Description
Zack Naturally is destined to ascend the ranks of a classic children's book by melding the quality of content, illustration, and meaning from long celebrated primers with core concepts of mindfulness and Zen Buddhism that children need to embrace fully in today's increasingly disconnected world. With no trendy, frenetic cartoon characters and no celebrity driven platitudes, Zack Naturally reaches deeply into modern children's hearts and minds to open them to the possibility of greater self worth and self esteem. In his clever poetic dialogue between a mother and her son, clinical psychologist Dr. LoConte uses simple natural elements to help us children ages 7 to 107 to realize that we are all exactly the way that we should be and that feeling “less than” is only a sign that we are thinking something about ourselves that isn’t true or "out of flow" with the natural world. Zack Naturally is called a “Zen companion” because its prime mission is to teach little ones to innately trust that they are so much more than their thoughts suggest. Zen psychology borrows from East Asian wisdom that holds that human beings, no matter what mistakes they’ve made and what doubts they may have, are perfect parts of nature and thus need no apologies to just be themselves. Dr. LoConte uses his near-30 years of clinical experience with children and adults to forego cliched and commercialized messages to get to the natural root of what makes a healthy, contented child: the relationship between care-giver and child and the natural way of the earth, nature, and the universe. Either read to young children early with helpful commentary from their parents or read alone by younger grade-schoolers, this simple, trail-blazing primer will build young children up from their earliest inner natural instincts out into the world around them.John LoConte, Ph.D. has spent over twenty-five years as a clinical psychologist helping people of all ages think more kindly about themselves. One of the author's life passions is to help young people learn as early as possible to consider themselves as unique and beautiful works of nature, just like sunsets, trees, and birds, but also just like unapologetic clouds, rain, and yes, even puddles! He wrote this book in memory of his daughter Alessandra, who was the bravest person he’s ever known in turning her bad days into better ones by using the natural power of her open mind to question her thoughts when she was feeling sad and afraid. All proceeds of this book will go to The Alessandra LoConte Memorial Fund, which helps fund college scholarships and intensive performing arts training for those students who ordinarily wouldn't have the means to invest in their passions. Dr. LoConte is a published researcher, avid cyclist, amateur poet, husband, and father of three children and three Westies, and he lives in Cranford, New Jersey, with its winding, whispering Rahway River.