SPRINGDALE, Ark. — A Springdale school teacher has been coping with anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic by writing a children’s book and now she's sharing it with others in hopes of making a difference.
Otis the Aussiedoodle is Springdale pre k teacher Brittany Cissell's first published children’s book. It’s a story through the eyes of her beloved dog, Otis and how he thinks he’s the best helper in the world, but in reality, he’s helped his owner with more than he will ever know.
“I have generalized anxiety disorder,” Cissell said. A condition she says she was diagnosed with while in college.
To help combat the anxiety, Cissell and her husband decided to adopt a dog, Otis the Aussiedoodle.
“He needed a home, and we got him on Valentine’s Day,” she said.
He was a Valentine’s Day gift that has helped Cissell more than she could have ever imagined.
“The pandemic was literally my worst nightmare because it came out of absolutely nowhere and just completely turned the world upside down,” she said.
Cissell says she needs structure and a schedule. When she wasn’t at school, she says things got tough, but her new pup Otis needing to be on a schedule helped her get back in a routine.
The Ausiedoodle quickly became a favorite classroom topic since her students loved seeing him over zoom.
“I thought maybe I could make a book about Otis for the kids, it started small just for them and also at the same time would give me a project to work on and channel my energy into,” she said.
Cissell says she could have panicked when COVID-19 forced her out of the classroom last March, but Instead, her new pup who also had suffered from anxiety became the star of a children’s book that has helped her and several others who suffer from anxiety.
“It’s a day in the life of Otis and it starts with what he does in the morning, going outside and what he thinks he’s doing versus what’s actually happening,” she said.
It’s a book that has had an impact on people who suffer with anxiety nationwide and it’s also had an impact on her students. She says they have a favorite part.
“When he protects us from the vacuum cleaner,” Cissell said.
But no matter what their favorite part is, they can all agree on one thing, that they love the story.
It’s a story that’s made each student adore the precious pup.
At the back of the book, you can find an insert from Cissell about how she and Otis deal with their anxiety together and how they’ve helped each other. If you want your own copy you can buy one on Amazon.
10% of every book purchase goes to the Anxiety and Depression American Association.