PUBLICATIONS
No Matter What was born from the highs and lows of everyday life with young children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne. Kristen recalls being in the kitchen with her upset three-year-old son, and saying to him: ‘I love you when you’re happy and I love you when you’re sad’. Over the next few months, as they encountered different obstacles and emotions, the poem grew organically including with input from Kristen’s children.
No Matter What is a beautifully illustrated book for both children and parents that playfully explores the concept of unconditional love and the power of mindfulness in achieving this. Kristen’s poetry is threaded through wonderful images of everyday life with young children, inviting the reader to consider love as the bedrock for a secure connection and the development of emotional insight and resilience.
No Matter What
You and your children will be drawn time and again to the musicality of the verse and the tranquillity of the illustrations, together generating a powerful calm, and you may find the words surfacing during moments when your reserve of unconditional love is needed most. No Matter What is a truly timeless book that will enrich experiences of both parenting and childhood alike.
Kristen published No Matter What in 2023 and it is available here (Australia, USA, UK, Canada). More information about Kristen can be found here. The wonderful illustrations for the book were created by Alison Brennan, a freelance illustrator and mother who studied Creative Industries, Design and Illustration in Brisbane.