At 1decision, we are passionate about supporting children's personal development, emotional wellbeing and lifelong learning. These values are shared by many of the educators and organisations we work with, including Early Years educator and children's author, Carla Gunn.
Carla is the author of What Letter Shall We Look at Today?: Animals, Emotions, and Stories from A to Z, a children's book that combines alphabet learning, storytelling and emotional literacy to help young children develop communication skills and emotional understanding.
Drawing on her extensive experience in Early Years education, Carla created the book to bring together two fundamental aspects of child development: literacy and emotional wellbeing.
"Throughout my years working in Early Years, I have seen how powerful stories can be. They do so much more than teach literacy; they help children understand themselves, make sense of their feelings and make connections with the world around them."
Why Emotional Literacy Matters
The ability to recognise, understand and express emotions is an important life skill. During the Early Years, children learn how to communicate their needs, build relationships and navigate a wide range of feelings. Stories can support this process by providing relatable situations, language and characters through which children can explore emotions in a safe and accessible way.
For Carla, supporting emotional literacy was one of the key motivations behind creating the book.
"Children today face many challenges, and helping them to identify, understand and express their emotions is a vital part of childhood. I wanted to create something that could support those conversations in a way that felt natural, engaging and accessible."
By weaving emotional themes throughout the alphabet, Carla has created opportunities for children to discuss feelings while simultaneously developing literacy skills.
Bringing Letters to Life
The concept behind What Letter Shall We Look at Today? is simple yet engaging. Each letter of the alphabet is paired with an animal character, an emotion and a story, creating opportunities for children to learn through meaningful experiences.
Carla explains:
"I wanted to bring letters to life with relatable scenarios that children might see around them, both in the classroom and at home. The stories needed to be engaging enough to hold children's attention while ensuring every page offered something meaningful."
Rather than focusing solely on letter recognition, the book encourages children to connect letters with behaviours, experiences and emotions. This helps create a richer learning experience that supports both literacy and personal development.
The use of animal characters adds another layer of engagement.
"Children connect quickly with animals, and discussing emotions through a character can feel much easier than talking directly about themselves. It creates opportunities for children to recognise feelings and explore supportive ways to manage them."
Learning Through Stories and Conversation
Storytelling has long been recognised as a powerful tool for learning. Whether shared during circle time, at bedtime or within small group activities, stories can create valuable opportunities for discussion and reflection. Carla designed the book so that each story could act as a starting point for conversations about feelings, relationships and everyday experiences.
For example, Kim the Kind Kangaroo encourages discussions around caring for the environment and showing responsibility for the world around us. Meanwhile, Maisie the Marvellous Monkey introduces musical concepts while encouraging curiosity, confidence and self-expression.
By linking stories to situations children may encounter in their own lives, the book helps make learning more meaningful and relatable.
These conversations also support key areas of development within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), including communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, and literacy.
Encouraging a Love of Reading
Developing positive attitudes towards books begins long before children can read independently. When stories are enjoyable and engaging, children are more likely to develop a lasting interest in reading.
Carla's approach reflects this understanding. The familiar alphabet structure provides consistency, while the stories, characters and emotional themes keep children interested and invested in the learning experience.
The book is also accompanied by colouring sheets, providing additional opportunities for creativity, discussion and engagement beyond the page.
These resources have proven particularly popular during book events and school visits, giving children another way to connect with the stories and characters.
A Resource for Homes and Educational Settings
One of Carla's aims was to create a resource that could be used across a range of learning environments. Whether supporting learning at home, in nursery settings, childminding environments or primary schools, the book offers opportunities for both educators and families to explore literacy and emotional development together.
Practitioners can use individual stories to support planned learning themes or respond to children's interests and emotional needs, while parents can incorporate stories into everyday reading routines.
Carla has been encouraged by the feedback she has received from families.
"I've had many messages from parents telling me that their children choose a letter story as part of their bedtime routine. Hearing how families are using the book at home has been incredibly rewarding."
Rooted in Early Years Practice
Carla's professional background is evident throughout the book, with many aspects of Early Years practice naturally woven into the stories and activities.
Her approach reflects a belief shared by many educators: children learn best when learning feels meaningful, purposeful and enjoyable.
"Children learn best when they feel safe, valued and interested in what they are doing. By combining letters, animals, emotions and stories, I hoped to create something that supports these principles whilst remaining fun, enjoyable and accessible."
At 1decision, we recognise the importance of helping children develop both academically and emotionally. Literacy, communication, self-awareness, empathy and resilience are all interconnected skills that contribute to children's long-term wellbeing and success.
Looking Ahead
As conversations around children's mental health and wellbeing continue to grow, the importance of supporting emotional literacy from an early age becomes increasingly clear.
Through What Letter Shall We Look at Today?, Carla has created an engaging resource that combines literacy, storytelling and emotional development in a way that is both practical and accessible.
At 1decision, we would like to thank Carla for sharing her story and for her continued commitment to supporting children's learning, wellbeing and lifelong love of reading.
Find Out More
To learn more about Carla's work and What Letter Shall We Look at Today?: Animals, Emotions, and Stories from A to Z, or to purchase a copy, you can follow her journey, discover upcoming events and access the latest updates via Carla's social media channels:
- Facebook: CJG Series
- Instagram: Carla Gunn
- LinkedIn: Carla Gunn
