Book Review

The Storm

By Victoria Harris

Published by Ogham Publishing
ISBN: -13:9781919612614

Reviewed by Tadhg and David Newman

Dr. Victoria Harris is an integrative psychotherapist and specialised in working with creative techniques and has also trained in child psychotherapy, children and loss, play therapy and filial therapy. Victoria began writing therapeutic stories to help reach more children and support parents in helping their child navigate emotions. The Storm is written primarily for ages four to seven years old or preschool to grade 3. Although anyone with an inner child may also benefit being childlike! An exciting adventure that helps children navigate big feelings!

The story, set in a forest, follows Benny the badger’s journey of discovery during and in the aftermath of a life changing storm. That leaves his home in the forest devastated and results in his best friend Sammy having to move away. Benny fears nothing will be the same again. Not only is he scared of thunder, but his favourite play place has gone too. When Ollie, the owl tells him about a magic wishing tree, he sets off on an adventure to put things right.

Of course, little does he know at the beginning, that the journey is to prove, more important than the destination, and that the skills he learns along the way will help him in ways he never knew possible!

The beautiful illustrations by Brigid Malloy wonderfully compliment the skilful unfolding storyline that introduces and helps children verbalise the emotions around Anxiety, Loss, Change, Worries, Fears, Sadness and Happiness. It also demonstrates the powerfulness of resilience and ‘being a warrior not a worrier’, reminding the reader that ‘Fear is just a feeling’.

It is evident in the text the care and understanding Victoria has of younger folk and as a mother herself blends support for the likely child/ adult reader through the vehicle of the story as an effective tool in helping a child explore and process big feelings.

This compliments the school curriculum that now a days in most cases strives to help children learn skills to express themselves and understand how to improve their emotional well-being. Along with increasing emotional resilience by providing techniques where they can process, calm and regulate their system. Benny’s wish was to remember the new things he learnt from his friends when he had big feelings, and to ask his friends and family for help when he felt scared or worried. The story captures that our well-being can be affected by many things and we big and small can do things to help improve our well-being.

It conveys the three parts to our well-being - mental, physical and social. With each part impacting on how we feel, or our emotional well-being. Each part powering us up, like a battery.

The Storm also allows space to review and reflect and in doing so increase learning by encouraging a discussion on Well-Being. Asking the reader to reflect on how was Benny feeling? What effect did these feelings have on his body?, What helped him?, What did his friends teach Benny? And the distinction in getting what he needed not always what he wanted? It emphasises the importance of practising new skills, kind self-talk and compassion, belly breathing and asking for help when you need it!

This book is linked to a very informative website www.drvharris.com that presents a series of downloadable techniques to help young children cope with difficult experiences and emotions. Both of these further introduce concepts of breathing techniques and other valuable life-long skills, that is an invaluable resource of information and guidance on navigating young lives.

David Newman is a father to three wonderful souls, an accredited Humanistic and Integrative psychotherapist, a psychosynthesist, in private practice in Dublin and online. He is a member of the editorial board of Inside Out. He is the current chair of the EPA (European Psychosynthesis Association).

Tadhg Newman is an avid reader of books, full of curiosity, keen sportsperson, a budding philosopher and a very old soul
in a relatively new body.

IAHIP 2024 - INSIDE OUT 102 - Spring 2024