About the Author
Meet Deana Plaskon
Welcome! I’m glad you stopped by! I’m Deana, an award-winning children’s author, educator, licensed mental health professional, and someone who can’t walk past a friendly dog without stopping to say hello or beautiful flowers without stopping to smell them. Bella isn’t just a storybook character. She’s my real-life Gypsy Vanner horse. I’ve been known to have long conversations with her. She always has something to say; you just need to watch her body language and listen. And Bird (yes, his name really is Bird!) is inspired by the curious little barn swallows that gather Bella’s flowing mane to build their nests in her stall. After Hurricane Ian, I saw how deeply children were affected by fear, sadness, uncertainty, and change. That experience inspired me to create the Bella and Bird Emotion Explorers series, blending engaging stories with practical emotional intelligence tools to help children understand and navigate their emotions. When I’m not writing, you’ll usually find me at the barn with Bella, spending time with my family, or dreaming up my next children’s book adventure.
Bella and Bird Books LLC Contact: deana@bellabirdbooks.com
Deana Plaskon
Deana Plaskon
PhD in Education
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Master of Education
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Deana’s Official Bios
Short Bio
Deana Plaskon is a mom, educator and licensed mental health expert whose enchanting books entertain and inspire children to embrace, process, and manage big emotions and feelings. With a PhD in Education specializing in human behavior, a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and a Master’s in Education, Deana has a deeply informed, yet fun approach to children’s stories. Her Bella and Bird the Emotion Explorers book series is inspired by her real-life therapy horse Bella, and Bella’s friend Bird, the not-so-common barn swallow. Imbued with Bella’s calm, wise presence and Bird’s cheeky humor, these wonderfully unique children’s books are designed to delight and empower school-age children. These books combine three core elements: engaged storytelling, informed emotional intelligence exploration, and science-based therapeutic tools. Each story captures children’s imaginations while also giving them powerful, practical tools to succeed.
Long Bio
Deana Plaskon is a mom, educator, and licensed clinical therapist whose work guides and equips children (and adults) with social and emotional knowledge and tools to help them live healthier lives through relatable, enchanting children’s books. With a PhD in Education specializing in human behavior, a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a Master’s in Arts specializing in Teaching and Learning with Technology, Deana has a uniquely informed, yet fun-loving approach to children’s books. Her series, Bella and Bird the Emotion Explorers, is inspired by her real-life therapy horse Bella, and her friend Bird–the not-so-common barn swallow. Imbued with Bella’s calm, wise presence and Bird’s cheeky humor, these delightfully empowering children’s books are designed to entertain and inspire children ages 5-10, and the adults who care for them. These books combine three important elements: engaging, relatable stories; emotional intelligence and literacy exploration; and vetted therapeutic tools by validating the big emotions and feelings of childhood while giving children powerful, practical tools to succeed. Each book in the series explores a single primary emotion (like anger or sadness) through the lens of a child’s story. Bella and Bird act as gentle, fun guides to help the child feel seen and heard, while also providing them with age-appropriate psychology-backed tools to process their emotions and communicate more effectively. Deana’s experience as a mom, therapist, and educator has deeply informed her work in this unique emotional intelligence series that combines truly enchanting storytelling with humor and useful tools–a rarity in children’s literature. In addition to her decades of expertise, Deana is also a speaker who loves sharing the latest research, methods, and insights in education and mental health with audiences nationwide. With focus areas in child psychology, equine and talk therapy, bullying, resiliency, motivation, and emotional intelligence, she is a uniquely informed speaker, author, and expert.
Awards
Affiliations
Things I Believe
It’s okay to have big emotions and we’re helping foster learning to understand and manage them.
10 Things I Believe:
- All emotions are valid, but not all emotions should be acted on.
- Emotions are a universal language; everyone experiences them.
- Emotions are complex, fleeting, can lie, be intense, and change quickly.
- Emotions should be understood and embraced; not fixed or avoided.
- Learning how to navigate and manage emotions is a crucial life skill that requires effective tools to increase one’s emotional intelligence.
- Emotional intelligence is learned and learnable and can change over a lifetime.
- The earlier someone begins to develop their emotional intelligence, the greater the potential of becoming a highly emotionally intelligent person.
- Emotions and feelings need motion – a positive way out – and need to be acknowledged, understood, and managed.
- Emotions and feelings differ. Emotions are immediate and start as sensations in the body. Feelings are complex and shaped by our thoughts about emotions.
- Emotions are contagious and can transform us.
C.S. Lewis said, “We read to know we are not alone.” Books are reminders that others share our thoughts, feelings and experiences. They connect us and provide a sense of belonging. My series, Bella and Bird the Emotion Explorers, reflects that common connection and reminds children that their circumstances might feel lonely, but they are not alone.