Childrens book - Adventures of Brucie and his Brother William by Bruce Edington

I have always enjoyed reading to children and I have often made up stories for them. As a child therapist, practicing on Long Island, NY, I have always loved the enchantment and creativity of children’s imaginations. I’m dedicated to helping children deal with and resolve difficult issues in their lives.

Throughout my practice working with children I have looked for a useful therapeutic tool to engage children and provide them with a fun and non-threatening environment to discuss difficult issues.

This book is the first in a series that I hope to write over the years, pertaining to children and some of the issues they encounter as they mature and grow. The following four short stories deal with some of the common emotions that children experience in their daily lives.

The first story, “Brucie’s Dreams Came True” has Brucie imagining himself as and taking on some of the fun characteristics of the animals that he saw at the zoo. While he can see the fun benefits of each animal, in the end he realizes that his own personal characteristics are more interesting and concludes with “It’s fun to be a little boy” targeting the concept of self-esteem.

The second story, “We Got Company” has Brucie imagining himself encountering unexpected company during his daily activities. He is surprised by visits from seagulls, ants and other living things. In the end, the company of family and friends arriving for his birthday party happily surprises him. These experiences prompt him to say, “It’s nice to have company”. This story expresses the fun of interacting with other living things in a humorous manner and also the importance of friendships.

The third story, “William’s Magic Blue Eyes”, features little brother William using his magic blue eyes to create animals in the clouds. He uses his imagination after his visit to the zoo with his older brother, Brucie. As he imagines the various wild animals coming down from the clouds and charging towards him, he is able to take control of the situation and blows them back into the sky. This story addresses the issues relating to children’s feelings of empowerment, control and security.

The fourth story, “Brucie’s Dreams Came True Again”, features Brucie once again imagining himself as having characteristics that he would like to possess. This time he takes on the characteristics of helicopters, airplanes and rockets. This book sends a message about the sense of adventure, creativity and imagination that helps children to realize the importance of their own individuality and thus helps in developing a better sense of self-esteem.

The main theme for all of the stories is how one can help young children to relate in a humorous manner to the more complex situations in life.

This story method can be used as a possible therapeutic resource for clinicians, teachers, parents or other adults who might wish to introduce similar ideas at home or in a classroom setting.