Children's Book Author

Stories for
Little Hearts
& Big Feelings

Lyrical picture books that address the tender, real emotions of early childhood — without rushing to fix them.

Meet Tina

Debut Picture Book

I Miss You When
the Moon Is Out

At 7:00 p.m., the rocking chair goes still. The hallway light clicks off. In a bed that suddenly feels too big, a small boy realizes something unthinkable: life is happening without him. Down the hall, is Mama laughing? Stirring cocoa? The shadows stretch. The moon rises. And in the quiet, missing her feels heavier than the dark — not just loneliness, but the ache of a world still glowing beyond his door. With caregiver back matter to open the conversation, not close it.

Age Range 2 – 5 years
Theme Separation · Bedtime · Connection
Back Matter Caregiver Guide

Coming Soon

Little Hearts,
Big Skies

Four books. Four childhood emotions. Each paired with a weather metaphor, sensory-rich language, and the same lyrical heart.

Can you find Sunny in every book?

01

Separation Anxiety

I Miss You When the Moon Is Out

Love is always nearby, even when you can't see it · Star Breaths & Morning Pounce Promise

Current
02

Unseen Fears

I Miss You When the Wind Whispers

The shivers you can't explain · Tree Breaths & Tree Check Promise

03

Anger & Frustration

I Miss You When the Storm Rolls In

Stormy feelings are powerful but temporary · Mountain Breaths & Peak Promise

04

Sadness & Disappointment

I Miss You When the Clouds Turn Grey

When things don't go as planned · Rain Breaths & Cloud Watch Promise

For Caregivers

Navigating to Sunny Times

A Guide for Parents — included in every book of the series.

Every book in the Little Hearts, Big Skies series closes with a dedicated caregiver resource — a practical guide designed to mirror the bravery shown in the story and give parents concrete tools for the real moments families face in life.

Sunny hides in every book because love is always nearby, even when you can't see it.

01

🧡

Validation

Why missing you is a sign of love

Why separation anxiety peaks at ages 2–5, and why missing you is actually a sign of strong, healthy attachment — not fragility.

02

🌙

Sensory Soothing

Creating a sensory-safe sleep environment

Practical tips inspired by the book — fans, nightlights, rhythmic breathing — that turn a child's room into a place that holds them gently.

03

The Connection Ritual

A bridge between rooms

A small felt sun with a heart placed under a child's pillow — used as a routine-builder and reminder that morning always comes.

04

✨

Conversation Starters

Turning scary shadows into everyday magic

Gentle prompts to help children externalize their nighttime thoughts. "If we could send a dream message to each other tonight, what should it say?"

For Educators & Librarians

Four ways to bring
Little Hearts, Big Skies to life

School visits, library storytimes, and hands-on workshops built around the emotional world of early childhood. Every visit is warm, unhurried, and built around genuine connection — not performance.

Every offering is shaped around the book that fits your community best. I Miss You When the Moon Is Out brings warmth and reassurance to bedtime and separation anxiety themes. I Miss You When the Wind Whispers helps children name and release the fears they can't quite explain. I Miss You When the Storm Rolls In gives big feelings a place to land — and a way through. I Miss You When the Clouds Turn Grey wraps disappointment in tenderness and reminds little hearts that cloudy days always clear.

01
🌙

Signature Program

Bedtime Bravery Workshop

An interactive read-aloud guiding children through the feelings that arrive when the lights go off — and showing them they are not alone in the dark. Ideal for classroom visits.

  • Live read-aloud with illustration discussion
  • Star Breaths guided breathing activity
  • Glitter & glue craft — a Sun Hug heart to take home
  • Sleep Bravery Certificate for every child
  • Caregiver guide & take-home resource
  • Q&A with the author
02
✨

Library Program

Storytime & Craft

A lighter-touch visit designed for library hours — sign-up or drop-in, no prep required. Families gather around the story and leave with something made by hand and a book in mind.

  • Open to all ages
  • Quick glitter-and-glue craft — Sunny the bird bookmark
  • Hidden Sunny scavenger hunt across the series
  • Signed copies available for browsing families
03
🌟

Community Connections

Caregiver & Child Events

From book fairs to library events and school wellness nights — a joyful, hands-on presence that brings the series to life right where families are already gathering.

  • Author booth with signed copies available for purchase
  • Live read-aloud & interactive Star Breaths demo
  • Glitter & glue craft station for children
  • Caregiver resource cards & take-home guides
04
📚

Professional Development

Counselor Session

For counselors working with children navigating separation, transitions, and big emotions. Rooted in the book series and a professional background in human behavior.

  • The science behind separation anxiety — plainly
  • Strategies drawn from the caregiver guide
  • All four breathing techniques from the series
  • Discussion framework for counselors

What to Expect

A visit that feels
like the book itself

Warm. Unhurried. Real. Every program meets children exactly where they are emotionally.

01
The StoryA live read-aloud with pauses for feeling and reflection — never rushed.
02
The BreathingStar Breaths, Tree Breaths, Mountain Breaths, or Rain Breaths — chosen for the group and the moment.
03
The CraftGlitter and glue. A Sun Hug heart. A Sunny bookmark. Something small to carry the feeling home.
04
The ToolkitCaregivers and educators leave with a printed resource guide to continue the work at home and in the classroom.
"Every book in this series begins with the same truth: the feeling is real, the child is brave, and love is always nearby — even when you can't see it."
Duration45–90 minutes depending on program
FormatIn-person or virtual
MaterialsProvided or coordinated with host
BookingAvailable by request — reach out to discuss

Resources

Free Downloads

🏅 Sleep Bravery Certificate

A printable keepsake for every child who showed courage at bedtime.

Download & Print
🧡 Sun Hug Template

Cut-out template for the felt heart ritual from the caregiver guide.

Coming Soon
⭐ Star Breaths Poster

A classroom-ready reminder of the breathing technique from the book.

Coming Soon
📋 Discussion Guide

Gentle prompts for classroom conversations after the read-aloud.

Coming Soon
Sleep Bravery Certificate · Type name & date, then print
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Little Hearts, Big Skies · A Picture Book Series

Sleep Bravery

Certificate of Courage

This certificate is proudly presented to

Name

who showed extraordinary bravery at bedtime —
staying in their cozy spot, taking their Star Breaths,
and trusting that the morning pounce is always on its way. 🌙

Tina Bossio
Author · I Miss You When the Moon Is Out
🌙 Brave
Awarded On
Tina Bossio

About Tina

Researcher. Educator. Mother. Author.

Tina Bossio is a children's book author, communications professional, and early childhood practitioner based in the Hudson Valley, New York. She writes picture books that take early childhood emotions seriously, not as problems to be solved, but as experiences worthy of exploration.

Her perspective is grounded in more than navigating motherhood of a toddler and a teenager simultaneously. Over the course of her 25 year career in high level communications and strategic leadership, she also developed STEAM-based enrichment curriculum for children ages 2–12, served as a K–4th grade classroom aide in public elementary schools, and published research on ethical practices in child-focused studies in the Journal of Marketing Research. She understands children, not just as a mother, but as a child development advocate.

SEL Fiction Ages 2–5 Lyrical Picture Books Caregiver Back Matter Hudson Valley, NY

Active member of SCBWI

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A Second Series

Case File No. 001

The Case
Files

Every child has thought it.
Only one made a chart.

A deadpan comedic picture book series for ages 4–7 where a child arrives at the breakfast table on Monday morning with papers, a chart, and an airtight case for a six-day weekend. Point One: two days is not enough. Point Two: Monday is not needed. Point Three has no chart.

The same child. The same kitchen. A different argument every time. And Point Three never has a chart.

Age Range 4–7 years
Format Deadpan prose · No back matter
Manuscript Complete · Available on request
Ready Gift set · Merchandise · Classroom

Exhibit A — Weekend Distribution

SAT
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI

Note: the math does not add up to six days. The child has not noticed.

Pending Cases

The Case Against Goodbyes
The Case for Everything Staying the Same
The Case Against Vegetables
The Case for Doing Nothing Together
The Case for an Axolotl

I have more papers.

Nonfiction Picture Book Series · K–2

Not the Same

Eight books. Eight pairs of misidentified creatures.
One question: which one is it?

331 Words Ages 5–9 NGSS Aligned 8-Book Series K–2 Curriculum NF Picture Book

Most adults cannot tell a Harvestman from a Cellar Spider, even though one is not a spider at all. They share a name. They share the corner of your basement. They share almost nothing else.

The Harvestman

One body.
Two eyes.
No web at all.

  • BodyOne single oval segment, all one piece. Not two. Not three. One.
  • EyesTwo eyes on a small raised bump, angled outward. It can look in all directions without turning.
  • Web / VenomNone. No silk, no venom. Completely harmless.
  • HuntingWalks to find food: dead leaves, tiny insects, bits of plant. Covers ground. Covers ground again.
  • NightFinds a quiet spot and holds very still. No web. Just stillness.
  • ClassificationAn arachnid — but not a spider. More closely related to mites and scorpions.
vs

The Cellar Spider

Two parts.
Eight eyes.
Always home.

  • BodyTwo body segments: cephalothorax in front, abdomen behind. The two-part shape is unmistakable.
  • EyesEight eyes clustered at the very front, facing forward. Small and intense.
  • WebMessy, irregular, three-dimensional web in a corner where walls meet ceiling. Not neat. It works.
  • HuntingHangs upside down and waits. An insect wanders in. Gets stuck. The web shakes. Dinner.
  • ClassificationA true spider. Family Pholcidae. On Earth alongside humans for thousands of years.

The Full Series — Eight Books · Four Categories

Bugs & Crawlers

Harvestman & Cellar Spider

Dragonfly & Damselfly

Sea Animals

Sea Lion & Seal

Squid & Octopus

Birds

Raven & Crow

Hawk & Falcon

Mammals

Llama & Alpaca

Rabbit & Hare

Back Matter

Author's Note Field Identification Guide Arachnid Glossary Series Preview — All 8 Books

NGSS aligned · Maps across a full year of K–2 science curriculum. The concept is endlessly repeatable — each title adds a new curriculum unit.

Get in Touch

Let's Connect

For literary representation, rights inquiries or to learn more contact Tina.

✉️

Email

tinapbossio@gmail.com

Instagram

@TinaBossioBooks

📞

Phone

914.450.7971

📍

Location

Hudson Valley, New York