Testimonial
Professional Review of Growing Memories:
A Musical Audio Circle Story of Love, Loss, and Resilience.
Reviewed by:
Ami Armagost, MSW, RSW
Grief Therapist
AWC Grief Support
She/her
ami@awcgrief.com
www.awcgrief.com
It was a pleasure experiencing the first chapter of Growing Memories. The story and language is simple yet thoughtful. The illustrations, music and sounds add a gentle tone while activating the imagination and enhancing engagement. The story is touching and beautifully put together.
This digital storybook provides adults with a practical framework for supporting children in understanding death and emotional responses to loss. The use of story, illustration, and music, connected to the world around them, creates a meaningful and engaging learning experience. There is an overall sense of calmness consistent throughout the chapter. The child-appropriate and thoughtful prompts encourage emotional expression, reflection, and learning. This is a gentle, compassionate, and valuable resource for adults supporting children.
Thank you for sharing your work, and for all the effort you put into creating a resource for children and the adults supporting them.
GROWING MEMORIES
A Nine-Chapter Circle Story Journey
& Closing Epilogue for Children Ages 5–8
Growing Memories™ is a gentle, nature-inspired grief-literacy program that helps children explore loss, feelings, remembrance, and renewal through story, music, movement, reflection, and connection. Created for educators, schools, bereavement professionals, and families, the journey combines a digital storybook with a professionally produced musical audiobook, circle songs, somatic regulation practices, and meaningful activities that give children safe, developmentally appropriate ways to understand and express their experiences of grief.
Private Professional Preview
Individual Access
Preview the nine-chapter story journey and closing epilogue, including grief-literacy discussion prompts,
reflection, music & movement, and body-breath
regulation experiences.
For Educators, Bereavement & Child & Family Professionals
Would you like to use Growing Memories™ in your classroom, school, hospice, palliative care program, healthcare setting, organization, or community?
Growing Memories™ offers a gentle, developmentally appropriate way to support children in exploring grief, feelings, memory, connection, and renewal- through story, music, nature, reflection, and circle-based experiences.
Please contact Laurel for more information
Explore the Resources
Explore the complete Growing Memories™ educational program, including the digital storybook, musical audiobook, educator resources, circle songs,
and body-and-breath regulation activities.
Created for Children & the Adults Who Support Them
Growing Memories™ is designed for:
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Kindergarten to Grade 3.
Ages 5–8 -
Schools & School Mental Health Teams
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Child & Youth Counsellors
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Bereavement & Grief Support Organizations
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Libraries & Community Outreach Programs
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Families & Caregivers
The Making of Growing Memories™
Growing Memories™ (2026) is an original musical audiobook and digital storybook.
The story comes to life through narration, original songs, instrumental accompaniment, and immersive seasonal nature soundscapes.
The music features creative composition and performances by Matt Holland Music UK, whose piano, trumpet, and flugelhorn arrangements bring depth, emotion, and atmosphere to the storytelling experience. Seasonal nature soundscapes were engineered by producer Jappreet Singh with Desert Fish Studios.
Together, the live narration, original music, and nature soundscapes create an immersive listening experience that brings the emotional world of Growing Memories™ to life through storytelling, music, and sound.
A Circle-Based Educational Program
Growing Memories™ is a circle-based educational program that supports children’s emotional literacy, bereavement awareness, self-regulation, and social-emotional learning through story, music, movement, nature, and creative expression.
Chapter One: A Gentle Beginning
Chapter One introduces children to the world of Growing Memories™ and lays the foundation for the nine-chapter journey and closing epilogue. Through story, music, and nature connection, children are invited to explore BIG questions about loss, feelings, remembrance, and connection in a gentle, developmentally appropriate way.
Chapter One can be experienced as a standalone introduction or as the beginning of the complete Growing Memories™ 10 week storytelling program.
A Seasonal SEL Journey Through the School Year
The nine chapters and closing epilogue can unfold across the seasons of the school year, creating a consistent space for grief literacy, emotional awareness, and connection. Rather than treating grief as a single conversation, Growing Memories™ gives children opportunities to return to feelings, memories, change, and connection throughout the year. Each chapter may build on the last while drawing on the natural cycles of the seasons to support reflection, conversation, and growth.
This ongoing approach makes grief literacy a natural part of classroom life, giving children repeated opportunities to notice, express, listen, and connect within a caring community.
Begin the Growing Memories™ journey and help children discover resilience through compassion, connection, and story.
How Growing Memories™ Works
Every Chapter Follows the Same Meaningful Rhythm
Read → Listen → Reflect → Regulate → Connect → Create
Each chapter follows a predictable rhythm that supports emotional safety, learning, self-regulation, and connection. Children move from story and listening into reflection, regulation, shared connection, and creative expression.
1. Read
Children enter Maya’s story through the illustrated digital storybook or follow along as they listen to the narrated musical audiobook.
2. Listen
Original songs, live acoustic music, and immersive nature soundscapes invite children to slow down, notice, imagine, and become present with the story.
3. Reflect
Thoughtful questions invite children to wonder, notice feelings, make personal connections, and explore the story together through circle discussion.
4. Regulate
Breathing, mindful listening, movement, and nature-based sensory experiences help children settle their bodies, notice emotions, and practise self-regulation.
5. Connect
Through circle-based learning, children develop empathy and belonging by listening to one another and sharing stories or memories if they choose. They discover that every voice matters and all feelings belong.
6. Create
Music, art, writing, dramatic play, and nature-inspired activities give children opportunities to express their understanding, honour memories, and extend their learning.
About the Author
Laurel O'Cleary is a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE), grief companion, and somatic practitioner. Bringing together storytelling, music, nature connection, and trauma-informed approaches to education creates a compassionate learning experience that nurtures emotional literacy, bereavement awareness, belonging, and resilience.
Growing Memories™ is an educational resource that supports trauma-informed programming, offering children gentle, developmentally appropriate opportunities to explore feelings, connection, loss, and remembrance through story, music, nature, and creative reflection.