‘Timmy is Resilient,’ a book hailed as an excellent teaching tool
Patti Demma, a nationally certified NEAR (Neuroscience, Epigenetics, ACEs, and Resilience) Science Trainer, has seen a pattern in her years of studying adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma. Too often children don’t have the resiliency skills they need to cope. Her observations led her to write “Timmy is Resilient,” a children’s book filled with self-calming tools for children and adults.
“Everyone’s been there,” Demma said during a recent Zoom interview. “Even adults, we’ve been at work when our head is in a different place. If we were all taught these skills and tips and tricks, we might be able to get ourselves a little more grounded before we show up for school or work.”
“Timmy is Resilient” chronicles a bad day for Timmy after he hears a loud noise that scares him in the middle of the night. What follows is a perfect storm of troubles for the boy. Ultimately, though, a friend remembers coping mechanisms taught earlier and tries to help Timmy employ these tools.
Demma chose to have her book illustrated by 10-year-old Kameryn Moss. The illustrations are at once primitive and perfect.
“Each time I opened a page from her, I just was so delighted,” Demma said with a smile. “It really was like opening gifts. On every page of this book, I feel the emotion. She was really able to grab that. There’s no way I would have been able to do it without her.
“Timmy is Resilient” is available wherever books are sold including Demma’s own website.