PORTLAND, Maine - s4story -- John Brubaker, best-selling, award-winning Maine author is pleased to announce the launch of his new children's book, "Roody Kangaroo Moves Forward." Now available for purchase, the book features illustrations by Piper Colston, an eighth-grade student at Riviera ISD in Riviera, Texas.

Brubaker was introduced to Colston by Rhonda Yaklin, a teacher at Riviera ISD, who recognized the young artist's skill. Being not far removed from the target audience's age (grades K-6), Colston saw the story through the readers' lens, making her uniquely qualified to bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to the project.

"Piper is a delightful young woman and an extremely talented artist," says Brubaker. "Her lively and colorful illustrations made Roody Kangaroo come to life and help children connect to a character they can relate to."

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According to the Child Mind Institute, "millions of children – as many as 1 in 5 – struggle with mental health or learning challenges. 70% of U.S. counties do not have a single child and adolescent psychiatrist." With this in mind, Brubaker wrote "Roody Kangaroo Moves Forward" to provide teachers and parents with a resource to teach their children about the importance of resilience and mindset, and to do it in a way that they can relate to and understand at a young age.

"Once I began openly speaking and writing about my bouts of depression and anxiety, I had readers and fans come out of the woodwork thanking me for publicly discussing this," says Brubaker. "They shared with me their own mental health challenges and especially the mental health challenges their kids have had recently during the pandemic. This was the genesis of Roody Kangaroo."

"This book is a must-have resource for every elementary classroom," says Valerie Rennie, Kindergarten teacher at Richland Creek Elementary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. "Roody provides an example of how to persevere through life's challenges. This story should be an essential part of every teacher's character trait library."

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For more information about John or to purchase visit www.CUCOroody.com. A percentage of all sales will be donated to mental health nonprofits in the U.S.

About the Author
John Brubaker is a best-selling author and professional speaker. After publishing 17 business books, John Brubaker published his first children's book, "Roody Kangaroo Moves Forward." This pivot in Brubaker's writing from business books to a children's book about resilience is a direct result of his personal journey dealing with depression and anxiety.