Sometimes Sophie worries — not during the day when she is busy with family and friends, but at night when everything is calm and quiet. What if her favourite shirt is still in the wash and she can’t wear it at the weekend? Or what if she forgets her packed lunch and has nothing to eat at school? Her worries keep her awake at night, making her tired and grumpy the next day.

Her family all try to help, but somehow they just make her worries worse. Then, her mother thinks of a new approach … that might just involve an elephant or two! But wait, don’t think about purple elephants, whatever you do!

As Sophie imagines purple elephants – and blue monkeys and red giraffes – getting up to all kinds of amusing antics, her worries fade and she goes to sleep happy, ready to have fun the next day. Whimsical and humorous, this little girl’s story of finding a way to ease her worry will resonate with children and parents everywhere.

Susan Whelan (now published as Susanne Merritt) is a writer, editor, mother of three and passionate advocate for children’s literacy. She’s also the Managing Editor of the highly respected children’s literature website Kids’ Book Review. She loves tea and chocolate, dislikes Brussels sprouts, and loves to read anywhere, anytime.

Gwynneth Jones drew all through her maths book at school, so left to study art at TAFE and then majored in Plant and Wildlife Illustration at the University of Newcastle. Since then, Gwynneth has been imagining and drawing madly, exhibiting and holding market stalls, and creating picture books. As well as full-time art making, Gwynneth is also studying to be an art therapist.