Tarra: Mission to Earth by Inna Van Der Velden
“Unprecedented” is a word we’ve heard over and over to describe these past two years, but that doesn’t make this sentiment any less true. As we all try to make sense of the uncertain world around us, no one is more impacted than this generation of young children. Even now that kids have largely returned to in-person school, they’re still feeling the ramifications of growing up in a pandemic: lack of socialization, heightened stress and a feeling of helplessness about current events.
It’s not an overly cheery picture to paint, no. But acknowledging the situation is the first step to implementing change. One such way that parents and guardians are bringing enrichment into their children’s lives is through reading. By escaping into a story, children are able to leave the anxieties of the times behind them and partake in adventures that they’d otherwise be hard-pressed to find. Inna Van Der Velden’s Tarra: Mission to Earth is one such book. With strong themes of friendship, bravery, the pursuit of knowledge and even sustainable living, children will be thrilled to join in on an interplanetary adventure to save the day.
AN IMPORTANT MISSION GONE AWRY
At only ten-years-old, Anthony is the captain of a top-priority mission to journey from the planet Tarra to Earth. But pay no mind to his youth — despite their young ages, he and his four friends are the best choice for the job. In fact, they’re the only hope Tarra has left; after the mysterious spread of a phenomenon called fear dust, the rest of Tarra’s population is frozen in anxiety, unable to search for a cure. It’s up to these five adventurers to voyage to Earth, Tarra’s sister planet, in hopes of finding a possible antidote.
With a stroke of bad luck, however, all five adventurers are scattered across the Earth upon impact. Now, they must forge through unknown lands, facing unfamiliar dangers, in an effort to reunite and find the cure for which they’ve traveled so far.
Van Der Velden packs an abundance of adventure into the book’s 216 pages. With characters scattered across the different continents, readers are taken along on an accelerated journey across some of the Earth’s most beautiful landmarks. From Canada’s Rocky Mountains to the tulip fields of the Netherlands, Anthony and his companions experience a tour of all the natural beauty that Earth has to offer.
REAL-LIFE LESSONS FROM A FAR-OFF PLANET
An appreciation for nature isn’t the only lesson in Tarra: Mission to Earth, however. As the team encounters unexpected dangers on this crucial mission, they struggle with feelings of anxiety and self-doubt. Through Tarrian techniques like “live breathing” — what we on Earth would call deep breathing exercises — and mindfulness, the squad is able to quell their worries and rise to the challenge.
Van Der Velden introduces young readers to these techniques not only through the story of Tarra: Mission to Earth, but through a separate book she’s entitled The Family Companion. The two books are meant to be read in tandem, as readers follow the story in Tarra: Mission to Earth and complete complementary exercises in The Family Companion. Early in the story, for instance, the characters discover the importance of “live breathing.” In The Family Companion, parents are given tips on how to teach their young readers about deep breathing and mindfulness exercises, which readers are then expected to practice as a way to help the characters perform the exercise.
By introducing young readers to these real-life methods, they’ll not only go on an enticing journey with these characters, but they will practice their empathetic and kinesthetic skills with these activities. These methods also will help boost confidence, teach young readers to cope with difficult situations and encourage them to engage meaningfully and sustainably with the Earth and its creatures.
INTELLECTUALLY AND DEVELOPMENTALLY SOUND
In the introduction of Tarra: Mission to Earth, A. Charkova, an International Risk and Crisis Specialist and mother herself, shares her thoughts about the importance of the story. “A generation of children are growing up through a global pandemic, through a war, through worries that the only animals they will ever get to see are in the zoo. It’s impossible for this not to have an impact. This book is the healing they need. This book teaches unity and care and just to observe, observe the beautiful world around.”
Take it from the professionals: Van Der Velden’s Tarra: Mission to Earth is the escapism and tool that this generation of young readers needs.
Tarra: Mission to Earth is available for purchase here, as well as in the links below.
About Inna Van Der Velden:
Inna Van Der Velden is a teacher, an acupuncturist, a specialist in Chinese medicine, a speaker at international tele summits, a healer and a writer.
Her vast studies and the experience of living in six countries (Russia, Canada, USA, Kazakhstan, United Kingdom and Bulgaria) have shaped her unique vision of life on Earth. The nature of her work as a healer allowed her to connect to people from forty-six different countries and hear their stories. Inna, together with the 5 Elements of Nature, has helped people heal their hearts, worn-out bodies and crumpled emotions.
Inna is sure that the art of Dreaming shapes the way of life on our planet. It is within our powers to set the conditions for our children to grow up in a happy environment, have more fun and co-create with our living planet, Earth.
