Once Upon an Upset is an illustrated collection of stories, insights and reflections to help parent our children while reparenting ourselves, based on my own personal experiences with healing that I’ve shared on my blog and podcast over the past few years.

The book is 450 full-color pages with over 200 illustrations, and l've designed it as an easy-to-read magazine of sorts, something a reader could pick up in a moment of overwhelm and find a little relief.

(Signed, 7x9” full-color pages.)

“This beautiful book is overflowing with stories rich with humor, pathos, and grace which share an incredibly important teaching: that compassion, kindness and connection are the greatest gifts we can give and receive. Through these stories and illustrations, Jessica shows us that the strategies which so many people had to develop to navigate difficult childhoods contain gifts within them that can allow each of us to find our own happily ever after. This book is a treasure!”

– Kirsten Lundeberg, psychotherapist,
Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist
Lead Trainer, Internal Family Systems Institute

“Jessica should be appointed our nation’s family therapist in residence. Using story telling, drawing and graphics, she tackles a myriad of universally experienced emotional challenges. Her tone is respectful, relatable and clear. This book is to be read and reread and used as a reference guide for the navigation of life. It is an invaluable companion for parents, and for children, of all ages.”

– Madeleine Smithberg, Emmy and Peabody award winning co-creator and original executive producer of The Daily Show/Host of MADINTHEKITCHEN

"It is beautiful, honest, raw and real and so incredibly helpful for anyone and everyone. Honestly do yourselves a favor and check out this wonderful book, it’s like a lovely hug.”

–Kristy Forbes, Autism and Neurodiversity Individual & Family Support Specialist

“This book will take us to all corners so we can parent ourselves and our children with new narratives. Jessica works with us in this honest and deeply personal exploration of how our children lead us to explore our own selves and hopefully parent our own children in a more connected and reflective way. Filled to the brim with essays as well as pull out quotes and illustrations Jessica has the ability to sum up complex issues with humour and emotion. This book will take us through all of it and help us feel safe enough to reflect and ask those important questions about our own selves._

–Eliza Fricker, advocate & consultant for PDA, autism and learning, and author & illustrator of many books, including the Sunday Times Bestselling title Can’t Not Won’t

Click here to see samples.

Click here to read the introduction.

Click here for Amazon reviews.

Click here for international shipping rates.

*For a limited time, every book is shipped with this 3” x 1” magnet, with words that help me shift out of autopilot and into remembering that I do have access to other choices that might help me cope more constructively to difficult moments. (The image of the magnet is posted on this page below the book cover.)

Click to read what readers are saying.

Click here if you’d prefer to order Once Upon an Upset through Amazon.