Sometimes a child walks through a new door carrying almost nothing.
Maybe it is a new foster placement. A child moving between homes. A family navigating separation. A grandparent suddenly raising a grandchild.
They may not have the words to tell you what they are carrying. The Little Pebble Books was created to give them something that can help.
This did not begin as a program. It began with children.
I grew up knowing what it feels like to be invisible—to wonder if you matter and where you belong.
Years later, children came through my own door through foster care. As a foster and adoptive mom, I saw how much it mattered when a child could recognize something they were carrying inside the pages of a story.
The Little Pebble Books grew from those experiences. Today, I want to help put gentle stories, familiar comfort, and practical tools into the hands of the children your organization serves.
— Trish Iiams, Author & Founder
What might one child need today?
An organization may serve hundreds of children. Little Pebble begins with the one standing in front of you.
A story that reflects what they are experiencing
Belonging, separation, big feelings, identity, self-worth, trust, courage, friendship, or family change.
Something familiar to hold onto
A comforting Toby they can keep when so much around them may feel unfamiliar.
Help when feelings are bigger than words
Simple visual and hands-on supports that can help a child slow down and communicate.
An adult who feels better prepared to stand beside them
Caregiver resources that make room for both what the child carries and what caregiving can ask of the adult.
Sometimes a story is the safest place to begin.
The children’s collection is for ages 3–10. Each book stands alone, so your organization can choose the story that fits what a child may be carrying right now.
Belonging & Family
Foster care, adoption, separation, different families, identity, and finding where you belong.
Feelings & Safety
Big emotions, anxiety, emotional safety, calming, trust, and learning to let someone close.
Worth & Voice
Self-worth, confidence, courage, differences, kindness, friendship, and knowing you matter.
Not every child arrives with something familiar to hold onto.
Toby was created to become something familiar—a character a child can meet in a story, hold in their hands, and recognize in the tools that help them through difficult moments.
For the child arriving — the first moment, the first days
Every item in the kit features Toby. It is not a generic bag of items. It is a consistent, comforting world a child can carry with them through every new door.
A story to hear. A friend to hold. Simple tools for the moments when words are hard.
Because the need for comfort does not end after the first day.
For children already in placement who still need comfort and connection. The transition into care is only the beginning, and big feelings can continue long after the first days.
Toby’s Care Kit gives a child something warm to hold, something to do with their hands, and words that remind them: you are seen, you matter, and you are not alone.
Turtle Shell Drawstring Bag • A Little Pebble Book • Toby the Turtle Plush • Comfort & Calm Cards • Toby’s Coloring Book • Crayons • Custom Sticker Sheet
Supporting the caregiver supports the child, too.
Two books make room for both sides of the caregiving journey—understanding what a child may bring through the door and supporting the adult after they arrive.
You are already showing up for children.
Let Little Pebble help you put something meaningful in their hands.
A caseworker may have only a few minutes with a child. A foster family may be opening their door with little notice. A kinship caregiver may suddenly be stepping into a role they never expected.
Little Pebble resources are designed to fit inside those moments—not create another program for your team to manage.
Keep a story ready for the child who needs to hear, “You matter.”
Place a Toby kit in a child’s hands when everything around them feels unfamiliar.
Give a caregiver something to lean on before and after a child walks through their door.
Give your team gentle tools for the moments when a child does not yet have the words.
You do not have to change the work you are already doing. We simply want to help you reach one more child in the moment they need it.
Every Number Is a Child
These are not just statistics. Each one represents a real child or family—with real feelings, real needs, and a need to feel seen, safe, and supported.
Trauma exposure among youth in foster care
Federal child-welfare guidance reports that rates of trauma exposure among youth in foster care approach 90%.
Children in kinship families
In 2023, about 2.4 million U.S. children were being raised by grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends.
Most kinship children are outside foster care
For every child in a kinship family who is in foster care, about 18 are not—meaning many families may not have access to the same supports.
Kinship families living in poverty
GAO’s analysis of 2023 Census data found 19% of kinship families were living in poverty, compared with 13% of all families.
These children are more than statistics. They need to be seen. They need safe ways to express what they feel. And sometimes one small resource, given at the right moment, can become something they carry with them.
Your organization knows the children you serve.
Tell me what you are seeing. We can talk about books, Toby’s Belonging Kits, Toby’s Care Kits, caregiver resources, quantities, or a combination that makes sense for your program.
Books
Choose titles around the emotional needs and experiences your team encounters most often.
Toby Kits
Provide comfort and practical support at arrival or during the continuing journey through care.
Partnerships
Share who you serve and what you hope to provide, and we can begin with the children at the center.
“Not every foster child arrives in a new home with anything familiar to hold onto. Toby was made for exactly that moment.”
If your organization is looking for a way to help a child feel seen, supported, and a little less alone, I would love to hear about the children and families you serve.
Talk With Trish About Your Organization →