A Joyful NZ Picture Book About Loss, Problem‑Solving, and Emotional Resilience
Helping young readers navigate big feelings through nature, creativity, and family support.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Sky’s rainy day surprise is a joyful, nature‑rich New Zealand picture book about a young problem solver who loses her treasured bead necklace — something deeply important to her — and discovers something far bigger along the way.
Sky’s journey blends frustration, creativity, noticing, and gentle family support. Through a rainy‑day adventure full of imagination and wonder, she learns how to move through big feelings and open herself to joy, acceptance, and emotional transformation.
Perfect for Years 1–4 and supports emotional literacy, wellbeing, and identity learning.
WHY THIS BOOK MATTERS
NZ children’s picture book about loss, joy, and emotional resilience
Children experience loss in many forms — a toy, a moment, a feeling, a connection. This book offers a gentle, developmentally appropriate way to explore:
frustration
problem‑solving
noticing and mindfulness
creativity as coping
nature‑based calm
family support
acceptance
joy after challenge
It helps children understand that feelings change, solutions emerge, and beauty can appear in unexpected places.
SKY’S EMOTIONAL ARC
Sky’s emotional learning curve is grounded, relatable, and SEL‑aligned:
she loses something precious
she feels frustration
she pauses
she notices
she explores nature
she tries creative solutions
she receives gentle guidance from her grandparents
she discovers wonder
she experiences joy
she reaches acceptance
she transforms emotionally
This arc is ideal for classroom discussion and wellbeing learning at school, as well as gentle family support at home.
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
Sky’s rainy day surprise supports:
Literacy — rich language, emotional vocabulary
Oral Language — discussion, reflection, storytelling
Visual Arts — collage, noticing, creative response
Material Culture & Visual Literacy — exploring handcrafted textures and how tactile art communicates feeling
Narrative & Story Sequencing — following plot progression, emotional shifts, and sequence of events
Wellbeing & Identity — emotional literacy, resilience
Nature Connection — observing, exploring, noticing
Participation & Contribution — collaborative activities
Teachers can use the book as a springboard for inquiry, art, wellbeing, and identity learning, while families can use it to spark gentle conversations at home.
WHO THIS BOOK HELPS
Teachers — SEL, literacy, wellbeing, and creative arts integration
Parents — emotional conversations, resilience, and joyful connection at home
Librarians — thematic collections on feelings, nature, and visual storytelling
SENCOs — gentle emotional support and self-regulation resources
Wellbeing Leads — identity, resilience, noticing, and positive reframing
Creatives & Art Educators — handmade collage, imagination, and visual literacy
Bookstores — a unique, tactile title with clear curriculum relevance and emotional depth
THE MEWE POWER DRESS WORKSHOP
This fully facilitated New Zealand primary school workshop for Years 1–4 uses Sky’s rainy day surprise as a story-led learning experience. Children explore Sky's emotional journey through a live read-aloud before helping complete her MeWe Power Dress using fabric pieces chosen from the Four Hauora Buckets Whakapapa, Mauri, Mahi, Mana.
The workshop strengthens:
Emotional Literacy — exploring resilience, problem-solving, and positive reframing
Spatial Reasoning & Math — engaging with pattern exploration and hands-on making
Oral Language — guided storytelling, discussion, and connection
Participation & Contribution — creating a shared class artwork culminating in the mantra: Me + We = Power
Tailored for mainstream classrooms, specialist settings, and diverse learners with zero teacher preparation required.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lee-Ann Mercer is a New Zealand author, illustrator, and multidisciplinary storyteller with a deep professional background spanning film, television, theatre, and fashion. This extensive career in design and creative world-building directly shapes Sky’s World and her debut picture book, Sky’s rainy day surprise.
Her professional experience informs the development of the Read-Aloud & MeWe Power Dress Workshop—a story-led, hands-on curriculum experience that begins with a shared read-aloud and builds into collaborative creation across literacy, oral language, mathematics, visual arts, participation, and contribution.
Just like her handcrafted collage artwork, Sky’s World is built in layers where story, imagination, tactile art, and diverse contributions come together to create something meaningful.
