Children’s book Let the Sad Thoughts Out by Chris Stead is out now

Chris Stead
 | Updated March 8, 2021
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Children’s book Let the Sad Thoughts Out by Chris Stead is out now

Chris Stead
 | Updated March 8, 2021

Award-winning author Chris Stead has released a new children’s picture book that helps parents improve the mental health of their kids.

It’s not easy to talk about your feelings. Even as adults, many of us still struggle to take the turmoil boiling up inside of us and to express it in a way that makes sense. Imagine then how hard it must be for a child. As parents we can see their torment, and we suffer with them, as we try and solve the riddle and work out what it is that is making those beautiful little faces look so sad.

That’s why Chris Stead wrote Let the Sad Thoughts Out, which is available now through Amazon.

The Origins of Let the Sad Thoughts Out

Sometimes the best stories come from your own experience. This was the case with the origins for Old Mate Media’s children’s picture book, Let the Sad Thoughts Out. Award-winning author Chris Stead is the father of three young children and like all parents, he’s been learning on the run.

When his eldest son, Charlie, was reaching that five-year-old mark, he began to really struggle. With two younger siblings consuming most of the spare time of two working parents, and school starting, there was a lot going on. He would get angry and then he’d get sad. We’d find him stewing in a corner, hiding behind his door or just in tears.

Chris Stead knew there was something wrong, but his son was struggling to find the words to talk about why he was upset. There was no convincing him that talking, no matter what came out, was going to make him feel better. So, he just got crankier and crankier. And so did his parents.

Best Children’s Books about Mental Health

This book was specifically written as a solve to that problem and to improve a child’s mental health. Using simple kid-friendly dialogue, emotive word-choice and colourful, empathetic pictures, it breaks down the wall between parent and child. It makes the message that “it’s ok to talk” one any age can understand.

The “stars” of this show are the sad monsters. You can’t see sad monsters, because they are just thoughts and thoughts are invisible. But when something bad happens, sad monsters appear in your mind and try to squish all the happy thoughts. The sadder you get, the more happy thoughts are squished, until there are none left.

This makes the sad monsters sad, so they start to party. They have food fights and brawls and yelling matches, right inside your head. That’s why feeling sad feels so bad.

Thankfully, you can get rid of the sad monsters and it’s easy. Just open you mouth and talk to your parents, and the sad thoughts will come out. Eventually they will be none left and there will be lots of space for happy thoughts t come back in.

And with that simple approach, one of parentings biggest frustrations is solved, and your child’s mental health will be forever thankful.

The Perfect Children’s Book to Help During Coronavirus

After the illustrations were completed, this book went on the backburner for (way too many) years. Our books in The Wild Imagination of Willy Nilly series became a priority. We also had many authors from around the world making use of our indie book production services. So, Let the Sad Thoughts Out sat there waiting for its time to shine.

Then the world shifted into the COVID-19 pandemic mode. Old Mate Media moved into coronavirus isolation mode, and our kids started showing signs of stress and anxiety. First, we worked on doing an Isolation Activities for Kids guide. But as soon as that was done, it became clear it was time for Let the Sad Thoughts Out to be released. Together these two books can do plenty for children’s mental health in a time where it’s vitally important that we – the parents – pay extra attention to our offspring.

Released on the 30 March, Let the Sad Thoughts Out is available exclusively on Kindle. It’s free for all readers until the 23 April. It’s also included in the Kindle Unlimited program.

And Charlie – what does he think?

Charlie is still working on sharing his emotions with us. As the oldest, he often feels hard done by as he has more jobs than his siblings. I shared the book with him and asked him to give me a video review – but he was a little reluctant. Stay tuned on this one and I’ll include it when I can.

Where To Next?

Remember to grab your free copy on Kindle of Let The Sad Thoughts Out before April 23. If you’d like to hear about the paperback release (coming very soon) then please sign up to our reader newsletter. You can also see our full range of books in our shop and stay in touch with us on socials via Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

 

Chris Stead

Chris Stead is an award-winning author and editor with over 26-years of experience in the publishing industry. After publishing over 1000 magazines and launching a dozen commercial websites, fatherhood saw him turn his attention to the world of children's picture books and self-publishing. He now makes books for himself and countless indie authors around the globe.

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