A Nebraska children's author has written dozens of books to help young people process the tough topics in life. Today, her story came full circle.
It's assembly time this morning at Bell Field Elementary.
"we have some special guests...
The most important of guests, the former counselor at the elementary school, Julia Cook.
Cook has penned more than 80 children's books, winning awards and selling more than 2 million copies. But her first, My Mouth is a Volcano, was one she wrote while still a counselor here.
"I wrote this book for these kids, cause they couldn't stop interrupting. So my baby sitter said when I was a little kid, your mouth is a volcano you interrupt so much so I wrote this story and it worked. This was the first version and this is the version we use now."
That book, has since been adapted into a play, and today all worlds collided. Cook, The play,
and her audience.
"The students have been getting ready today by doing these worksheets...instead of interrupting others"
"You can talk to a kid all day long...you make it fun"
As the set pieces moved and the volcano erupted the kids ooed and ahhhed, all while learning a valuable lesson about waiting their turns to talk. It's this, Cook says, that makes what she does, so worth it.
"We have so much to teach our kids...that they can use."
Cook writes about a wide array of topics from teasing, anger, and anxiety, to abuse and active shooter training in school.
