Books published by publisher Balboa Press

Children can be made more grateful when the adults in their lives teach them how. Today I am Grateful is the perfect springboard for parents and educators to start helping kids see all of the goodness in their life.Jeffrey J. Froh, associate professor of psychology at Hofstra University and coauthor ofMaking Grateful Kids: The Science of Building CharacterToday I Am Gratefulwas created to inspire children of all ages to experience the incredible power of gratitude. By taking the time to think about all the wonderful things that happen each day, children gain an appreciation for what matters most to them in their own lives. Following the lead of Milo, young readers can take part in this mindful practice using the activities provided at the end of the story. A special section for parents provides insight into the many benefits cultivating an attitude of gratitude will play in their childs life.www.GratitudetoBliss.com

My goal is to help parents and caregivers understand how important it is to honor and support our kids’ efforts to try new things—even if they fail! Life is not meant to be a neat and tidy experience—it is to be explored and used, trialed and triumphed. Too often, children and adults alike don’t try new things, even things that interest them, because they are afraid they won’t be good enough. Let’s start encouraging our children, and ourselves, to step out of our comfort zones and seek new adventures. It is time that we applaud our failures for what they really are—symbols of the courage to try. With a little patience and persistence, who knows what adventures lie ahead? Your friend and fellow parent, Heather Hamilton

"A forever family for a little elephant" was inspired by Brenda Haydee's family, and foster care and adoption experience. Brenda Haydee believes this book will support and empower adoptive and foster parents with a tool in the form of a story that they can tell their kids, so they feel loved and accepted by their biological parents and their forever family. "A forever family for a little elephant" is the story of a mother elephant in her journey to find her little elephant's forever family. In this heartwarming story, the mama elephant searches high and low for a loving a supportive environment for her baby until she finds the bear family, a nurturing and caring family that is excited and willing to be wholly devoted to the baby elephant. The bear family always had the wish to add another baby to their family to love and play with their cub. The little elephant was their wish come true! The mother elephant felt lucky to find the perfect family who would love and protect her lovely baby. This family gave the mama elephant the strength and courage to leave her little one with what she believes is the perfect family and nurturing environment for him. Then the little elephant lives happily ever after with the bear family.

This book, which is written for children between the ages of five and twelve years, provides a resource that parents and caregivers can use to support and guide their children through the difficult process of suicide bereavement. Explaining suicide is not a task that parents are usually prepared for. Parents and caregivers often feel lost and overwhelmed at the prospect of having to discuss suicide with their children. Written from the perspective of a child, this illustrated story provides a fictional character for children to relate to. The story guides children through the difficult emotions they may feel, but often find difficult to express. It ends by reassuring children that they can survive the pain of their loss, even though it currently feels unbearable. Parents and caregivers should read this book with their children. This book provides a means to explain suicide and suicide bereavement in a way that children can understand, while also giving children permission to talk openly about their loss. The goal is to increase the sense of connection between parents and caregivers and their children and to help children feel understood and supported. In the supplementary parents guide, the author answers some of the common questions that arise for parents and caregivers, and covers specific examples of how they can respond to their children when discussing the suicide.

Did you ever look into the eyes of an animal and wonder if they could understand you? Have you ever fantasized about how great it would be for you to understand what they thought? In this fascinating book Gerald Bunch relates his journey from Naval Officer/engineer/left-brained empiricist to intuitive animal communicator.He explains that intuitive communication is a capability we are all born with and we can each re-learn. In sharing many of the conversations he has had with various species, he takes us into the world as experienced by animals. He describes how we can deepen the bond we have with our animal companions and how their love and devotion to us can change our lives.His study of quantum physics helped him bridge the gap between hard science and telepathy, but he stresses it is not necessary to know how animal communication works, only that it does work. All the time.Gerald and his buddy Oscar the Cat are on an odyssey. Their passion is to make the world a better place for all of its inhabitants.

Bee Like Me is a childrens book that takes you on the journey of an introspective little bee that compares himself to birds in order to answer questions regarding his life goals and purpose. In his asking and journeying, he discovers wonderful talents of these beautiful winged creatures while also discovering impressive things about him. This book was written to promote excellent self-esteem, positivity in self and others, diversity, and the celebration of differences within other people and cultures with the use of animals; thereby, deflecting bullying at any age.

Tico, a lonely little goat, without warning moved to a new home at a horse rescue ranch! From having no friends to boredom and sleeping all day, Tico is excited with his new surroundings and decides to become the best friend of all the new horses in his life. Some horses are friendly and skilled, and some are deeply afraid and even physically damaged, but Tico brings his big heart and humor to good use in helping his new horse and people family while learning how to really enjoy life! If you loved Charlotte's Web, you'll find that Tico's story is one terrific story!

Sister Jaguars Journey is the fiercely honest story of Sister Judy Bisignanoa Dominican nun who, after spending sixty-eight years looking for God in all the wrong places, finally found the peace and divine connection she was looking for in Ecuadors Amazon rainforest.It all starts with a simple invitation to visit the Achuar community in the Amazon jungle. Here, in this place, with these special people, using the plant medicine ayahuasca, she was propelled onto a new path. Guided by the indigenous wisdom of Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the sacred rituals of the Achuar people, she confronts and lets go of her turbulent, abusive, and angry past, ultimately discovering that her lifes purpose was not to become an American educator, author, and nun but rather, a compassionate human being.In many ways, Sister Jaguars Journey is the story of one nuns transformational passage from self-rejection to self-acceptance and from self-blame to self-love. It is, perhaps, the journey of each of us as we search for peace in this life and beyond.The Achuar call her Hermana OtorangoSister Jaguar, and so will you.

There is a peace to be found in eating what you love that I havent found in any other way. Not everyone can relate to this connection, but for me, its fully correlated. For so long, I struggled with being at peace with my body that the angst manifested in my obsession with food. I wanted to fix my criticism of my body and my internal unease by eating better, restricting, dieting, getting control. It was no surprise I never fixed myself by dieting. It cant be fixed by dieting. I had to start to eat with love to make any headway on my crippling anxiety. I had to eat what I loved and make peace with my cravings to address the deeper issues. For so long, I struggled with what I should eat or shouldnt eat. It was a wonderful way to distract myself from feeling anything else or thinking about uncomfortable topics.Food obsession always reveals a deeper worry.To eat in peace allows us to get honest about what we really feel. The new mantra had to become What would I really love to eat today?I wanted to eat a lot of things, and I wanted doughnuts. I assumed other people wanted to eat doughnuts too. I started making them for myself and getting them out there to the masses. This permission to myself to eat doughnuts turned into a multimillion dollar businessa sign that making decisions out of love can have great results.