“I wanted children to see themselves represented positively in the characters, while also encouraging parents, caregivers and educators to appreciate the personalities children naturally bring with them,” she said. “The central message is that there is no single ‘right’ way to be.”

Although these books are relatively new, Briganti said that it has been meaningful to see children identify with particular characters. 

She said she was happy to see one child say that she resonated with a specific character named Kenny, from “Kimmy Kangaroo & Kenny Koala: Energy and Social Worlds.”

“My hope is that the books give children language for understanding themselves without feeling that they need to change who they are,” she said.

Briganti said that Quinnipiac has been an important part of her journey. 

“Teaching at Quinnipiac continually reminds me that psychological concepts become most meaningful when people can connect them to their own lives. That belief strongly influenced the series,” she said. 

Although the series is grounded in the Big Five model of personality, the books are not intended to label children or place them into fixed categories, she said. 

“Personality characteristics exist along a continuum and most people will recognize parts of themselves in both characters within a story,” she said. “Each tendency brings strengths, as well as possible challenges when taken to an extreme, and we can learn from people who approach the world differently. I also wanted the books to support literacy alongside social-emotional learning. The stories are written in rhyme and include rich vocabulary, figures of speech and expressive illustrations. My hope is that children will enjoy the stories while developing language, emotional awareness, empathy and a greater appreciation for the many valid ways people experience the world.”

She said she hopes the series communicates a simple idea: children should be encouraged to grow and develop new skills, but they should never feel that who they naturally are is somehow less valuable.