Finally, there’s an age-appropriate book available to help youngsters dealing with the trauma of parental substance abuse. “Timbi Talks About Addiction” is a 28-page, colorfully illustrated picture book written to help children ages 3-12 cope with a parent’s addiction.

“What a joy to read this superb book for children,” said Sis Wenger, president and CEO of the National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA).  “Teachers, counselors, clergy and pediatricians could be more effective if this little book is sitting on a table in their offices,” Wenger said.

Nashville, Tennessee resident Trish Luna, who co-authored the book with her sister, Janet Hellier, wrote the first draft of the story nearly 30 years ago. Trish’s children had a loving father who struggled with addiction his entire life before he eventually died from the disease, so she and her children knew first-hand the pain and stigma attached to having a loved one who was addicted.

The story is written in rhyme and features the cuddly character Timbi. The authors wanted to acknowledge and validate children’s varied emotions and offer them practical tools to use, whether alone or with a trusted adult.

New York-based Janet, who has a master’s degree in mental health counseling, brought her clinical knowledge as well as her deep appreciation for mindfulness practices to the project.

“I breathe in, I’m a tree, with roots deep in the ground,” starts one passage. “I breathe out, I am strong; I feel safe, I feel sound.”

Dr. Anderson Spickard, Founding Director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Treatment of Addiction, declared, “I only wish I had been able to give a copy to every family I treated over 40 years. It would have changed lives, I know it.”

“Timbi Talks About Addiction” is now available for purchase for $12.99 at www.timbitalks.com. A Timbi plush toy will be available early 2019.