A Cumbrian mum-of-two has self-published her first book, which aims to help children cope well with their mental health. 

Jenny Prince, from St Bees, has officially released her first publication, Alyssia’s Magic Balloon: A Magical Mindfulness Story, which is available to buy now on Amazon for £10. 

The story features breathing techniques to support children in leading calm and happy lives, inspired by Jenny's blog page - Journey to Inner Calm.

In an interview with the News & Star, Jenny said: "In 2022 I started getting into ways to relieve anxiety and stress with things like meditation. I set up a blog page to help others with that but along my own journey to inner calm, I realised I could apply what I was learning to my kids."

It will form part of a larger series, titled Alyssia’s Magical Mindfulness, which is named after Jenny's eldest daughter. It sees her go on a journey, with mindfulness techniques such as 'balloon breathing' or experiencing nature employed in potentially anxiety-inducing situations, such as a first day of school. 

Jenny added: "Each book has a magical feel to it, but it also teaches them something. The butterflies in her stomach fly away more and more throughout the book until they're gone.

"It helps parents who might not know how to teach their kids things like this. It helps them to calm their body in a fun and magical way. A few schools have already bought the book and I'm planning on visiting others across Cumbria to do a reading or speak to parents."

Jenny plans to approach publishers with the book, but has enjoyed the learning curve that has come with self-publishing, as she built the book from scratch, with only an illustrator to help. 

She added: "I'm chuffed that it has come out. I am very busy with work and looking after my children, but I do have a good husband who helps a lot, so that's made a difference as well. The book is inspired by experiences we have had as a family."

You can buy the book here.