Aroha's Choice

By Rebekah Lipp and Craig Phillips

Some days feel heavy. Thoughts can get stuck, worries grow louder, and it can be hard for tamariki to see beyond what’s going wrong. Aroha’s Choice gently introduces a powerful idea - that thoughts are not facts, and that we can learn to notice them, question them, and choose kinder ones when we need to.

Through Aroha’s story, children are introduced to the concept of brain pathways and how repeated thoughts shape how we feel and experience the world. With warmth and honesty, this book shows that while we can’t stop difficult thoughts from popping up, we can learn to respond to them differently. Over time, practising helpful thoughts helps build new pathways that support hope, resilience, and emotional wellbeing.

This is a thoughtful, strengths-based book that opens up meaningful conversations about pessimism, worry, and emotional habits. While written for children aged around eight years through to teens, it often resonates just as deeply with adults - reminding us all that change is possible, even when it feels hard.

How this product supports tamariki:

• Helps children understand that thoughts influence feelings and behaviour
• Supports cognitive flexibility and emotional resilience
• Encourages self-awareness and self-compassion
• Provides language to challenge unhelpful or negative thinking patterns
• Normalises having “down days” while offering hope and tools for change