How the books work

Parenting Through Stories is an approach to help adults connect, and reflect, with their children. Through a series of interactive picture books – Bartley’s Books – adults can explore the child’s experiences with them, helping them to learn and express their feelings, master new skills, feel closer to each other and cope with everyday challenges together.

Storytelling is a powerful process for children, helping them understand the world and make sense of confusing situations, understand their own and others feelings, learn to communicate and problem-solve and, not least, have a enjoyable experience whilst connecting both with the story and the reader. There’s a huge amount of research evidencing the positive benefits of stories.

The first series comprises of six children’s stories focusing on different areas that children and parents can struggle with in the early years, as well as an accompanying Parenting Handbook. Bartley’s Books add something new – as well as following a character (Bartley Bear) as he navigates his way through the world, there is a curious squirrel (Nudge) who can be found under the flaps. Nudge asks questions both about Bartley’s experiences but also the child’s – helping them reflect upon themselves and providing parents with a window into their child’s internal world.

There is also an accompanying Parenting Handbook which describes the psychological theory behind Bartley’s Books and provides information about the importance of storytelling and the attachment relationship. It also provides practical suggestions on how to support a child’s emotional and behavioural development throughout the early years, and beyond.