In classrooms and community halls across Johannesburg, confidence often reveals itself quietly.

A child who finally speaks loudly enough to be heard. A nervous hand that slowly goes up. A shy smile that arrives a little easier than before.

For nearly two decades, Kerry Chapman has worked in those moments.

Based in Lonehill, Chapman has spent years helping children build confidence through drama, creativity, and self-expression. Now she has taken many of those lessons beyond the classroom through her children’s book, I Am Brave.

The book is aimed at children between the ages of two and six, but its ideas are simple enough to reach far beyond that age group. At its centre is a message many adults still struggle with themselves: bravery is not the absence of fear. It is learning to move through it.

From drama classes to daily affirmations

Chapman’s background in children’s development shaped the book naturally.

Over years of working with young children, she noticed how certain phrases stayed with them. Small affirmations repeated consistently often changed the way children approached situations that once intimidated them.

“Having spent nearly two decades witnessing how drama and self-expression can transform a child's demeanour, I wanted to create a tangible tool that children could take home with them,” she said.

Together with her husband, Luke, she began developing resources that children and parents could return to daily. Something steady. Something familiar.

The result became I Am Brave.

A quieter kind of confidence-building

The book does not approach confidence as performance or constant positivity.

Instead, it focuses on reassurance.

The affirmations are gentle and repetitive in the way children often need. Read aloud at bedtime or during morning routines, they create small moments of calm repetition that slowly settle into everyday thinking.

Parents who have spent time around young children will recognise the rhythm immediately. The same phrases are repeated again and again until they begin to feel believable.

Chapman says many of the affirmations came directly from her classroom experience. They are phrases she has used with children for years during drama sessions and confidence-building activities.

“Children need a constant, gentle reminder of their own inner strength,” she explained.

Why the message resonates now

There is growing conversation around emotional resilience in children, particularly as schools and families navigate increasingly pressured environments.

What makes Chapman’s approach feel different is its simplicity.

The book does not try to overcomplicate emotional development. It stays grounded in everyday interaction between children and the adults around them.

Since its release, local parents have shared stories of toddlers repeating affirmations at home long after reading the book. Chapman has also started hosting interactive readings and workshops where children engage with the ideas through movement, play, and participation.

“It’s not just about sitting and listening,” she said. “We make it an experience.”

Rooted close to home

Part of the appeal is how local the project feels.

This is not a large publishing campaign built around trends or online parenting language. It grew from years spent inside real classrooms, working directly with Johannesburg children and families.

That grounding gives the book warmth.

The goal is not perfection or performance. Just helping children feel a little steadier in themselves as they grow.

At a glance

Best for

Parents of young children, early learning teachers, and families focused on emotional development

Entry cost

Book pricing available online

Payment options

Online payment available through the official store

Key info

Kerry Chapman’s I Am Brave is available through Affirmation Station and is designed for children aged two to six.