Erica Thayer is a children’s author, former elementary educator, and advocate for social-emotional learning. She writes stories that help children understand themselves, embrace their emotions, and discover that every feeling has a place.
For more than a decade, Erica spent her days alongside young children as they learned to read, solve problems, build friendships, and navigate the wonderfully complicated work of growing up. She believes every child deserves to feel safe, valued, loved, and accepted, and she has seen time and again how the right story can open hearts, spark meaningful conversations, and help children make sense of the world around them.
When Erica became a mother, those lessons found a new home. Watching her son experience the world with curiosity, delight, frustration, and wonder deepened her understanding of children’s emotional lives. It reminded her that children don’t need their feelings fixed. They need patient hearts, listening ears, and trusted adults willing to sit beside them through every emotion.
That realization inspired The Feelings Bench, a story rooted in one simple belief: every feeling belongs, and no child should ever have to face their feelings alone.
Erica hopes her books become well-loved bedtime stories, treasured classroom read-alouds, and conversation starters that children carry with them long after the final page. More than anything, she hopes her stories help children feel seen, bring families closer together, and remind readers of all ages that every feeling deserves compassion, every heart deserves belonging, and no one has to navigate life’s biggest emotions alone.
