Sending sunshine through your screens today…
…Sunny Side Up is published – my book with Ana Sanfelippo and Little Tiger Press!
Sunny Side Up is a warm and innovative novelty picture book that uses die-cuts and flaps to show children that there is often more than one way of looking at any given situation. It suggests to readers how bad moods can be turned into good moods with the power of positive thinking, helping them look on the brighter side of life.
Of course, it’s important to show all feelings – the good and the bad. Sometimes there isn’t a sunny-side. It’s OK to take off your sunny-side specs, for however long you need….
But this book shows readers that you can shorten the length of time you feel down. It isn’t about ignoring the challenges, but planting positive thoughts, so that we can see the bigger picture when times are tough.
It’s the perfect book to initiate discussions in classrooms and PSHE lessons. There are resources to download on the Little Tiger website. They are also in the resources section of this website.
☀️There are some templates for making your own pair of sunny-side specs!
☀️Two activities to encourage gratitude and an awareness of what we have to be thankful for.
☀️And a ‘positivi-tree’ with space for children to put all the things that make them feel great.
☀️A PSHE lesson plan will follow shortly in collaboration with teacher and blogger, Miss Dorrans.
On Instagram, Sunny Side Up has been featured on @picturebooktakever. I’ve loved, loved, LOVED hearing more about the process of illustrating this book.
Illustrator, Ana Sanfelippo, made all the artwork by hand with gouache paints. It’s her favourite way to work.
She paints in her study at home in Valencia, Spain, where she has a lovely and big window to enjoy the sunny side of the city.
Given the die-cut holes and flaps to open, Sunny Side Up was such an exciting and collaborative project to work on. You can find out more about the process in this Q & A with Reading Zone, where Ana and I answer some interesting questions.
Also on the Reading Zone Website, you’ll find a video of my introducing the book and reading the first few pages, plus these two incredible reviews!
Here are some more very lovely reviews…!
Reviews:
“The Best Book Cover Winner – In My Opinion! I totally LOVE this book! I love the design, the story, the illustrations- 100% recommended! It will make you smile just looking at it!”
Fiona Sharp
“WHEN you change the way you look at the world, the world you look at changes.
Author Clare Helen Welsh and Argentinian illustrator Ana Sanfelippo combine their creative talents on a clever, novelty picture book which explores the power and strength that can come from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Using cut-outs and flaps to transform the world around us, this eye-catching book perfectly illustrates the impact that reframing your thoughts can have.
When you put on your sunny-side specs, a bad mood can become a good mood, a goodbye can become a hello, and even the impossible can become possible! But sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the sunny side seems far away. And that’s OK. Sunny things will be there to discover whenever you are ready.
Welsh’s warm, emotional book empowers readers to take control of their thoughts and choose how THEY see the world, showing young readers the beauty of changing your perspective. Cleverly designed peep-through pages and the innovative flaps allow children to transform each scene. The final cut-out even lets readers hold up the book to try on their own sunny-side specs! With an accessible, empathetic text and stylish illustrations, Sunny Side Up is the ideal book for exploring difficult emotions.”
Pam Norfolk
We really hope you enjoy Sunny Side Up and that it brings as much sunshine into your life as it has into ours!
On that note… you might want to check in with this Mood Board, shared on Twitter via the ever fabulous Tom G (@TJGriffiths). If you don’t follow him already, you should!
