This is SO wonderful! Thank you for this post and for making this book! I hate parties too but feel I have learned a lot already from your post, can’t wait to read the book! I’m going to try to ping into the world now! 🥰
Ani, your ability to share the deep feelings and experiences with tenderness and humour is a gift. Children’s books when done well (like Ping) distill the complex into easy to understand nuggets - which is even more necessary as the adult world piles ever more on our shoulders. Ping was and remains a reminder that social anxiety only limits and pushing through by focusing on the “ping” rather than the “pong” means staying present and ready to accept what may or may not occur. While Squareface is relatable I love that you chose to go with the action in the tile.
I laughed out loud when I got to the original title reveal: SQUAREFACE HATES PARTIES! Ha ha ha ha ha! I can relate. I don't *hate* parties, but I'm definitely more comfortable with one or two people than I am with a roomful of them. For me it isn't just fear of small talk or meeting people, though it's true those aren't my favourite things. It's also that I have sensitive antennae and I can feeeeeeeeel all the people around me, and sometimes it's almost too much. I love your ping/pong concept, btw. It's great.
It’s a beautiful life lesson you have written ! Thank you for sharing!
This is SO wonderful! Thank you for this post and for making this book! I hate parties too but feel I have learned a lot already from your post, can’t wait to read the book! I’m going to try to ping into the world now! 🥰
This is so so pure Ani and I wish I had a book like this when I was a child!
this is so wholesome i feel warm inside ToT
Thnks for it <3
Ani, your ability to share the deep feelings and experiences with tenderness and humour is a gift. Children’s books when done well (like Ping) distill the complex into easy to understand nuggets - which is even more necessary as the adult world piles ever more on our shoulders. Ping was and remains a reminder that social anxiety only limits and pushing through by focusing on the “ping” rather than the “pong” means staying present and ready to accept what may or may not occur. While Squareface is relatable I love that you chose to go with the action in the tile.
Thanks for sharing your challenges and triumphs.
holly
I laughed out loud when I got to the original title reveal: SQUAREFACE HATES PARTIES! Ha ha ha ha ha! I can relate. I don't *hate* parties, but I'm definitely more comfortable with one or two people than I am with a roomful of them. For me it isn't just fear of small talk or meeting people, though it's true those aren't my favourite things. It's also that I have sensitive antennae and I can feeeeeeeeel all the people around me, and sometimes it's almost too much. I love your ping/pong concept, btw. It's great.