Viviane Schwarz

Author and Artist – Books and Games

Write to Feel Right

Written by

Viv Schwarz

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Some time ago, I illustrated a Useful Book.

Cover of WRITE TO FEEL RIGHT by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Viviane Schwarz, published by Colling Big Cat.
WRITE TO FEEL RIGHT – by Michael Rosen

Michael Rosen wrote a slim, clear, encouraging guide for children to start writing about their emotions, and discover how that can help them to, well, feel right.

In his own words:

I wrote this book because I’ve found writing about my state of mind really helpful and fun at the same time. Sometimes this is because I’ve been troubled – devastated even, as when my son died. Other times I’ve wanted to celebrate and remember great times I’ve had. The help it’s given me comes from seeing myself reflected back at me. This helps me view myself with some degree of detachment, and this enables me to put myself into the company of others, other people who may have experienced this pain or joy too. Togetherness feels better than isolation. I wanted to share these ideas with young people because I know mental health is a big issue for many young people and I hope this book will help them.

Michael Rosen shown squished by a big box, displaced in a small room by a balloon and weighed down on a sofa by a large cat. The box, calloon and cat are all labelled FEELINGS.
Feelings can be a lot.

I was very happy to illustrate it. I’ve worked with Michael Rosen for several a Finding my way of drawing him was enjoyable, and drawing him in all those different moods even more so.

Michael Rosen doing a dramatic reading in front of a row of children who are sat on the floor, listening with a range of emotions
Michael Rosen doing a reading. It’s a good thing to witness, and, he shows us here, a good thing to be doing, too.

There were many opportunities to use my favourite sorts of swirls and blobs to represent thoughts and emotions.

Michael Rosen talking animated to another person, they are holding paper with writing on it. Their thought bubbles look like two cloudy creatures combining into a joint, new one.
Writing about feelings can start a conversation. It can open up channels into different ways of thinking.

Most of all, I really think it’s a book that will actually be useful in classrooms, and beyond that – the advice is sound, and it reminded me to get back to listening to and writing down my feelings again.

Michael Rosen working on a plan - constructing a toy car, concentrating hard.
Michael Rosen talks about THINKING in this book as well as FEELING – about perception, and planning, daydreaming, reasoning and remembering… it’s a lovely, methodical explanation of how it all comes together in writing.

Write to Feel Right is published by Harper Collins in their Collins BIG CAT imprint, available to order, and I think that it’s a very good one for parents to use with their children, and really for anyone with children in their life. Feelings can be difficult, but writing is an amazing tool for all of us.

Michael Rosen smiling at swirly, calligraphic birds escaping from the book he is writing in.

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