Finding Your Stars was my kale popsicle

We think of books as entertainment, but that’s just their hook — like food tasting good. Underneath, stories have the power to transform our thinking.

My kids caught on to the kale as they got older, but for the longest time I had them fooled. They were overjoyed with their popsicles for dessert – which I’d crammed full of fruit and kale. 

A real win-win!

I applied this same concept with Finding Your Stars. I wanted to write a beautiful poem that would resonate with kids – and with adults. But having struggled to navigate the emotional rollercoaster of becoming a new parent, I also wanted to give parents a bit of help at the same time. 

Books can be like a Trojan Horse in that way. When they’re engaging, compelling and fun, helpful concepts and viewpoints can be integrated in a subtle but powerful way. Stories and metaphors don’t just help us gain understanding – they can shape our thinking and transform our worldview. I wanted to use that power for good.

For parents, children’s picture books are especially powerful. You might not have time to read that growing pile of books on parenting, mindset, self-regulation, mindfulness, self-compassion and more. But children’s picture books? You’ve got these memorized. 

So I took the concept I know would have helped me as a new parent – that what we focus on will grow, and that we need to nurture our strengths while accepting our fears and failures – and built it into a heartwarming relationship between Star and Cloud pals.

I hope Finding Your Stars will be a helpful tool for parents and kids – to connect and share their worries and fears, as well as delight in their talents and dreams. 

I hope it gives families a shared language and understanding that they can use to tackle life’s many ups and downs.

And just like those kale popsicles – I hope it does all this while bringing your family together for a moment of fun and connection.  

— Carolyn Morris, author of Finding Your Stars

Learn more about Finding Your Stars and how to buy the book here.