“When children connect with nature, something marvelous can manifest. I think it is one of the most important gifts we can give them.”

My Mission: Empowering Children Through Nature 

As the author of Bee-Coming Strong, my passion is helping young readers build resilience and emotional tools through a gentle story about insects and nature. I believe children learn best when difficult topics like bullying are approached with warmth, humor, and practical techniques they can actually use. I believe that when children learn from the natural world – especially the incredible world of bees and other insects – they discover powerful tools for overcoming bullying and finding their inner strength.

From Childhood Nature Explorer to Children’s Book Author

Discovering Mindfulness and Inner Strength

After graduating from UC Davis with a B.S. in Applied Behavioral Sciences (with a self-designed major in Community Development and Race Relations), my journey led me to the Yoga Center of California, founded by master yogi Ramakrishna Ananda. For the past 40 years, I have studied the Center’s teachings of the ancient wisdom of yoga, which provided the mindfulness tools and spiritual grounding that became essential elements in my approach to children’s emotional wellness and bullying prevention.

My years working on Palomar Mountain began with serving the public at the store and restaurant owned by the Yoga Center. Later, I had the opportunity to work with the astronomers at the observatory, as the Yoga Center had a contract with Caltech to help serve them (a partnership that ended after COVID showed astronomers they could observe remotely). This work placed me in a natural wonderland perfect for environmental education inspiration. Surrounded by pines, oaks, countless insects, and brilliant night skies, I found myself especially drawn to the bees who used to calmly walk across the palms of my hands when I meditated outside in the forest, their tiny feet tickling my skin. It felt magical.

These wondrous encounters with bees taught me about trust, gentleness, and finding peace even in challenging situations – lessons that became the heart of Bee-Coming Strong.

Creating Bee-Coming Strong: An Anti-Bullying Story for Young Readers

Watching those gentle bees during my Palomar Mountain meditations, I realized that children facing bullying could learn powerful lessons from these remarkable insects. Bees face their own challenges – from hornets to environmental threats – yet they maintain their essential nature while finding ways to protect themselves and their community.

This inspiration led to Bee-Coming Strong. It was important to me that children of all backgrounds could see themselves in Jazianzza’s world, which is why I worked with my illustrator to include diverse children throughout the book – reflecting the beautiful variety of young readers who might benefit from these tools.

This inspiration led to Bee-Coming Strong, a children’s book that gently combines:

• Practical anti-bullying strategies through young bee Jazianzza’s journey with her teasing sister Glazizza
• Hands-on mindfulness techniques children can practice – from belly breathing with objects to calming visualization exercises
• Environmental education about bee life and our connection to all living things
• Emotional resilience building through nature-based wisdom and gentle humor

The book doesn’t just tell children about being brave – it gives them actual tools they can use when facing their own challenges, all wrapped in Jazianzza’s charming world of “bee” puns and woodland friends.

The book teaches children that, like bees, they can stay true to themselves while learning to handle difficult situations with courage and kindness.

Why This Gentle Story About Insects Makes the Perfect Teacher

Through Jazianzza’s adventures, children discover that insects, especially bees, offer incredible lessons delivered with warmth and playfulness:

• Practical coping skills: Breathing techniques using everyday objects (like Jazianzza’s pollen ball method)
• Self-acceptance: Learning to embrace what makes you different (like Jazianzza’s glasses)
• Kindness over conflict: How compassion can transform scary situations (even with hornets!)
• Connection to nature: Understanding that we’re all part of something bigger and more wonderful
• Emotional regulation: Simple visualization exercises children can do anywhere

The magic happens when children don’t feel like they’re learning “lessons” – they’re simply following Jazianzza’s delightful journey and discovering they have more inner strength than they knew.

Environmental Education Through Storytelling

As climate change and environmental challenges grow, children’s environmental books play a crucial role in fostering the next generation of earth stewards. By connecting kids to the insect world – from busy bees to industrious ants to transforming butterflies – we help them understand their place in nature’s interconnected web.

Bee-Coming Strong serves as both environmental education and emotional support, showing children that protecting nature and protecting themselves go hand in hand.

My Hope for Young Readers

Through Bee-Coming Strong, I hope to give children the same gifts nature and mindfulness gave me – practical tools for finding inner peace, the courage to be authentically themselves, and the understanding that even the smallest among us (like bees!) play an essential role in the web of life. When children learn to “bee-come strong” in their own beautiful way, they discover they can handle whatever challenges come their way.

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Anandamayi Baker is the author of the award-winning children’s book Bee-Coming Strong, which ranks among the top children’s books on bullying, insect stories, and environmental education. Her work combines nature-based wisdom with practical tools for building children’s emotional resilience and environmental awareness.