Have you ever felt like a fizzing volcano ready to pop?
Meet Oliver — a soccer-scoring, rhyme-loving kid whose feelings sometimes get REALLY big, REALLY fast. One tough day, everything changes when three tiny, magical characters wobble out from under his bed: Wiz, the Wizard Brain; Lizzy, the Lizard Brain; and Amy G., the Amygdala. Together, they help Oliver understand why big feelings happen — and give him the tools to tame his inner dragon before it breathes fire.
Rooted in neuroscience and brought to life with colorful illustrations and playful characters, The Wizard, the Lizard, and Me: Taming my Feelings gives children ages 4–8 a simple, empowering map for recognizing their emotions and calming down — one small, brave breath at a time. Perfect for bedtime reading, classroom discussions, and therapy settings, this debut picture book from Associate Marriage and Family Therapist Michelle Kargenian is a warm, funny, and deeply practical tool for the littlest learners.
"All feelings are okay. It's what you do with them that matters most."
"When kids understand their big feelings, big things happen."
-Michelle Kargenian, MA, AMFT
Michelle Kargenian is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist living just 15 miles from Disneyland — the most magical place on earth (though she'll tell you her therapy office has its own kind of magic). As the mom of two young adults, Michelle has always believed that when kids understand their big feelings, big things happen — and The Wizard, the Lizard, and Me: Taming My Feelings was born from exactly that belief. What started as a class assignment in her Child and Adolescent Therapy graduate program turned into this book, thanks to some very persistent cheerleaders: her family, her friends, and her fellow cohorts who wouldn't let her keep it to herself.
When she's not helping kids tame their inner dragons, Michelle can be found fueling up on coffee, getting lost in a good book, or saying yes to a spontaneous adventure. She once jumped out of an airplane and drove a zamboni — although not on the same day. Most importantly, Michelle is a champion of small wins, because she knows that's how the big ones get made.