20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime.

About Iris the Dragon

Registered charity & producer of books educating audiences on mental health and wellness.

who is Iris the Dragon

Iris the Dragon is a registered charity that is a known producer of children’s books to educate young audiences on mental health and wellness.

With over a decade of experience, Iris the Dragon’s mission has been to provide educational material for adults and young readers that can facilitate a conversation among parents, teachers and children about issues relating to mental health and wellness in a non-threatening manner.

Iris the Dragon’s books address a variety of emotional, behavioural and neurodevelopmental conditions and recognize the importance of family, school, and community in promoting the potential of every child.

Mental illness indirectly affects all Canadians at some time through a family member, friend or colleague.

Iris the Dragon's key messages

Iris provides a means for gatekeepers of our youth to:

realize that mental health challenges do exist in children, and present a very grave and very real concern in today’s high-stress society.
recognize that through early detection, risk management and education about mental health, symptoms can be alleviated—if not prevented—and that recovery is possible.
reduce the stigma and discrimination that surrounds children's mental health.

behind the scenes

Gayle Grassauthor, president

Gayle Grass is the author of the Iris the Dragon book series. Gayle is a York University graduate with Honours in Kinesiology. She majored in economics, worked in the finance sector, raised a family and pursued her passion for antique children’s books and illustration.

This passion led to a master’s degree in Victorian Art and Architecture from the University in London, England. Her thesis on bookmaking resulted in an affirmation that the fairy tale model of storytelling is a powerful way to educate and deliver messages. Gayle has focussed her life as both an author of and advocate for mental health wellness ever since.

Jessica Grassmarketing

Jessica Grass is also a teacher at Elmwood School in Ottawa. Jessica is a marketing and communications veteran who made the transition to education as a grades 9-12 teacher. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Queen’s University and a Master of Science in Teaching from Potsdam College, State University of New York, and is pursuing a Master of Education in Counseling to apply towards assisting youth with mental wellness issues.

Jessica has worked with Iris the Dragon since its inception to develop its brand and identity in the mental health field. She is focussed on steering the charity toward developing tools to enable educators to teach children about mental wellness.

Iris the Dragon on Facebook

Gayle Grass on Twitter

designed for kids, parents, educators & doctors

Stigma or discrimination attached to mental illnesses presents a serious barrier, not only to diagnosis and treatment but also to acceptance in the community.

There are now 100,000 Iris the Dragon books in circulation. We are proud of the messages from people across North America that say the books are an excellent way to open a dialogue on topics that had been very difficult to discuss with children.

The book series and units of study are an effective and trusted resource for children and caregivers because all of our content has been vetted and endorsed by professionals in the fields of psychiatry, education, and neurology.

"Gayle Grass, AKA Iris, is an exceptionally talented author of captivating children’s books. Through this medium, she educates her audience (children, parents and caregivers) about mental health and mental illness and stigma reduction…..In her Iris the Dragon Series, Gayle has utilized outstanding vision for a demonstrated need well before the topic of child and youth mental health and illness was as well identified as a need and well before it was well accepted."

Simon Davidson, M.B., B.Ch., F.R.C.P.(C)
Professor of Psychiatry and Paediatrics
Chairman, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Ottawa
Chair, Child and Youth Advisory Committee, Mental Health Commission of Canada

Click here to open a PDF file > About Iris the Dragon..