#creatorsearchinsights #booktokforauthors #BookTok #authortok #selfpublishedauthor My journey with Riddler Rabbit began with my own experience with anxiety. I know what it feels like when fear becomes overwhelming, when your thoughts refuse to slow down, and when something happening inside your mind feels impossible to explain to the people around you. Those experiences made me wonder how different things might be if children learned about anxiety, empathy, and emotional courage at an early age. That question inspired me to create Riddler Rabbit. In Riddler Rabbit Makes a Friend, Riddler faces the anxiety of starting somewhere new. When his fear becomes too much, an unexpected friend helps him feel understood and teaches him that he does not have to face those feelings alone. I wanted children experiencing anxiety to recognize themselves in Riddler, while also showing other children how powerful patience, kindness, and friendship can be. Then I wrote Riddler Rabbit Takes a Stand to explore another kind of bravery: speaking up when someone else is being treated unfairly. Children may not always know what to do when they witness bullying or see someone being left out. Through Riddler’s journey, I wanted to show them that courage does not mean feeling fearless. Sometimes, courage is finding your voice even while you are still afraid. These books are deeply personal to me. They were created from the belief that children are capable of understanding meaningful subjects when we explain them with honesty, warmth, and compassion. Anxiety, panic, empathy, bullying, and standing up for others are big ideas, but children encounter these feelings and situations every day. My goal is to give parents, teachers, and caregivers an approachable way to begin those important conversations. More than anything, I want children to see Riddler struggle, grow, and make brave choices—and realize that they can do the same. Riddler Rabbit does not always feel brave. He is brave because he keeps trying. That is the heart of these stories and the reason I continue writing them: to help build a world of braver, kinder, and more understanding kids, one story at a time. - @john_cavanagh