Ludwig the Hippo book

Ludwig the Hippo, by Kelley Peel, is now
available on Amazon

Building Confidence, Curiosity, and Care Around Big Emotions.

I'm Kelley Peel -author, educator, and emotional wellness advocate. Through stories, lessons, and community, I help children, teachers, and caregivers explore emotions with kindness, creativity, and care.

“Earth is the element that grounds me, although sitting along Lake Michigan or in front of fire is pretty special, also.”

You will find these elements throughout the site - I hope you will feel a sense of calm and grounding here too.

“Our daughter really struggled with the transition to a new school building in 5th grade and Kelley became a familiar face and helped to ease her worries. Kelley has fostered so many unique and fun ways to get kids moving and later had my daughter help her facilitate some of those opportunities”

-Parent

“Having the opportunity to engage in tier 1 counseling support lessons with Mrs. Peel promoted the well-being and academic success of all students! It truly ensured that every student had access to the resources and support needed to thrive both emotionally and socially.”

-Teacher

A Community for Growing Emotional Awareness—Together

Big feelings are part of growing, and navigating them with care takes support, reflection, and community.

The COACH Community was created to offer just that: a nurturing space where parents, teachers, caregivers, and leaders can explore emotional growth alongside others who believe in raising emotionally aware children.

Whether you’re looking for thoughtful reflections, real-world strategies, or ready-to-use lessons, you’ll find tools that support both the children in your life—and your own journey of connection and care.

Tree with arched branches and sunshine
The COACH Community
Free

A welcoming space for parents, teachers, caregivers, and emotional explorers.

✓ Monthly Themes: Insights, Research, & Ideas
✓ Weekly Quotes
✓ Sneak Peek: Events, Books, and Tools
✓ Space for Reflection and Community Discussion
COACH book
The COACH Collective
$59.00
Every year
$9.00
Every month

Want more support, structure, and ready-to-use resources? The COACH Collective is designed to help you bring emotional learning to life—at home, in the classroom, or wherever you lead. NOTE: You will need to cancel your free membership before subscribing to the Collective. You will still have access to the Free Community after you join.

✓ Everything from the free community PLUS....
✓ Live Group Zoom Sessions: Submit Questions in Advance
✓ Join a heart-centered, interactive Q & A space
✓ Exclusive Lesson Plans: Great for teachers, parents, leaders
✓ Opportunity to work with Kelley 1:1 (for Collective members)
Ludwig the Hippo

Big emotions are a natural part of growing up. These free printable coloring pages offer a gentle way to support emotional awareness through creativity!

Download your Ludwig coloring book pages as a complimentary gift! They are a perfect companion to the Ludwig the Hippo book or as a stand alone activity.

  • Ms Peel reaches a child with a deep understanding. She will become a bridge between child and adults to strive for a functioning human being. She always says, “Make sure you kid will be great college roommates.”

    -Grandparent

  • I am honored to say I have known Kelley Peel since 2005. We were both in the same school building. I was a fifth grade teacher and Kelley was the school counselor. I can not say enough about how much Kelley helped my students as well as gave me strategies to reach students who were struggling both emotionally and academically. When Kelley incorporated mindfulness and yoga into her counseling, it was a game changer! She invited our classrooms to come in for sessions to calm us and to help us focus on how to not let our struggles define us. She worked with several of my students one-on-one to help them manage their anger, help them navigate through their frustrations, and also help them see the good in others. I like to tell people that Kelley came to my rescue during the “Covid Years” when so many of my students were struggling. She was my lifeline during that time, and she is forever in my heart.

    -5th grade English Language Arts Teacher

  • Kelley is an amazing counselor-educator and mentor. I had the privilege of learning from her during my school counselor internship and was then blessed to work alongside her as a counselor the few years before her retirement. Kelley provided weekly tier 1 social emotional lessons to classrooms while also juggling individual and small group counseling. She collaborates with her community and has significant experience coaching and supporting both teachers and parents on best practices and individual student planning.

    -Human Restoration Project Coordinator

  • The COACH framework is a game changer when teaching cognitive coaching to students of all ages. The COACH acronym makes teaching CBT/REBT techniques more applicable for students. The story of branch and the lake perch gives students an example of what it feels like to struggle through a tough emotion and how we can "coach" ourselves through it. My 7 year old daughter loved the story and was so happy to see that branch became a beautiful piece of driftwood after his struggle.

    -Teacher

  • KelleyPeel.Com has been a critical resource for my classroom and my home. As a 5th grade teacher, mom of teenagers, and a person with high anxiety, this one-stop website complete with lessons, videos, stories, and tools has been a favorite go-to of mine for finding my calm. The lessons, yoga instruction, and peaceful moment videos have helped me to regulate and become less reactive, and I've witnessed as my students and children have grown through these mindful practices. Kelley has a gift for making neuroplasticity and emotional regulation accessible to all.

    - Camp Invention Director - Reeth’s Puffer Schools

  • Kelley is a wealth of knowledge and experience! I have witnessed remarkable change in countless students' abilities to regulate emotions, bring love and gentleness to self and in turn, extend that love and gentleness to others.

    -Elementary School Teacher

Books are available on Amazon
or grab an autographed copy directly from Kelley!

Want a personalized note from Kelley? She would love to make it extra special for you!

Just complete the contact form below. Be sure to indicate which book you would like and what you would like the note to say - Kelley will reach out to you personally for shipping and payment information.

Be sure to join the COACH Community so you can visit Kelley at a Book Signing near you!

Additional Resources

Waves of Wisdom

Lesson plans for teachers looking for support for their students as they navigate big emotions. Written by Kelley Peel

Offered on Teachers Pay Teachers

Kelley’s Books

Kelley's books help children understand their emotions through beautifully illustrated stories, mindfulness tools, and reflective conversation starters. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or caregiver, these stories are designed to support both the reader and the listener.

Amazon Bookstore

Amazon is the publisher for all of Kelley’s books.

Be sure to follow her there! If you have purchased a book, will you please leave a review? Your review helps get her books into the hands of those who they will support!