STORIES BY BELINELO
EVERY STORY COUNTS
MY BUSY BRAIN
Meet Rocky, a lively little rock-wallaby with a very busy brain. He sometimes forgets things, gets distracted and finds school tricky.
When he learns he has ADHD, Rocky discovers new strategies that make learning easier and life more fun.This is a warm and gentle story that brings some laughs and raises awareness of the need for compassion.Sometimes it is not about effort. Some minds simply work in a different way.
Written by Dr Patrícia Belinelo and illustrated by Jéssica Aguado.
Illustrations for My Busy Brain by Jéssica Aguado
Instagram: @byjessicaaguado
Website: www.jessicaaguado.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am Patrícia Belinelo, a medical doctor from Brazil now living in Australia, where I completed my PhD in Paediatrics. I grew up in the small town of Viçosa in Minas Gerais surrounded by a big and creative family, including my younger twin brothers, who always encouraged my artistic side from drawing and painting to planning birthday themes.
Today I work as a researcher and lecturer in medicine while also pursuing my passion for storytelling. For years I quietly dreamed of writing books and, with the support of my partner and my mum, I finally brought one idea to life by blending my medical background with creativity to tell stories in a way children can understand.
If you would like to get in touch, you can reach me on Instagram @storiesbybelinelo, email me at storiesbybelinelo@gmail.com, or find my books on Amazon via my Author Page.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Every Story Counts is a series within the Stories by Belinelo project. It shares stories to help children understand, feel seen and never feel alone. It stems from my long-standing passion for child health.
Over the years I have noticed how children often struggle to understand their own health conditions or those of their friends. This inspired me to create a series of short stories that gently explore these experiences.
Rather than going into medical detail, each story highlights what it feels like to navigate life with a health condition or alongside a peer who has one. Each book is tailored to the typical age range when a condition is most commonly recognised, so the tone, language and maturity are always right for its intended readers.
My hope is that these stories bring awareness, foster greater understanding and empower children to live their best lives just as they are.
The project has begun with the first published book, My Busy Brain, and more stories are on the way!
You can follow the journey and future stories on Instagram: @storiesbybelinelo
