A south-west London author has marked three years since the launch of her children's book Jessie and JoJo by reaching almost 15,000 primary school pupils.

Denise Parker, known to schools as "Mrs P", has visited 37 schools across south-west London and Surrey since 2022.

Her free visits include reading from her book and leading wellbeing workshops on topics such as sharing worries, talking about feelings, building friendships, and celebrating diversity.

Denise Parker, author of Jessie and JoJo (credit: @mrsp.me/Instagram).

For older pupils she also offers creative writing insights, while younger children enjoy a playful segment on kangaroos, inspired by the story's characters.

Every penny raised from sales of Jessie and JoJo is donated to charity. To date, Mrs P has given more than £2,000 to the NSPCC in the UK and WIRES in Australia, with a further £2,000 pledged by the end of this month.

Mrs P said: "Working as an ELSA and Drawing and Talking practitioner, I saw first-hand how important it is for children to have a safe space to express their feelings.

"Childhood today is very different to when I raised my three boys. With the pull of social media and screens, it's crucial that children have the chance to be heard by a real person not lost behind a screen.

"We must make space for conversations, however small, because that's what helps children feel safe, understood, and ready to thrive."

All proceeds from the book support the NSPCC and WIRES charities (credit: @mrsp/me/Instagram).

Mrs P's work comes as concern grows around the mental health of young people. She has lent her support to Twickenham MP Munira Wilson, who is campaigning for every school to have a qualified mental health practitioner.

Ms Wilson said: "It's no secret that we're at crisis point in terms of the mental health of our children and young people.

"I'm enormously grateful to Mrs P for raising awareness about this important issue, and helping give children the tools they need to be resilient and thrive into adulthood."

Munira Wilson backs Mrs P and her work (credit: @mrsp/me/Instagram).

The royalties from Jessie and JoJo are split between two charities:

• NSPCC (UK) – the UK's leading children's charity, which delivered nearly 188,000 Childline counselling sessions in 2023/24, with mental health the top concern.
• WIRES (Australia) – the country's largest wildlife rescue organisation, which rehabilitates native animals and helps preserve biodiversity.

For more information, or to book a school visit from Mrs P, visit www.mrsp.me/support or email [email protected].