Homes can hold both love and uncertainty—and little ones often absorb far more than they can put into words. Families navigating addiction know just how heavy that silence can feel.

But children can learn that inner calm is possible, even amid chaos, when they know their truth matters and their feelings are safe to share.

And so, one champion for children’s voices is building a steady space that honors kids’ realities and gives adults the words to start the conversations that feel hardest to have.

Award-Winning Children’s Author/Illustrator, Amanda Davis, joins our John Masiulionis and Little Forrest on Episode #258 of PR From The Heart’s Children’s Books Spotlight Series to share her story of her father’s alcohol use disorder and how that fueled the release of her new children’s book, Sometimes Stormy (published by Free Spirit), the importance of humanizing addiction without excusing harm, the role of trusted adults and mental health resources in creating safe spaces for children, how art can open conversations that words struggle to reach, and practical ways in which parents and educators can introduce kids to sensitive subjects—plus much more. We encourage you, our friends and neighbors, to support Amanda by grabbing your copies of Sometimes Stormy and sharing this empowering read with your little ones: https://bit.ly/4pUC0NY.

Sometimes Stormy: A Story About Finding Calm and Staying Safe When Someone You Love Drinks Too Much
Text and Illustrations copyright © 2025 by Amanda Davis. Courtesy of Free Spirit Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

PR From The Heart has grown and evolved alongside Amanda over the years, so we invite you to enjoy her previous trolley stops on The Children’s Books Spotlight Series, where she talks about several of her other acclaimed books:

Episode #117 (30,000 Stitches): https://bit.ly/48J9mc0
Episode #185 (Moonlight Memories): https://bit.ly/4oGlujK