Leeds-based founder and author, Jo Smedley, is celebrating the success of her first book, The Girl with a Big Heart.
The book of ten stories focuses on a girl with a wobbly tooth as she navigates and comes to terms with her different emotions. She does this by helping her animal friends better understand their own feelings and challenges as they encounter each other across various adventures.
Jo, who is also the co-founder of Zest Learning in Leeds, had the idea to write The Girl with a Big Heart after becoming increasingly concerned about the rising levels of mental health challenges being experienced by children and young people in the UK.
The Girl with a Big Heart was published last year and launched in November at an exclusive event in Leeds. Jo says she has been humbled by the response to the book and that the stories have been an immediate hit with readers.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the response,” says Jo. “People have told me that reading the book with their children has made difficult conversations so much easier; and that it’s helping children and young people to understand their own emotions better. I’d like my writing to make a positive difference to people so I really couldn’t hope for a better outcome than that.”
A report by The Children’s Society shows that 1 in 6 children aged 5-16 years are likely to have a mental health problem and that, overall, children’s happiness in the UK is declining. Jo says that part of her motivation behind writing the book is to help make conversations around emotions less challenging, as well as to provide engaging, funny and heartwarming stories that everyone can relate to.
“It’s so touching to see people being genuinely moved by the stories in The Girl with a Big Heart,” says Jo, “and I’m over the moon at the support it has received so far. So many people are buying a copy for themselves and then going back to buy more as presents, not only for friends and their children, but also to donate to school libraries and local hubs because it’s been so useful. We’ve had great feedback from teachers, too! It’s onwards and upwards now for The Girl. She definitely hasn’t had her last adventure yet!”
