Primary and Pre-School Teachers, Early Childhood Workers, Psychologists and Parents: here are solution-focused approaches adapted especially for children. This radical book is based on the notion that practically all problems can be seen as skills that need to be developed. The book is buzzing with ideas, stories and suggestions to inspire adults and invite children to become active participants in skill-building and solution-finding.

Author: Ben Furman. First published by Innovative Resources in Australia 2004. Softcover, 165 x 245mm, 144pp.

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Author: Mundy Fox. Published by Innovative Resources 2005. 26 Full-colour, laminated cards 160mm x 160mm with 28-page booklet presented in a full-colour polypropylene box. Booklet author: Russell Deal, Illustrator: Katie Jardine.

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Published by Innovative Resources 2004. Author: Selina Byrne, Designer: Tim Lane 30 laminated, full-colour cards, 105 x 65mm, clear polypropylene box folds back to create a stand, 32-page booklet.

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This engaging resource is ideal for: identifying and developing positive social skills; naming the characteristics of real friendship; building positive communication and celebrating individuality and difference. This is a truly unique antidote to bullying and associated problems that will enhance children’s learning around how to be a great friend and more empathetic person. Also available as stickers or as a colouring book.

Booklet author: Russell Deal, Illustrator and designer: Mat Jones. Published by Innovative Resources 2006, 32 laminated, full-colour cards, 120 x 120mm, polypropylene box folds back to create a stand, 24-page booklet.

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A great bunch of 50 cartoon koala characters for talking about feelings. Each circle-shaped card brings us up close and personal with a very expressive koala face. Which koala are you today? The mad, glad or just plain sad one? The shy or frightened one? There are no words, so Koalas are fantastic for young children and people with literacy challenges.

Booklet author: Russell Deal, Illustrator and designer: Mat Jones. Published by Innovative Resources, 2005, 50 cards in full-colour tin.

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Anyone who spends time with young people can use Deep Speak to build rich conversations about some of life’s big questions–and some of the little quirky ones as well. This is an engaging and thought-provoking resource for educators, mental health workers, chaplains, youth workers and anyone employed in the juvenile justice system. Deep Speak is a set of 120 question cards, each one pertinent to the issues that absorb young people as they deal with relationships, identity, emotions, beliefs and values. To get the ball rolling there are also ‘openers’.

Published by Innovative Resources, 2006,120 laminated, full-colour, graphically exciting cards (112 x 94mm) in a 235 x 100 x 34mm full-colour tin, plus a 32-page booklet of suggestions to explore the transformational power of simple questions.

Author: Geoff Barker and Michelle Lane Jenner. Booklet author: Russell Deal, Designer: Brad Welsh.

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Meet 52 quirky, engaging, happy, sad, afraid, shy, joyful and just plain outrageous “stone” characters – characters who wear their feelings all over their not-so-stony faces. On the back of each card are three possible words to help build a vocabulary for describing the emotion expressed. Sometimes people interpret feelings very differently. For example, is the stone “purposeful” or “bossy” or…? You decide!

Published by Innovative Resources, 2003, 52 full-colour cards laminated, full-colour cards, 150 x 100mm, 2-part cardboard box, 44 page booklet. Booklet author: Russell Deal, Illustrator: Ray Bowler.

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Here is a set of cards based on original photographs that will inspire exploration of the importance of purpose and belonging in our everyday lives. This tool is not based on a particular theology or philosophy and can be used by people from all backgrounds. Very simple, very clever!

Published by Innovative Resources 2004, 48 laminated, full-colour cards, 140 x 140 mm, full-colour polypropylene box, 28-page booklet. Booklet author: Russell Deal, Designer: Brent Seamer.

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Its never too soon to begin nurturing life skills and building self-esteem. These engaging, easy-to-use skill-building cards are aimed at 3 to 7-year-olds. The bright, quirky cartoons will inspire great conversations and an I can attitude in little people. Minimal text builds literacy without excluding pre-literate children. Adults will love these quirky dinosaur characters too!

28 full-colour laminated cards, 210 x 148mm, full-colour polypropylene box, 8-page folded booklet with suggested uses.

Illustrated by Kate Northover.

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Our new Bear cards have even more charm, express a greater range of emotions and lookeven more human! Perfect for social workers, psychologists, counsellors, teachers and chaplains. The Bears is grounded on the principle that talking about feelings is one of the cornerstones of emotional and mental health. This vibrant, high-quality, card set is a poignant, simple and clever catalyst for identifying and exploring emotions.The absence of text allows the cards to be used with clients of all ages, settings and situations. A novice can immediately imagine possible applications for The Bears. In the hands of an expert, these cards can enable conversations that lead to transformational insights.

Booklet author: Russell Deal, Illustrator: Ben Woods.

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