Meet Jelly, the little ocean friend helping young children learn gratitude and good manners — one thank you and one please at a time. Two gentle picture books, one lovable cast, and plenty of bedtime cuddles.
Paperback · ages 2–6 · a two-book series
♡ Perfect for bedtime, classrooms, early years discoveries and thoughtful gifts.
Kind, calming picture books starring Jelly and the whole ocean gang. Collect both and turn everyday manners into moments your little one will love.
A gratitude picture book for ages 2–6 about noticing everyday kindness and finding your own reasons to say thank you.
A manners picture book for ages 2–6 about asking kindly and bringing a little “please” into everyday adventures.
“Thank you” and “please” are easy words to teach. Understanding why they matter takes a little more.
In the My First… collection, Jelly discovers these lessons through everyday adventures — meeting friends, asking for help, noticing kindness and learning how small words can make a big difference.
Set in Jelly’s colourful underwater world, each story is simple, warm and fun to read together — with a little lesson children can carry with them long after the story ends.
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Read together at home, in nursery or at preschool. Then use these simple gratitude questions to talk about something that happened that day.
What made you smile?
Who helped you?
Is there someone you’d like to thank?
Perhaps a friend saved them a seat, someone shared a toy, or Mum stayed for another bedtime story. Ask why it mattered to them.
And after My First Please, try: “If you wanted a turn with someone’s toy, what could you say?”
You don’t need to ask every question. See where the conversation goes. For a bedtime story about thankfulness, look inside My First Thank You.
Jelly is never alone. A whole cast of kind ocean friends helps children notice the good, share a thank you, and feel a little braver every day.
Hover over a character or tap their name to discover more.
Nathan Fish is an artist, author and founder of ThankYou.co.uk. After years working as an artist, he brought that same creative world into children's books, creating Jelly and the My First… series.
His aim is to make beautiful, meaningful books and products that children enjoy, parents want to return to, and families can share together.
Seven playful gratitude activities for ages 2–6, plus a keepsake certificate.
Join Jelly to draw someone kind, decorate a thank-you shell, spot something lovely in nature and share a little kindness. Draw, colour or talk together — no writing needed.
10 printable A4 pages · Use at your own pace
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We're on a mission to raise grateful hearts, kinder kids and stronger communities — one thank you and one please at a time. The My First… books make a thoughtful gift for every little moment:
Shop the My First… books