Clarkson University Occupational Therapy Student Shelbi Dufrane, of Plattsburgh, has authored a children’s book aimed at talking about anxiety and depression in a way that is understandable and relatable to children. Michela Farella, a Communications, Media and Design major at Clarkson from Queens, is the illustrator for the book.
Dufrane and Farella are hosting a reading for the book, titled “Finding My Rainbow,” in the library of the Earl R. and Barbara D. Lewis School of Health Sciences, at Clarkson Hall on the downtown campus, on Friday beginning at 4 p.m.
Dufrane wrote the book as part of her capstone project in the Occupational Therapy program at Clarkson. She said the story of Lulu, the main character, is based on her own childhood diagnoses of anxiety and depression.
“I got really inspired to write this book about my experience, and I wanted to write it in a way that children could easily understand it for the purpose of expressing their emotions,” Dufrane said. “I have always wanted to be a writer, and then I got caught up in wanting to be an occupational therapist, so I thought, why can’t I do both?”
“Finding My Rainbow” follows Lulu, a little girl who has lost her rainbow and has storm clouds hanging over her head. She goes on a journey of discovering support systems to find her rainbow again.
Lulu talks about all the people in her support system including her counselor, friends, mom, and grandmother, and how they help her fight her storm clouds. Because Lulu is able to understand her symptoms and establish a support system, she finds her rainbow again.
“This book utilizes illustrations to convey meaning to emotions and how they impact mental health, for example, storm clouds are representative of Lulu’s anxiety and depression, and rainbows are representative of feelings of happiness and contentment,” Dufrane said. “The use of imagery with illustrations is important because it provides children with a simple way to express their emotions and identify how the characters are feeling.”
To help with those illustrations, Dufrane enlisted the help of Farella, who took the project on as an internship experience. Though nervous at first, Farella said she was excited to illustrate the book.
“I have always been interested in illustrating a children’s book, which I have never done before. I thought this would be one way to discover if this is something I like to do,” Farella said. “I think this process was really challenging because at certain points I had so many ideas and I wasn’t really sure where I wanted to go, and I wasn’t sure of the outcome. But with the amount of ideas I had, I was able to figure out a direction. I feel like now that I have been through the process, it would be easier to go through it again since I have more knowledge about it.”
Dufrane said she has enjoyed working with Farella and watching her grow as an artist.
“It’s been a really interesting process for me because I didn’t really have a specific idea in mind for what I wanted,” she said. “It’s been a really collaborative process to come up with the illustrations for the book and I have to say Michela’s ideas were always on point. I was really excited she had so many different ideas and so many different avenues we could’ve taken with the book.”
For those attending the reading and subsequent focus groups on Friday at Clarkson Hall, Dufrane said attendees can expect to see the vibrant illustrations Farella has developed, and expects them to speak to emotional expression throughout the story.
Following the reading, two focus groups will be conducted for data collection, according to Dufrane. The goal of the book is to increase prosocial skills in children through bibliotherapy. One focus group will work with parents, while the second will include parents and children together to get their opinions on the material.
“We really want to make sure the message is being heard,” Dufrane said. “The focus groups are just really looking at whether the children understand the message of the story, and we want to see if the parents think this will help the children understand these emotions.”
Dufrane has already begun work on her second children’s book. “Bouncy Houses and Baseballs” is a story based on the life of her cousin, who has autism among other diagnoses. The book will follow her cousin and his brother as they navigate the world together.
“I really want to mention my family and their incredible support they have had for me not only in pursuing higher education but in writing my book,” Dufrane noted. “They are my inspiration for everything I am doing and I am eternally grateful for them and their support. I am working to publish the book after I complete my capstone project. Hopefully, I will be able to find a publisher or self-publish after all of this!”