Being Different is Wonderful: Introducing CandyLandy BananieRamie’s First Day
Published: November 2025
Today, I’m delighted to introduce you to someone very special: CandyLandy BananieRamie, a pink banana who’s about to have the most important first day of school ever.
A Gift of Love
CandyLandy BananieRamie’s First Day was born during my recovery from stage four cancer, written as a gift for my 6-year-old daughter Lucy. Watching her navigate the anxiety of being different, of wondering if she’d fit in, of hoping someone would want to be her friend—I wanted to give her a story that said: “You are perfect exactly as you are.”
This book is that message, wrapped in watercolour illustrations and brought to life through the gentlest of stories.
What’s the Story About?
CandyLandy BananieRamie is nervous about her first day at Banana Grove Primary. She’s a pink banana, and she worries: what if all the other bananas are yellow? What if nobody wants to be her friend? What if being different means being alone?
But when CandyLandy walks through those school doors, she discovers something wonderful. She’s not alone at all. The school is full of other pink bananas—each one unique, each one special, each one perfectly themselves.
Through this simple but profound discovery, CandyLandy learns that:
- Being different is something to celebrate
- There are others who share what makes you special
- True friendship comes from being yourself
- Everyone belongs somewhere
Why This Message Matters
Every child worries about fitting in. Every parent has comforted a little one who feels different, who’s nervous about new experiences, who wonders if they’ll find their place.
CandyLandy BananieRamie’s First Day speaks directly to those worries with warmth, gentleness, and beautiful watercolour illustrations that bring CandyLandy’s world to life.
Perfect for Ages 3-7
This book is ideal for:
- First day of school nerves
- Building self-confidence
- Conversations about diversity and belonging
- Bedtime reading with important life lessons
- Any child who’s ever felt different or worried about fitting in
With charming characters like CandyLandy and her new friend Oochy Moochy Skoochy, this story will quickly become a family favourite.
More Than Just a Story
CandyLandy BananieRamie’s First Day features gorgeous full-colour watercolour illustrations throughout. Each page is designed to be explored, enjoyed, and returned to again and again. The gentle storytelling makes it perfect for bedtime reading, whilst the important life lessons make it a thoughtful gift for young children navigating new experiences.
A Note to Parents
I know what it’s like to watch your child worry about being different. I know the ache of wanting to protect them whilst also wanting them to discover their own strength. This book is my gift to my daughter, but it’s also my gift to every parent who’s ever held a worried little one and wished you had the perfect words.
Sometimes, a pink banana says it better than we ever could.
Where to Find It
CandyLandy BananieRamie’s First Day is available now in Kindle and paperback formats on Amazon stores worldwide:
Current readers have given it 5 out of 5 stars, and I hope it brings as much joy to your family as it has to ours.
Please Share the Message
If CandyLandy BananieRamie’s First Day helps your little one feel seen, understood, or a little less worried about being themselves, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review on Amazon. Your words help other families discover this story, and they mean the world to an indie author like me.
Thank You
To my daughter Lucy, who inspired this story and reminded me that being different is the most wonderful thing of all: thank you for being perfectly you.
To every parent reading this: you’re doing brilliantly. Your little one is lucky to have you.
And to every child who’s ever worried about fitting in: you’re perfect. Just like CandyLandy.
Join CandyLandy on her journey from worry to joy, and discover that being yourself is the most wonderful thing of all.
Stephen Jonathan is the author of The Adventures of CandyLandy and The Burning Light Chronicles. He writes stories for his children and shares them with the world.
