The research

Last updated 2026-10-02.

I read a lot. Before I write a story, I read what's known about how children feel, learn and cope. Here's what shapes every Lou Vella book, in plain English.

Feelings come first

Psychologist John Gottman studied how parents talk with children about emotions. Children whose parents noticed, named and accepted their feelings, then helped them solve the problem, tended to calm down more easily and get on better with other kids. He called it emotion coaching (Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, 1997).

That's why every story starts with what the child feels, not the lesson. The character feels it, copes with it and finishes with an "I can…" moment your child can borrow.

Naming a feeling helps

In brain-imaging studies with adults, putting a feeling into words dampened the brain's alarm response (Lieberman and colleagues, Psychological Science, 2007). A picture book gives children the words, and a safe character to try them on first.

Reading together, and talking

Reading aloud builds language, and it builds more when you talk about the pages. In "dialogic reading", the adult asks questions and lets the child tell the story back. In the original study, children read with this way were months ahead in language after a few weeks (Whitehurst and colleagues, Developmental Psychology, 1988). A large review of shared reading found links with vocabulary and reading from toddlers to young adults (Mol and Bus, Psychological Bulletin, 2011).

That's why each book ends with talk questions, not a quiz.

Feelings skills help at school too

A review of 213 school social and emotional learning programs found they improved children's behaviour and wellbeing, and lifted results by 11 percentile points on average (Durlak and colleagues, Child Development, 2011).

Australian frameworks

• Early Years Learning Framework (V2.0, 2022): the stories support children's sense of identity and their wellbeing.
• Australian Curriculum (Version 9.0): they sit alongside the Personal and Social Capability, and Health and Physical Education.

What these books aren't

They're stories, not therapy. If you're worried about how your child is feeling, talk to your GP or school. Raising Children Network is a trusted Australian place to start.

Spotted something I should read? Email hello@louvellabooks.com.au.