Publication Costs For A Children’s Mental Health Storybook

Hi I am Karen Baldwin founder of Happy Hooves Equine Assisted Therapy in L/Derry Northern Ireland (Charity Number: NIC110342)

Happy Hooves is a non-profit charity seeking your help to raise the funds to cover the high costs of publishing and printing a powerful hardback mental health storybook for children aged 10–12 years old. With children as young as four now being referred to therapy we are working to create a much-needed accessible resource to help children build the resilience essential for today’s world. This is more than just a children’s book, the tools it teaches can help all ages, both young and old alike.

This beautifully illustrated book will feature eight stories, inspired by the miniature therapy ponies of Happy Hooves and their animal friends of Windy Hill Farm. The stories are rooted in the healing experiences of our charity, which has been operating for over three years, supporting children and adults struggling with anxiety, trauma, grief, and low self-esteem. All the stories are based on true events and real characters.

Each story gently explores an important aspect of mental health with topics including:

- Change and transitions

- Dealing with worry and anxiety

- Overcoming fears

- The overthinking trap

- The power of Gratitude

- Coping with grief and loss

- Building self-esteem and self-belief

- Understanding and managing emotions

- Acceptance and self-compassion

- Finding happiness in everyday moments

The book will be published as a high-quality, durable hardback, designed for use in schools, libraries, and therapeutic settings—but this significantly increases production costs, which is why we’re asking for your help.

A Glimpse from the Storybook

“It’s part of the magic of Windy Hill. It’s a place where children come to forget their troubles. You see, Ruby, when children are here with us, we help to keep them in the present moment. They stroke our hair, and they feel only comfort. They hug us and they feel only love. We do something silly and it reminds them that life doesn't need to be so serious. They are present, here, with us. They are only here with us.” – Star, to Ruby

An Experts Opinion;

“An enchanting collection of stories in which the young reader learns many vital life skills and lessons through the interactions and escapades of the ponies and their animal friends at Windy Hill Farm. A quality production worthy of inclusion on the shelves of all school libraries and children's reading lists.”

— Fintan Keating, Retired School Principal & Writer

About the Team

Karen Baldwin is the founder of Happy Hooves, an accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist who works with both adults and children. She is also a lecturer in mental health. Karen initially trained as a mental health nurse at Ulster University and worked across multiple psychiatric specialties. She then furthered her career under Professor Isaac Marks at the Maudsley Hospital in London, graduating from King’s College Hospital in 1999 as a specialist CBT Psychotherapist. She now runs Happy Hooves on weekends, where her lifelong love of horses meets her deep commitment to helping others.

Karen created the stories in this book from real-life moments, capturing what the ponies teach us about resilience, living in the present, trust, healing, and happiness.

Aisling Chada is an inspirational primary school teacher with a strong focus on children’s mental health and wellbeing. She holds a:

- Bachelor of Education with First Class Honours

- Qualification in Irish Medium Education

- Additional certifications in children’s mental health and wellbeing

Educated and qualified in Northern Ireland, Aisling has also taught in England and Spain. She took Karen’s story drafts and shaped them into their final written form—ensuring they are emotionally resonant, developmentally appropriate, and impactful for children aged 10–12.

Aisling is also developing a comprehensive educational resource pack to accompany the book. Each story will come with:

- A PSHE lesson on the core mental health theme

- An English lesson (vocabulary, grammar, comprehension)

- Supporting materials like visuals, word mats, and worksheets

These resources are designed to be dyslexia-friendly and EAL-inclusive, specifically for Years 5–7, allowing schools to explore the stories both academically and emotionally.

Jessica Hill is a talented equine artist from Exmouth, England, known for her expressive, emotionally rich equine portraiture. She is bringing the Windy Hill characters to life with heartfelt illustrations that capture the unique personalities of the ponies and animals.

Jessica’s artwork has been sold internationally all over the world. She has exhibited at all major equestrian events in the UK—with her most significant and successful shows in London. Her artwork adds emotional depth and authenticity to the book and reflects her shared belief in the power of animals and creativity to support mental wellbeing.

How You Can Help

Please support our appeal by donating or just by sharing the link. We still have £15000 left to raise to complete the book production. As a small and relatively new non profit charity we rely heavily on the generosity of our supporters. We don’t have the same level of support yet as the more established organisations out there. The more people that are aware of our appeal the more chance we have of reaching our target.

Every donation, no matter the size, brings us closer to placing this book in the hands of the children, schools, and families who need it most. Together, we can nurture the next generation to grow stronger, braver, and more emotionally equipped for life.

For the past three years, our gentle therapy ponies have brought calm, connection, and comfort to children and adults facing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and low self-esteem.Now, we want to bring their healing magic to an even wider audience—through the pages of a beautifully illustrated, high-quality hardback children’s mental health storybook.

Thank you for helping us and believing in this project.

Karen & All the Team from Happy Hooves