by promoting real conversations. Dennis resides in Greenville, SC, with his lovely wife. www.halfasorrow.org
Stephen Pihl is a graduate of the University of Delaware with degrees in biology and neuroscience. This story is about the lessons Stephen learned when he was younger and struggling with his mental health. Stephen plans to pursue a career in mental health research.
Dennis and Stephen met on April 15, 2018, at the University of Delaware. Dennis was brought in to speak at a fundraiser for suicide prevention, and he decided to incorporate students into his talk. Stephen was one of those students, and he told his story of having a rough day at school, and that became the inspiration for this book.
Nice Shoes! is available for purchase online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online retailers.
Nice Shoes! by Dennis Gillan and Stephen Pihl
Genre: Children’s book for ages 4-10
ISBN: 978-1-68515-696-1
Launch Date: August 8, 2022
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