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My name is Stephanie Robert and I am the author of “Thiago’s Shell”. This book comes from a place of motherly love and compassion toward a common challenge which some children face with shyness.
I am a Brazilian-born, Dubai-grown expatriate who absolutely loves calling this wonderful place my home. Growing up in Dubai has been a myriad of different experiences, making friendships with so many different cultures and then learning the skill to also say goodbye due to the transient nature of where we live. Putting cultural differences in a category of ‘intrigue and curiosity’ rather than intimidation. This was life growing up here, always exciting, fast and sometimes slow, bustling in some parts and deserted in others. On the weekends having the choice of BBQ on the beach or dune bashing and swimming in wadis. Yes there was a time when Dubai had only a couple of shopping malls!
When the time came to move onto university, I ventured across the Atlantic back to Canada where I also had the pleasure of growing up for a few years. Little did I know that whilst studying psychology was my main prerogative away from my family, I would also meet my future husband there and eventually he would follow me back to Dubai.
When my husband and I started a family and our two boys were born here in Dubai, we knew that it was the start of a great adventure for our family and a great gift to them to grow up in such a multicultural environment.
However as any young mother would not hesitate to admit, motherhood no matter where you are always comes with some sort of struggle. Whether emotional, psychological or physical (sometimes all three!) we have to find a way to cope and just keep moving forward. Nothing prepares you for this journey so you build your own toolbox along the way!
One of those tools for me was using my knowledge in psychology to navigate the challenges I was going through. A big supporter and advocate of positive psychology on the young mind, I decided to write a story for my son to see if I could, through this medium, help him build his self-confidence and provide a powerful message that might speak to him in more of a creative and fun way. This is how the book began…
Today, I am so grateful to be holding the actual book in my hands and to be sharing it as much as possible with as many children and parents that I can reach out to.
Thiago’s Shell is a compassionate story about a little turtle who has a wonderful fulfilling life, and yet he seems to struggle with his self-confidence at first. One day something very unexpected occurs and puts him in a vulnerable position. However, through the love of his mother and best friend, he discovers a whole new side to himself and changes his view of his world.
This is the perfect book for any mama to read with her kids – we love!!!
