By Eleanor Segall
In 2019, not long after my first book ‘Bring me to Light‘ was published, I had an idea for a story about a little girl, aged 7, who had worries- Arabella and the Worry Cloud. She is based on me as a child, I was a big worrier! I remember feeling anxious (separation anxiety) from about aged 4 and was sensitive. I grew up in the 1990’s and anxiety was far less spoken about. So, I decided that I wanted to create the book I didn’t have as a child. Through this I could use my experiences to help children with their mental health too, creating a positive picture book for 5-8 year olds.
Poor mental health often starts in childhood. For me, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 16, and was off school with intense anxiety as part of a depressive episode at 15. This also included social anxiety, and panic attacks as I grew older. Anxiety and bipolar runs in my family, and I know there are families now who were like mine, or children living in more difficult environments.
Children in loving, supportive homes (like mine was) can still experience anxiety around nursery, school, after school clubs and friendship issues, bullying, and something I did not have contend with- social media bullying. Other children have special educational needs or disabilities that impact them day to day. Some have challenging home environments that make mental health and life more difficult. My book is for any child struggling with their worries, to find a positive role model in Arabella.
In the book, Arabella is 7 years old and her special talent is worrying. Her worries are represented by a cloud, known as the Worry Cloud, who comes down to see her from the sky. He reminds her of all her worries, and she tries to run away from him. However, once she begins to think of positive thoughts and memories with her family like eating ice cream at the beach, or swimming with her brother, her mind becomes lighter and happier. These positive thoughts are represented as light beams of positive energy, and she finds she can put her worries into perspective. The book also serves as a reminder that the storm does not last forever!
The book is illustrated by Shelley the Artist. Her art work and illustrations are beautifully drawn, colourful and were perfect for how I wanted Arabella to be. She is an esteemed digital artist, mural maker, painter and sketcher. She really brought Arabella to life and we loved working together! You can see her work at www.shelleytheartist.com
Eleanor Segall.
If you buy a copy for your child, niece or nephew, cousin, friend’s child or your class at school, I hope you love reading it and that it helps your child to understand that worrying happens, but we can talk about it, process it and find healthy ways to cope.
Arabella and the Worry Cloud is out now on Amazon
(image copyright: Eleanor Segall and Shelley the Artist)
