Tate Papworth
Sunshine resident Phuong Ong lost her job as a result of COVID-19 right before she was to return to work from parental leave.
Ong said the prospect of no work and the challenge of being a new parent left her confidence battered.
But the timely release of a project she had been working on proved just the shot of confidence she needed.
With some friends, Ong authored and published a children’s book, Confident Coco, which explores the power of positive mindsets, specifically confidence.
Ong said she was able to apply some of the lessons in the book to her own life.
“There are messages in the book that I’ve reflected on myself such as positive self-talk, to push through some really negative thoughts,” she said.
“There’s also the sense of achievement from having created this book”.
Confident Coco is a picture book containing messages to help young children learn what confidence looks like.
Ong and co-authors, Chanh Kien and Claire Amore say want to teach children the power of their mindset through simple storytelling.
“We wanted the book to be entertaining and fun to read,” Ong said.
“There are also questions for discussion at the end of the book which we hope will spark conversations about confidence with the kids and their parents or teachers.”
The authors also took the opportunity to feature gender representation and cultural diversity in the book.
Confident Coco is available online via Booktopia and Book Depository. A copy can also be requested from your local bookstore.
