⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
Readers' Favorite Award
Recommended by a licensed therapist
Written for classrooms everywhere
Built-in discussion guides in Books 1, 2 and 3
Twenty years helping adults through the hard stuff — and a school bus full of kids that changed everything.
For Teachers
Your read-aloud just got a lot more interesting.
If you've been looking for books that actually spark conversation — not polite hand-raising, but real "wait, that happened to me" moments — Radical Ray does that.
Built-in Think, Share, Explore discussion guides in Books 1, 2 and 3 — no prep required
Supports social emotional learning competencies for grades 2–5
Works as a class read-aloud, small group text, or independent reading choice
Australian setting with US and international glossary — accessible wherever you teach · Sparks genuine conversation about emotions, belonging, resilience, and identity
Perfect for grades 2–7 depending on the book.
For School Counsellors
A non-clinical entry point into very clinical conversations.
When a child shuts down in your office, having something to hold — something that isn't a feelings chart — can shift everything. Radical Ray gives you that.
Each book addresses a specific emotional experience — grief, family disruption, self-worth, belonging
Discussion prompts designed to open the conversation, not lead the witness
Ray's mistakes give children permission to talk about their own
Particularly effective with children who resist direct emotional questioning
Endorsed by a licensed therapist as an excellent resource for assisting professionals
Covers bereavement, absent parents, limiting beliefs, anxiety, and resilience across the four books.
For Child Therapists
Clinically grounded. Child friendly. Actually engaging.
Book 3 introduces cognitive behavioural concepts — belief formation, mental maps, and self-talk — in language children aged 9–12 can genuinely engage with
Book 3 includes Ho'oponopono as a self-compassion practice — introduced through story not instruction
Book 4 handles childhood bereavement with clinical honesty — it does not soften or rush the experience
Book 2 navigates the return of an absent parent without demonising either party — ideal for children in similar situations
Recommended by a licensed Ohio therapist as an excellent resource for assisting professionals.
It is an easy read and can help many students through a difficult time of loss. Even if the loss isn’t a parent, it could show how he went through the stages of grief without ever losing who his mother was. This could relate to a friend , other family members, a pet, etc. Many schools have programs that deal with loss and many discussions about how to work through grief, this book could be used for the discussions.
Intervention Specialist,
Local Elementary School
A book that would absolutely support any child experiencing a similar life event.
— Kathryne Imabayashi M.Ed., B.S.Ed., Parents of Boys Coach, Early Years Specialist, Author — Advanced Reader
I was hooked from the first pages of this story. I didn't expect to be so drawn into a children's book, but honestly, I couldn't wait to turn each page. The depth of emotion is so compassionately described that I felt like I truly understood Ray's grief journey. The author has a gift not only in how she writes, but in how she allows us to tap into the soul of the story. This is a beautifully written book that gently explores how a little boy may be processing the loss of the most important person in his world, his mom. Brilliantly done — and a book that would absolutely support any child experiencing a similar life event.
Download lyrics here!
Your class doesn't know it yet, but this is their new favourite thing. Press play. Watch what happens.
Written with social emotional learning at its heart,
and the five core SEL competencies woven through every page.
Each book naturally supports the way children develop emotional intelligence, resilience, and social skills, making them a comfortable fit alongside existing SEL programs and school counselling frameworks.
Self-Awareness
Ray doesn't always know what he's feeling, but he's always trying to figure it out.
From Grandma Leila's porch conversations to the moment he watches himself go quiet in class and wonders why, the series gives children language for their inner world at every turn.
Self-Management
From the flower-and-candle breathing exercise Ray shares with Nicholas in Book 1, to the Ho'oponopono self-compassion practice Ray discovers in Book 3, children encounter real, gentle tools for managing big feelings.
Not as lessons, as moments in a story they're already living.
Social Awareness
Ray notices. The kid sitting alone at lunch. The boy who doesn't know anyone. The classmate whose sandwich just got stolen. The neighbour sitting quietly on the porch after losing someone she loved.
Empathy isn't taught in these books, it's modelled, page after page, in moments children recognise from their own lives.
Relationship Skills
Each book explores a different dimension of human connection: friendship, trust, family, forgiveness, and the slow uncertain work of letting someone back in.
Ray doesn't always get it right. That's precisely what makes him worth following.
Responsible Decision-Making
Ray faces real choices throughout the series; whether to cross the playground and sit with the new kid, whether to give his dad another chance after years away, whether to raise his hand again after being told he was too much.
The consequences of each choice are shown honestly, including the fear before and the uncertainty after.
Kids don't learn emotional skills from being told about them.
As a therapist, we are always looking for resources to help teach clients and create ways for clients to learn and grow. This book is an excellent resource for assisting professionals. It's wonderfully written and the talking points are amazing. Highly recommend not only for professionals, but also parents seeking opportunities to explore kindness and healthy coping.
— Melissa K., Licensed Therapist, Ohio
Bring Radical Ray into your school.
Bobbi would love to visit your school community — in person or over Zoom — to talk with students, teachers, and counsellors about kindness, courage, emotional intelligence, and all the messy, magical parts of growing up.
With twenty years of experience helping people through the hard stuff, and four books grounded in the emotional patterns children actually live through, Bobbi brings something to a school visit that goes beyond a typical author talk.
For students, it's a conversation with someone who genuinely understands what they're carrying.
For teachers and counsellors, it's a professional development opportunity grounded in social emotional learning, resilience, and the window before adolescence — the years when the patterns are still forming and the most can be done.
Visits can be tailored for classroom groups, whole school assemblies, or staff professional development sessions. In person or over Zoom — wherever you are.