A gentle rhyming story helping children understand PTSD, trauma, big feelings and the courage it takes to heal.
Once a brave first responder, Mum spent her days helping people through some of life's hardest moments. Over time, the things she had witnessed became heavy to carry.
In Feathers From Stones, those experiences are represented as stones carried in an invisible backpack. Each stone holds something difficult: worry, sadness, fear, memories and feelings that can be hard for children to understand when they see them affecting someone they love.
When the backpack becomes too heavy, Mum reaches out for help.
With professional support, care and understanding, the stones slowly begin to change. What once weighed her down becomes lighter, giving children a gentle and accessible way to understand recovery from trauma without exposing them to frightening details.
Written in reassuring rhyme, Feathers From Stones was created to help families begin conversations about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, trauma and emotional overwhelm.
The story has particular relevance for children in military, veteran and first responder families, including families affected by separation, operational stress and the lasting effects of service.
Feathers From Stones was featured by the Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs in the August 2026 edition of Vetaffairs, where it was included in the publication's Bookshelf for the veteran community.
Author Kim Hicks is a former member of the Australian Defence Force and served for 23 years with Australian Police. Her children's books draw on lived experience of service and recovery to give families age appropriate ways to talk about difficult subjects.
Suitable for families, schools, counsellors, psychologists, Defence and veteran support services, first responder organisations and other professionals working with children and families.
Feathers From Stones can help children understand that difficult feelings can be spoken about, asking for help takes courage, and recovery can happen one step at a time.
Part of the Healing Storybook Collection by Kim Hicks.
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