The Secret to Clara's Calm
A BIG HELLO to all the parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, educators, and fans of kids! I’m excited to announce my newest children’s book, The Secret to Clara’s Calm!
"Clara was a happy girl. But when she lost her temper one too many times, she lost her friends with it. Clara was left all alone for summer vacation, until she received an unexpected visit from the coolest customer around: Brodhi The Bird. Over butter tarts, Brodhi teaches Clara to calm her temper through the art of meditation. Come September, Clara’s ready to go back to school and win back her friends—but will her newfound sense of calm survive the first day?"
The Secret to Clara’s Calm was an important book for me to write because, truthfully, acceptance has been a tricky thing for me to learn. Being an artistic type who’s sensitive and full of emotions, I’ve always been quick to fear and anger.
Learning to let go, develop non-reactivity and calm my emotions has been a lifelong pursuit. I wish I’d been taught these skills earlier, in my youth.
Children, of course, can have an especially difficult time dealing with their emotions. When life doesn’t go as planned, they experience anger, sadness, and a range of strong emotions. And it’s hard for many kids to tune in to what they’re feeling. All they know is that they feel mad, sad, or overwhelmed, but they don’t always know why. They can get swept away by a tsunami of emotions, and they don’t know what to do about it.
That’s why I decided to write this book.
I wanted to create a vehicle for children to explore their anger, and introduce meditation as a tool to help deal with it. When we still the mind and body, and tune into our experience, we create space around our thoughts and emotions. Meditation helps us really hear what our minds and bodies are telling us, and it teaches us how to respond to whatever’s going on in a less reactive way. And because of their open mindedness and evolving brains, there is no better student of meditation than a child.
Equipped with the skills of mindfulness, when they get upset, they’ll be better able to take a pause, breathe, and observe their thoughts and feelings arise and pass away.
Of course, change doesn’t happen overnight, for children or adults. I know that better than anyone. But with practice, meditation has taught me to feel less overwhelmed by that which I can’t control. I’m able to better accept disappointment. And I’ve learned to self-soothe and calm my own stress and anxiety.
My wish for you and the children in your life is that you find wisdom and humor in Clara’s journey. I hope The Secret to Clara’s Calm inspires a curiosity about meditation, and perhaps even a newfound sense of peace.
Xo Tamara
Rave reviews for The Secret to Clara's Calm…
Published by Wisdom Publications, The Secret to Clara’s Calm, is available to purchase online and in stores November 21, 2017! Purchase information can be found here.
Happiness Doesn’t Come from Headstands, the first book she wrote and illustrated, is also published by Wisdom Publications.
