““My son came home yesterday after Ashley’s workshop and told me I need to look up Ashley on the internet so I could learn about our sun and cloud.
He was obviously captivated and engaged with her workshop and book!””
Ashley McIntosh
Ashley McIntosh, BAPsyc Honours, CPC, has led workshops on personal awareness, emotional health, and kindness for over 15 years, working with thousands of children and adults. She is currently studying toward a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology at CityU. With the widely respected educational group led by Saleema Noon Sexual Health Educators, Ashley helped create the iGirl, iGuy and iKid self-development workshops taught in elementary schools across British Columbia.
For these workshops, Ashley developed playful metaphors to help students become aware of their emotions, thoughts and hearts. Her children’s book, The Girl and The Sun, offers these metaphors in a beautifully endearing story so parents and teachers can have honest conversations with kids about these deeply important subjects.
“Working with Ashley has positively and profoundly affected every aspect of my life.
She listens with true empathy and understanding and provides insight, encouragement and knowledge. What she does is invaluable and the passion, sincerity and integrity with which she does it is inspirational.
”
Who illustrated The Girl and The Sun?
Alex Maertz and I met in a coffee shop. She the barista, me the mom with toddler and big pregnant belly needing my one cappuccino a day. Over time we formed a friendship. She babysat my kids, not because she was a babysitter, but because she loved my kids.
Then, as luck would have it, she miraculously ended up taking children’s book design at just the moment I was looking for someone to illustrate my story.
Alex took my story about a girl with a sun in her heart and gave it life through her adorable, earthy, and inspiring illustrations. She truly captured the girl’s bold playfulness, and feisty spirit. And the nature-filled backgrounds allow one to explore a page for many moments.
Thank you Alex for rocking this project!
Follow Alex on Instagram or visit her website: www.alexmaertz.com
